headspace Osborne Park is excited to announce that the service has been selected as one of five beneficiary partners of PROSH 2016.

What is PROSH?

PROSH is short for ‘procession’ – that hectic day in April when UWA students take to the streets in droves selling copies of a satirical paper to unsuspecting victims. PROSH started as a small paper called the SRUSS-SRUSS in 1931. Since then it has grown to become one of the boldest traditions of UWA students. Every year a team of dedicated writers get together to produce the PROSH paper, a satirical slant on current affairs locally, globally and internationally (no one is spared). All proceeds raised go to the chosen beneficiaries.

'Joes with my Bros'

Young men are less likely to use services for mental health problems, despite experiencing mental illness at similar rates to women. Research indicates that many of the barriers to young men help-seeking include stigma and embarrassment, difficulty recognising symptoms, concerns related to confidentiality and trust, feelings and perception of hopelessness, and a preference for self-reliance rather than seeking outside support. For these reasons, young men in particular are more likely to talk to their peers about their problems rather than access professional support. In order to overcome these barriers to help-seeking experienced by young men, ‘Joes with my Bros’ proposes the use of a peer support model where young men are invited to share mutual experiences and connect with mates over a coffee in an informal environment.

‘Joes with my Bros’ was first established in 2014 by Thomas, a member of the headspace Osborne Park Youth Reference Group. Thomas identified that many of his friends experience mental health issues; however like many young men, do not talk openly about their experiences. To overcome barriers to help-seeking, Thomas schedules weekly Joes with my Bros catch-ups at a local coffee shop in Perth, where young men are invited to share mutual experiences related to mental health or simply spend time connecting with their mates.

With the support of Thomas, headspace Osborne Park proposes to use the funds donated by PROSH to expand ‘Joes with my Bros’ to young men aged 18 to 25 years in the broader Perth community. Young men will be actively encouraged and supported to formally develop and lead the project, with the aim of increasing their capacity to assist their male peers going through a tough time. In consultation with young men, headspace Osborne Park aims to develop a peer support guide, to equip young men with the information and tools to coordinate ‘Joes with my Bros’ at their local coffee shop. The guide will provide information related to best practice principals for peer work, promotion, creating a social media presence, facilitation, youth mental health, as well as provide information on training opportunities and support services.

Mental Health First Aid training will be provided for up to 10 young men facilitating the project.

A ‘prototype’ of ‘Joes with my Bros’ is provided below for your viewing pleasure:

How do I get involved?

If you're a young man aged 18-25 years and would like to know more, please email info@headspaceospk.com.au or phone (08) 9208 9555 and request to speak with the Community Engagement Officer.