Guest Speaker Geoff Watson introduced by Russell McKinnon
Geoff spoke about TIACS - this is a conversation starter, which his business has become involved with. It is the initiative of TradeMutt who have designed shirts and work gear to help anyone with mental health issues.
There are over eight suicides in Australia every day. Most are men and many of them professionals.
Geoff wears a TradeMutt shirt which is very very loud and has some unique features like a QR code which can be scanned to make contact with a mental health counsellor. The shirts are for sale at his business Hip Pocket. They cost $60, half of which goes to help with mental health programmes coordinated by TradeMutt.
Geoff played a video created by the operators of TradeMutt who came up with the idea after one of their mates committed suicide. So far they have had over 13,000 responses, 1,800 of whom have been referred to counselling. They have generated over $2m worth of mental health services.
The counselling embraces a multitude of areas such as relationships, anxiety, depression, employment and grief.
Questions and comments from Barry Dring, Jo Clarke, Viki Fennell, Don Rolston, Geoff Wood, Hugh Lavery and Ian Taylor.
Guest Speaker thanks by Geoff Watson's former Albany Senior High School schoolmate, Grant Woodhams
