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Following a traumatic event in early 2021, Kerry was left with deep, intense guilt about why she couldn’t change the outcome.

“For two weeks I lived in what felt like a deep hole with no way out, no way of fixing my brokenness, and no way of coming to terms with what had happened,” Kerry says.

Living in a remote community in North West Queensland means accessing support and care can be challenging.

“After desperately reaching out for help, I was put in touch with Outback Futures,” Kerry shares.

“I began connecting with one of their counsellors, talking regularly on the phone and video calls.”

“The Outback Futures team has gone above and beyond to help me realise I was not at fault,” shares Kerry. “They’ve helped me move past the bad and concentrate on the good.”

“I feel the work my counsellor has done with me over the past few months has saved my life mentally and emotionally.”

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Long time Central West Queensland resident Julie* was referred to Outback Futures by the local nurse navigator with symptoms of severe depression which she had been battling for many years.

Julie was over 70 years of age, lived alone in a small remote community, and expressed feelings of extreme loneliness.

She had trouble leaving the house due to her anxiety and depression, and this contributed further to her sense of isolation.

Getting help had always been a short lived process for Julie due to her difficulty attending appointments outside the home.

Julie had an initial face-to-face session with an Outback Futures counsellor and they also spent time setting up Julie’s iPad with telehealth software.

Julie began regular telehealth sessions with the same counsellor. The reliability and consistency of her attendance increased dramatically and she reported looking forward to her connections on screen. As a result, Julie has been able to access the support she needs, when and where she needs it.

Concurrently, the HEAD YAKKA initiative was being developed in Julie's region by Outback Futures together with local community stakeholders and champions. HEAD YAKKA focusses on strengthening existing community networks and wellbeing projects, as well as equipping people to better understand mental health, developing tools to support one another, and becoming more confident in help seeking pathways.

This meant HEAD YAKKA was strengthening the community networks and support around Julie in conjunction with her own access to therapy, ensuring broader community understanding and support for Julie, and others like her, was growing.

Julie's story highlights the value of empowering communities to identify and support those who are vulnerable, and positively contribute to the mental health and wellbeing of their own community.

*Our client's name has been changed to respect her privacy.