This week's PODCAST with Mario Corena & ''Vogliamoci Bene'', we welcome in Studio Sanremo special guest Taimi Allan, Mental Health Commissioner for South Australia

Born in South Australia, Taimi has spent nearly two decades in New Zealand leading organisations championing Lived Experience Leadership and designing innovative responses to mental health system gaps.

Amongst other roles promoting systemic change, she served on New Zealand’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission, and the Suicide Mortality Review Committee, and advised the Royal Commission on Abuse in State Care.  

Taimi blends her own lived journey through mental distress with a vision for transformative mental health care. Her focus in South Australia involves leveraging local, national and international partnerships to integrate global best practices.

Committed to the "equally well" principle, she is passionate to see longer, healthier lives for those with mental health experiences. Recognised for her pioneering work, Taimi was awarded the "Emerging Leader" award by the Australasian Mental Health Outcomes and Information Conference and named a Local Hero Medallist in Kiwibank’s New Zealander of the Year Awards.’

Welcome Taimi. Just to get us started as an icebreaker we read you were born in South Australia, so if you don’t mind whereabouts, what school did you attend and when did you go to New Zealand.

In this PODCAST we ask Taimi the following:

How have you adjusted in this role?

What is your impression of the Mental Health State in South Australia or for that matter Australia.

As mentioned in your intro, you have used your lived experience to make a difference. What have been the barriers along your journey?

Lived Experience is very close to my heart. My experience here in South Australia in Health, it is talked about, positions are allocated, albeit sparsely, yet I don’t believe it’s been taken seriously enough and it is so far behind NGOs. Now I know you haven’t been in the job for that long, but are you aware of this, and what is your take on it.

What role does the Mental Commissioner take on?

Where to from here Taimi?

Taimi is such a beautiful, down to earth person who made me feel so much at ease, but also provided me hope that she will make great inroads in our very complicated Mental Health system.  

Taimi taught me the following wise NZ sayings :

Kia kaha, Kia māia, Kia manawanui | Be strong, be brave, be steadfast.

So don't disappoint yourself, I urge you to listen to this fantastic PODCAST via the link -

 https://www.radioitaliana531.com.au/vogliamoci-bene---mario-corena-podcast.html

So let's start the conversation today!

Mario

 Listen on the NEW Radio Italiana 531 appon iOS, Andoid & Windows devices or in

streaming here http://5rti.igateway.com.au:8000/stream

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