Why Supporting Mental Health Is Everyone’s Business
City Mission’s Alongside Conference returns this May at The Ark in St Leonards
Mental health support does not sit solely with professionals.
Every day, across our workplaces, schools, churches and families, people are walking alongside someone who is struggling. A manager notices a team member withdrawing. A teacher sees a student disengaging. A pastor hears the weight behind someone’s words. A colleague hesitates before asking, “Are you okay?”
Most of these people are not clinicians. They are everyday leaders, carers and colleagues doing their best - often without formal training or confidence.
At City Mission, we see the impact of mental ill health across every part of our community. We see how it affects housing stability, employment, relationships and wellbeing. But we also see something else: the quiet responsibility carried by those trying to support others.
What we hear often is simple: “I want to help. I just don’t want to get it wrong.”
That fear can stop people from starting the conversation at all.
But meaningful support does not begin with having all the answers. It begins with confidence, understanding and a willingness to walk alongside someone with care.
This is why we believe mental health support is everyone’s business.
Not because everyone must become an expert - but because everyone benefits from being better equipped.
Professional services are essential. Clinical care is critical. But much of the day-to-day support people receive happens in ordinary settings: staff rooms, classrooms, church halls, kitchen tables and workplaces.
When everyday people feel more confident:
Conversations happen earlier
Stigma reduces
Escalation becomes less likely
Communities grow stronger
Strengthening community capability has always been central to City Mission’s work. For more than 170 years, we have supported Tasmanians through hardship - not only by responding to crisis, but by building resilience and connection.
The Alongside Mental Health & Wellbeing Conference reflects that same philosophy.
Alongside was created to equip people, not overwhelm them. It provides practical, evidence-based strategies that can be applied immediately in real-world environments. It helps people understand both what to do - and what to stop doing - when supporting someone experiencing mental ill health.
It is not about turning managers into therapists or teachers into counsellors. It is about giving people the confidence to respond well within their role.
Across two days, participants engage with experienced speakers, practical tools and meaningful discussion. They leave not just informed but equipped. Not just aware, but confident.
Mental health is not a short-term focus. It is an enduring reality in our workplaces and communities.
If we want stronger organisations, healthier schools and more connected communities, we must invest in the people already walking alongside others.
The question is not whether mental health will touch your world.
The question is whether you feel prepared when it does.
The Alongside Conference is one practical way to build that preparedness together.
Bernadette Jones
Manager People & Culture
City Mission
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Alongside Mental Health & Wellbeing Conference 14–15 May 2026 | The Ark, St Leonards
Tickets are now available via Eventbrite
