A Note from the TIACS CEO
Mental health is often referred to as an invisible illness. With your support, we're looking to change that notion. Hopefully you've made the connection between TIACS and TradeMutt, the social enterprise workwear company founded by Dan Allen and Ed Ross. TradeMutt's bright and funky shirts are making the invisible impossible to ignore. An initiative of TradeMutt, the TIACS banner logo sits proudly on the back of every shirt.
The shirts could have been enough of a catalyst for change except for a social media post……
In June 2018 celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain took his own life. Dan and Ed were meeting with a mate Russell (Russ) who mentioned he had seen a post on Facebook by a prominent Australian mental health charity about the tragic loss of Anthony Bourdain and how that mental health doesn't discriminate. Reading the comments Russ noticed a young man had commented, 'This is where I am headed'. A direct call for HELP!
Instinctively Russ directly reached out to this young man and asked if he could help. This young man had a relationship breakdown, he had also lost his job and was at a wits end. Through a generous donation from Bretts Timber and Hardware, he was put in touch with a mental health professional and got the assistance he needed.
After the dust settled, Russ enquired about the comments or messages of support that this young man received from the mental health charity where he initially reached out for help. He said no one had contacted him.
Russ messaged them directly himself, "Hey guys, just reaching out. Have a friend in need of some help and don't know what to do?" … NOTHING.
Dan and Ed took the step to do something different and give people the access and help they need. Support from a mental health professional isn't cheap, and it's not always accessible.
Our goal is to change the mental health services landscape making it accessible and affordable and in doing so reduce the number of suicides in Australia.
With your support, together we'll change the face of mental health in Australia one conversation at a time.
www.tiacs.org/