MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS 

Overview
WA Footy is committed to championing mental health and wellbeing at all levels of football. We all have a role to play in creating spaces and environments that are safe, inclusive and conducive to positive conversations around mental health and wellbeing. Football and sporting clubs are ideal settings to develop supportive networks and contribute to effective community well-being initiatives. 

• How can you help?
  • Be a friendly face and listening ear to members
  • Role model values of the club
  • Organise quality assured external providers to visit the club.
  • Facilitate and support the maintenance of relationships between the club and key local organisations and providers around initiatives, programs and grants that may be available to the club.
  • Welcome new members to the club.
  • Stay up to date with WA Footy initiatives and resources available. Check out the WA Footy Wellbeing Hub.
  • Engage with your local government and health services to build meaningful relationships between the club, local support networks and providers.

Ahead of the Game

WA Footy is proud to partner with the AFL & Movember and a number of local headspaces to engage community clubs in the Movember Ahead of the Game Program. Ahead of the game is a youth mental health program that teaches players, parents, coaches, umpires and volunteers to understand mental health, build mental fitness and strengthen resilience. Players learn how to deal with challenges in both sport and life.

Curious to find out how the Ahead of the Game Program works? Visit HERE

Register your interest | HERE 

Tackle Your Feelings 

WA Footy is proud to partner with Tackle Your Feelings to educate and assist senior players and community members to look after the mental wellbeing of themselves, their players and those involved in the Community Club environment.
Tackle Your Feelings aims to:

• Raise awareness and remove stigma association with mental health.
• Strengthen club culture and support a mentally healthy community through accreditation.
• Provide participants with confidence and skills to identify issues and access tools to proactively manage themselves and others.

To register your interest or find out more, please visit | HERE

Think Mental Health

WA Footy partner with Healthay to promote Think Mental Health. The Think Mental Health program is a community-based mental health promotion initiative that promotes positive mental health and wellbeing through a range of activities. The program is designed to support communities, workplaces, and individuals to improve their mental health and wellbeing.

Think Mental Health Round

Thanks to premier partner, Healthway, The Think Mental Health Round initiative is currently promoted across Country Football WA and WAFL competitions. The round aims to strengthen the strong connection between Country Football and the WAFL, while promoting mental health awareness. Research has found that connecting with players, volunteers and spectators has a positive impact on physical and mental health. In 2023, former Fremantle great, David Mundy laced up the boots to play for the Dunsborough Sharks as part of Think Mental Health Round.

Regional Men’s Health Initiative

Country Football WA and Regional Men’s Health have had a partnership promoting the Talk to a Mate® message for over a decade. 

The Regional Men’s Health Initiative’s primary role is to deliver community education and awareness programs on men’s holistic wellbeing and health. Talks can be tailored to suit a specific audience.

• Face to face workshops in regional areas
• Registered Charity 
• Regional initiative 
• Funding application 
• Evaluated program (2012 – 2018) 
• More info via - https://regionalmenshealth.com.au/ 

Sports Care Australia

Sports Care Australia care for athletes at every level – both on and off the field by providing trusted pastoral care to invest into the complete athlete and their entire sporting community. They also provide a ClubCare Cover service.

When a club you represent has a critical incident, traumatic loss, suicide, severe injury or difficult moment, ClubCare Cover can provide the crisis support needed as soon as required. Too often coaches, managers and club officials are not equipped to handle all the life and wellbeing needs of their players, staff members and wider sporting community.

In the event of a crisis, you and all your association leadership need peace of mind. So, through ClubCare Cover, it’s reassuring to know you’re covered. And that’s through accredited sports chaplains who will provide that immediate, critical incident pastoral care for all the members of your sporting community as needed.

• Learn more - HERE