We all have our own lived experiences of mental health

19/09/2023

“We all have our own lived experiences of how mental ill health has impacted our lives, either directly or indirectly. Our family unfortunately has been directly affected.”

R U OK? Day is an important event that aims to upskill everyone to identify potential signs or symptoms that may indicate someone could benefit from the question. This month is especially a good reminder to ask the question and start a meaningful conversation that could save a life.

At Downer, we know how important it is to support the mental health of our people and communities. Our Mental Health First Aid training course arms our people with the knowledge and insights to support themselves, their colleagues, family, friends and people within their communities. Downer is thrilled to see over 2,600 people trained in Mental Health First Aid across the company with an advanced accreditation. That’s 1 out of 11 team members who have achieved this. 

Meet Liam D' Arcy. HSEQ Manager with Downer – Water Utilities, Urban Utilities program. Liam says, “G’day all” from sunny Brisbane, Queensland. Liam has been with Downer (approaching 2 years) and says he enjoys working with the great people in his team. “I’m incredibly fortunate because I absolutely love working in Health and Safety, having worked over a decade in a number of industries throughout all parts of Australia.”

When Liam is not at work watching the safety of our people, he likes to ride motorcycles, delve into photography and get in the ring for some MMA / boxing. 

Last week, Downer celebrated R U OK day and this year’s theme is “I’m here to hear”. We asked Liam what this means to him. 

“Being available when someone needs support is important. We can often hesitate to reach out to someone who may be going through a hard time because we don’t know what to say or do – however often the best thing you can do is simply be there to listen.”

Liam went on to explain what this day means for the friends and family around him. We thank Liam for his courage in speaking about his cousin who is dearly missed. 

“We all have our own lived experiences of how mental ill health has impacted our lives, either directly or indirectly. Our family unfortunately has been directly affected with a cousin tragically taking his life. This is one of the key reasons I’m passionate about breaking the stigma of mental ill health – especially with males in our communities.”

Liam has been able to support his local community by combining his interest in photography with his passion to help others. Liam supported a local mental health charity ‘the hey mate project’ by raising over $600 by taking LinkedIn profile pictures of Downer employees!

Last year, Liam also ran a “Walk for Mental Health” initiative with the DOWSP team here at Downer to mark mental health month. He says, “I was blown away by the number of people who approached me afterwards to share their own stories. This is why bringing awareness to mental health month is so important.”

We asked Liam where we can find him this R U OK? Day to which he says, “you’ll find me supporting the team to deliver an impactful R U OK day Session to the team this Thursday.” 

We ask that everyone looks after themselves and those around you – not just today, but every day. Because of teammates like Liam, we enable those in our communities to thrive.