Like Minds – it’s everyone’s future

On 18 March the Mental Health Foundation and the Regional Consumer Network hosted the second Like Minds Auckland Metro Forum. The purpose of this forum is to bring together people from across the Auckland region to talk about the issues Like Minds workers come up against in our mission to reduce stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness. 

The audience really enjoyed hearing from our guest speaker Aubrey Quinn, who is the current face of the Like Minds television commercials (TVC). Aubrey shared with us some of the more humorous aspects of his journey through recovery and his experiences fronting the TVCs.

I think, for me, events like these are crucial to the Like Minds programme.  Like Minds is not only relevant to people who experience mental illness, it is relevant to everyone in New Zealand. 

We all want to live in a society that values people based on their actions and their merits, rather than judging them on their diagnosis, skin colour or gender.  To be a truly inclusive society is something that I believe most New Zealanders support, however putting these ideas into action is often where it becomes hard for people. 

You don’t have to know someone with a mental illness or work in the mental health sector to be able to make a positive impact on stigma and discrimination. Sometimes the smallest things in the world can make a huge difference, like being a role model for your children in this area, or letting a mate know that his joke about mental illness is ‘not okay’ and not even very funny. 

These small actions contribute towards a society that promotes fairness and counters discrimination.

I think, and I should point out at this point that I am an overly emotional pregnant woman, that this is the type of society we all want to be part of, and to have our children grow up in.

Jade Caulfield, Like Minds Mental Health Promoter

L to R: Like Minds Northern Mental Health Promoters, Ivan Yeo, Vanessa Cooper, Jade Caulfield and Richie Paine pictured with Aubrey Quinn (centre).