Last week, Status Mandurah celebrated the birthday of Disability Employment Services (DES) Participant, Melissa. Employment Consultants Ruby and Steph organised decorations and cake to recognise not only her special day, but also the strength and growth Melissa has shown on her journey.

Melissa joined DES at the start of 2024, facing challenging personal circumstances and seeking support to overcome barriers to employment. Initially arriving at the Mandurah office without an appointment, she was welcomed by Ruby, who sat with her for hours to create a plan to help her move forward and work toward her goals.

Since then, Ruby has supported Melissa to prioritise her mental health and wellbeing. Melissa has embraced her spiritual passions, pouring herself into practices like meditation, sound healing, reiki, going to the gym, hugging trees and visiting the Buddha Temple.

Working towards her goals, Melissa recently completed a 6-week self-love course, where she learned to set healthy boundaries and put herself first. This has been a turning point in her journey, now walking taller, speaking with confidence and truly believing in herself.

Now, for the first time, Melissa feels truly ready to take the next step: starting her job search journey.

“𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵, 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩”

“𝘔𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳.”

All the best in your future job search Melissa!

Thursday, September 11 was R U OK Day, a day to start meaningful conversations about mental health and wellbeing by checking in with friends, family and colleagues.

This year’s theme, "Ask R U OK? Any Day," emphasises that you don't need a specific day to reach out to someone who might be struggling.

To celebrate, our Status teams came together with Workforce Australia – Transition to Work and Disability Employment Services (DES) Participants, along with learners from Pivot Training. Here are some highlights from the day:

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗵: DES Participants, Pivot Training students and staff came together in one colourful, confetti-covered space. Everyone rocked their R U OK? tops, grabbed a cupcake and settled in for a day filled with connection, care and a whole lot of laughs. With plenty of food, treats and coffee, attendees enjoyed activities like stress-ball making, bingo, word scrambles and word searches, all while asking the all-important question “R U OK?” and opening up about the challenges people face in our community.

𝗖𝗿𝗮𝗳𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗼𝗻: From 10 am to 3 pm, Participants enjoyed a range of calming arts and crafts, from planting small plants to diamond art, collages, canvas painting and origami. Nine Participants and five staff members joined in, sharing plenty of laughs (especially during the origami attempts!). Lunch was provided, and two more Participants, who couldn’t stay for the activities, stopped by to check in on everyone’s wellbeing.

𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘆: Participants came together for a morning of meaningful connection with Marie and Sam from the @thewellnessinitiativeAU. As independent providers of mental health Peer Support services, Marie and Sam brought not only their professional expertise but also their powerful lived experiences. Their talk struck a chord with everyone in the room, as they reminded us that mental health is a journey shared by all. After the presentation, Participants enjoyed a morning tea before moving into some painting and check-ins with one-another.

𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘆: Across the way at Pivot Training Morley, our DES Participants joined Pivot Training learners for a day of connection and fun. The group kicked off festivities with a lively game of conversation bingo, before sharing a meal together. To close the celebration, everyone took turns sharing something they were grateful for. Many expressed gratitude for family, friends, and health, a strong and recurring theme shone through, gratitude for Australia.

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗪𝗿𝗮𝗽 𝗨𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝘀𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸: Participants wrapped up their five-week Mindfulness Workshop with a special R U OK? Day morning tea. They began the session by watching powerful videos that highlighted the importance of checking in, not only with others but also with ourselves. Over morning tea, the group shared feedback on the past five weeks, reflecting on their journey together.

One Participant shared that the workshop helped them get outside again, something they’d been struggling with since moving from the South West to Perth. Living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome means they’re often in constant pain, and it’s easy to feel isolated. But through this group, they not only found a reason to leave the house, but also made new friends their own age.

Another Participants spoke about how rare it is to find a space that feels truly human. In their experience, services can often feel cold and process-driven, stripping away any sense of real connection. But here, things were different. They described the workshops as a safe, relaxed environment where they could be themselves, receive mental health support and simply feel seen. They also shared that, as a job provider, Status has been the best at delivering prompt and effective mental health support, something they deeply appreciated.

