The Real Mates Talk men’s campaign intends to prevent suicide attempts and deaths of men in our community and support them to connect with others and live well. 

Real Mates Talk aims to do this by:

• encouraging men in their community to ask “what’s up mate?”
• encouraging men (and women) to ask for help
• supporting them to have places to go to connect with others.

Research tells us that to support men we need to meet men where they are, build social connections between men, and help men help themselves. To do this, the Real Mates Talk Team needs help from men across the community. The Real Mates Talk Team will:

• work with a team of men who will act as Ambassadors across the Whitsunday, Isaac, and Mackay region. These men will act as role models for breaking down stigma, raising community awareness, and making sure men know what supports are available to them. They will also share information about how to ask for help and where to get it.
• conduct a survey to gather data about if/how people in our community access help for mental health and suicidal concerns
• develop and share resources about how to stay physically and mentally well, as well as how to respond to a crisis
• support Ambassadors to make presentations at community events and in workplaces, in partnership with other organisations
• support sporting clubs and other community groups to know how to identify and respond to concerns.

If you’re passionate about supporting your mates and want to join us in breaking down stigma in your community, you can:

• become a Real Mates Talk Ambassador – email Michelle at michelleborg@selectability.com.au for more information
• like and share posts on the Real Mates Talk Facebook page in your personal and work networks, particularly posts about the Ambassadors
• submit information any events in Whitsunday, Isaac, and Mackay that the Real Mates Talk Team could participate in
• invite a Real Mates Talk Ambassador to make a presentation at your workplace, sporting club, or community group
• share Real Mates Talk information (at realmatestalk.com.au and on the Facebook page) with colleagues, family, and friends about mental wellness, so you shatter stigma and bust myths
• do a Real Mates Talk day in your workplace, café, or business – t-shirts, caps, and resources are available so you can encourage men to connect and ask ‘What’s up mate?’. 

Real Mates Talk is an initiative of the Suicide Prevention Community Action Planning group, which is administered and delivered by selectability Limited on behalf of Northern Queensland Primary Health Network (NQPHN) and funded by the Australian Government Department of Health.