Mental Health Week - 1

ICTV's The Fitness Show, is all about encouraging people to get up off their couches and get active while watching ICTV. Charmaine Patrick takes the viewers through some different exercise routines that people can do in their own lounge room. This episode features a routine at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station with Tharron Mogridge and Damien Kunoth; a trip out to Hermannsburg with the Indigenous Marathon Project; and a healthy eating Segment with Warren H Williams also featuring Houston and Ezekial Marshall. Have Fun and Get Fit!

ICTV is proud to announce a special week of programming - in support of National Mental Health Week 2018 - from the 8th to the 14th of October.

To support the week, we’ll be having special programming every night from 6:30pm to 7:30pm.

A huge thank you to our major sponsors:

Karungkarni Art and Culture Centre
iTalk Studio
PAKAM – Pilbara and Kimberley Aboriginal Media
Desert Pea Media
MHACA – Mental Health Association of Central Australia
Primary Health Network (NSW)

This years’ theme is Talk, Support and Recover.

The aim of mental health week is to promote social and emotional wellbeing in the community, and to encourage people to maximise their health – and the coping capacity of communities, families and individuals – to increase mental health recovery.

ICTV, showing our way.

David Young shares his views on the importance of school for kids' futures. Shot at the Balgo lookout.

A song about the keeping your family strong

Emotional literacy animations in Pitjantjatjara and Ngaanyatjarra. Developed by and for Anangu living in the central desert region to keep language strong - in particular the language for talking about mental health.

This is the story of a man who is not thinking clearly: he can't control his anger and is always looking for a fight. One day, when things get really bad, his family step in and with the help of police they take him to the health clinic. With the help of medication from the clinic, support from his cousin and other family members, the man finds a way to feel happier and stronger again. This animation is in the Central Desert language of Pitjantjatjara - highlighting words for feelings. "Tell someone how you feel!"

Cyclists from Tourxoz rolled into Roebourne this week to meet with locals and talk about mental health.
They were keen to kick the footy with the locals after hearing about the successful
WAFC - Pilbara Regional Football called 'Nightfields' that engages the youth every Friday night at the school oval.
Former AFL legend, Adam Goodes was amongst the throng of bike riders and told Ngaarda Media that the 'Black Dog' has been an issue for him.
"I've definitely been affected by the Black Dog, earlier in my playing career when I was doing a diploma in indigenous studies. I got very angry and upset about the things that had happened," he said. "A big part of me dealing with my anger is being part of the positive process which we are doing and empowering our people."

Ngarluma leader, Josie Samson thanked the cyclists for coming to Roebourne and saw their arrival and message as a positive reaction to the recent headlines in the media that spoke about sexual abuse charges in the Pilbara. " All these accusations that have been made about Roebourne keeps people away and gives people the wrong message," she said.
"I've lived here, we have our ups and downs like everybody else, but here we are striving as white and black ... working to build this community up.

The absurd reality of a young director who sets out into the streets of Roebourne with huge ambition and not a lot to work with.

Part of the 'Break It Down: Community Conversations Around Mental Health' project 2017/2018. (DPM/PHN WNSW)

Life cThe lessons we can learn from Aunty Anne Dennis go back deep into history. Anne joins the dots between the decimation of Aboriginal culture, and the alarming statistics around the impact of grief and trauma on Aboriginal people’s day-to-day lives. “Something’s got to change,” Anne says, and by this she means reintroducing cultural knowledge back into young people’s lives in a meaningful way. The relationship between mental health and cultural identity is obvious, and can only be solved by valuing and respecting cultural education.

Part of the 'Break It Down: Community Conversations Around Mental Health' project 2017/2018. (DPM/PHN WNSW)

Being a parent and making those tough decisions, is one of the hardest parts of the job. Especially, when you have to speak up about your child’s mental health. Krista Kirby is both a mum, an active member of her community and a reminder that - even though a problem exists, it’s still difficult for people to acknowledge it. If her child was having mental health issues, Krista wouldn’t sit around and wait for help. Her advice to all of us is to have the conversation, and if it feels like the issue is bigger than you know how to deal with, seek out that help to ensure that your child gets the support they need to make it through.

Part of the 'Break It Down: Community Conversations Around Mental Health' project 2017/2018. (DPM/PHN WNSW)

Chasing the western ideal can turn out to be hollow, and lead to depression, if your spiritual self is not in the right place. For George Coe, that journey brought him back to his roots, by the river where he grew up. On country, George reconnected with the ancient ways that make him who he is today. Now his goal is to provide the kids of his community with direction, while placing the necessary emphasis on cultural wisdom, to ensure they don’t have to go down the tough path that he has walked before. George has big hopes for his community, and his people, and knows that respecting the land is the only way to get there.

Motivational stories for Indigenous men who are 'doing time' and 'have the time' to make positive changes to their physical, emotional and mental health.

Produced as part of the Young Strong and proud Project