Overall, across our sites, DES and Transition to Work Participants connected with our team and their peers, took part in a range of activities, and learned about the importance of checking in with others and themselves. They also explored this year’s theme, “Ask R U OK? Any Day,” which emphasises that you don’t need a specific day to reach out to someone who might be struggling.

On August 29, Status Mandurah celebrated Wear It Purple Day, a day dedicated to fostering diversity, inclusion, and respect. By wearing purple, the team showed their support for young people in the LGBTQIA+ community, reminding them that they are seen, supported and celebrated.

Our Disability Employment Services (DES) Participants celebrated in style, kicking things off with a colour run where our Employment Consultants Ruby and Steph were splattered with purple powder to showcase their allyship.

The celebrations continued with activities that encouraged connection and inclusivity. With plenty of snacks, drinks, and laughter, the group got creative making stress balls, a therapeutic (and slightly messy) activity. Others chose to do some colouring to get their creativity flowing.

The group then had an open discussion about their experiences of coming out and what it means to live authentically. Finally, they dived into the struggles and celebrated the strengths of the LGBTQIA+ community.

The photos say it all, the energy was electric and the day was a powerful reminder of the importance of visibility, support and pride.

Crystal joined our Disability Employment Services (DES) in July 2022 with the dream of becoming a patient assistant in a hospital. Living with disability, she was seeking support to find employment in this field.

Her first application for her dream role was unsuccessful, which was disappointing. However, her Employment Consultant, Danika, continued to work closely with her during weekly appointments, helping her explore similar opportunities that could build her confidence and industry experience. Danika encouraged Crystal to broaden her perspective and empowered her to make her own choices about which roles to apply for. Over time, Crystal became open to considering roles outside of her original goal.

Through this process, Crystal discovered a passion for working with older people. Together, she and Danika explored a range of suitable roles and prepared strong applications. Danika supported her in writing her resume and cover letter, highlighting her practical and transferable skills, including those gained through volunteering at LifeBlood.

Crystal was also able to access additional support through DES, including career services from Dress for Success Adelaide and wellbeing support through BlueSky Mind Studio.

After applying to several companies, Crystal was successful in progressing to the next stage of the interview process with Kalyra Aged Care. Danika contacted the employer to reinforce Crystal’s enthusiasm, volunteering experience, and suitability for the role. With preparation and encouragement, Crystal completed the video interview confidently and was offered the job!

To begin her role, Crystal needed to complete Food Safety and First Aid training. Although she felt unsure at first, Danika supported her every step of the way, adding extra appointments to help Crystal complete the online components. Crystal was overjoyed when she proudly shared that she had achieved both certificates.

Now thriving in her new role, Crystal is building her confidence and skills each day. During a recent workplace visit, Danika saw how proudly Crystal swiped herself in and guided her through the facility with a big smile. Crystal is open to future career development and is continuing to grow her experience and capacity to support whichever path she chooses.

Through our Post Placement Support program, we will continue to stand beside Crystal, providing the guidance and encouragement she needs to keep thriving.

Congratulations Crystal – what an incredible achievement!

Last week, our Disability Employment Services (DES) Participants came together at Status Clarkson to celebrate World Elephant Day!

The event began with an exploration of the elephant’s symbolism in meditation highlighting traits such as majesty, steadiness, slow movement, and perseverance. These qualities mirror the meditative process of focusing on one step at a time with gentle, steady effort.

Following the exploration, Participants took part in a six-minute guided meditation focused on breathing, helping them find calm and relaxation.

To finish, attendees enjoyed mindful art activities, choosing to either paint elephant silhouettes on canvas with acrylics or create elephant fridge magnets with diamond art.

Throughout the session, Participants remained focused, calm and very satisfied with their creations, many expressing joy and a sense of achievement. One Participant even stayed an extra hour to complete a canvas painting as a special gift.

The session was a wonderful opportunity for Participants to experience the benefits of mindful art, including stress reduction, enhanced focus, emotional expression, increased relaxation and a sense of accomplishment.

A big thank you to Sue and George from the DES team, and Casey and Lara from the Workforce Australia – Transition to Work team for organising and supporting this relaxing event for our Participants!