Mental health. It's one of those subjects that society struggles to address, and is often swept under the carpet and forgotten. But if we're being very honest with ourselves, mental illness affects almost everyone, whether directly or indirectly.

According to Mental Health First Aid Australia, approximately one in five adults will experience mental illness in any given year. With a statistic like this, there is no denying that mental illness is all around us.

Rather than ignore it, we need to face mental illness head on and Tunstall Healthcare has done just that.

Mental Health First Aid Australia has awarded Tunstall Healthcare a Silver, Medium Workplace badge which is granted to workplaces with a staff of 51-500 members. Of that staff, 10 per cent must hold a Mental Health First Aid Certificate.

Lyn Davies, Managing Director at Tunstall recognises the significance of this badge.

“Individuals who experience mental health issues are often faced with discrimination ensuing from misconceptions of their illness. As a result, many people who would benefit from mental health services often do not seek treatment,” said Ms Davies.

"This badge demonstrates Tunstall's continued investment in the development and support of our staff and commitment to ensuring the stigma around mental health can be reduced.

“The subsequent skills and insight into mental health first aid  also provides further value and support to our customers.

“This year, Tunstall has been gearing up to expand services to incorporate mental health and introduce core mental health first aid training - a mission that has already enabled us to partner with Rural and Remote Mental Health,” she said.

This partnership will launch in early 2017, allowing Tunstall to service three mental health programs to people in rural and remote parts of Australia.

The programs target Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people, along with remote mining and resource workers, and people in rural agricultural and farming communities, offering a referral service to dedicated mental health resources like Beyond Blue and Lifeline.

“These expanded services and mental first aid training for staff will help us better engage with clients and colleagues, enhancing our capacity for care and support,” said Ms Davies.

"By increasing the skills of our teams to include a mental health awareness program, we can further empower our teams to be able to reduce the stigma around mental health issues and recognise a potential crisis," she said.

To learn more about working at Tunstall, visit Careers at Tunstall.

For more information about the services Tunstall provides, please call 1800 603 377 or visit www.tunstallhealthcare.com.au