“ It’ll Be Alright in the Long Run” Roadshow

Evaluation Report Background and the Vagabond Crew In March 2011, the Centre for Rural & Remote John Schumann, ex leader of the legendary Australian folk-rock band and the singer- Mental Health Queensland (now known as the responsible for the Vietnam veterans anthem “”, has a long track record Australasian Centre for Rural & Remote Mental of working in the mental health and trauma recovery area. As well as his well known advocacy on Health) was approached by the communities behalf of veterans suffering from PTSD, John has worked with survivors of the Victorian bushfires. of Condamine, Dalby, Chinchilla, Goodna, Together, with some members of his band, John conducted a series of events, including after-dinner Toowoomba, Pittsworth, Millmerran, Roma, talks, musical performances, music and song-writing workshops and men’s getaways. These events Rockhampton, Miles and Nanango to assist were very popular, well attended and are considered to be some of the most effective trauma-recovery them in recovery from the impacts of the drought exercises undertaken in the bushfire-affected regions of . and the floods. Having provided mental health In 2009 and 2010, John was engaged by the Australian Defence Force’s Central Health Directorate to prevention and early interventions prior to this help write and produce a DVD for soldiers with PTSD. Called “Dents in the Soul”, the DVD has been flooding event, the Centre was ideally placed to spectacularly successful and is seen as one of the most effective interventions in this fraught area. assist these communities as existing staff and linkages were already in place. A feature of John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew’s performances is the rapport that John builds with the audience. Support, understanding and the destigmatisation of mental ill health are The Centre responded with a plan to partner subtly woven into the stories, song introductions and amusing banter which are a hallmark of his with John Schumann (ex Redgum leader and performances. Strong anecdotal evidence is that people at risk in the audiences are far more likely to writer of “I Was Only 19”) and his six piece band, seek out information and/or help. the Vagabond Crew, to tour a roadshow through flooded-affected communities in late May. Each “date” was to comprise a morale-building concert and the delivery of mental health early Fast Forward intervention information and referrals in the Notwithstanding the Government’s lack of funding support for the original proposal, support and context of a community event. enthusiasm for the idea remained. The events were to provide a respite from the In September 2011, the Australasian Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health (ACRRMH) was invited drought/flood traumas, along with specialised to attend the Annual General Meeting of Clifton Landcare. recovery support and information tailored for rural people and their communities about A community event to deliver some positive messages to the Clifton community about social and existing local psycho-social supports. emotional wellbeing was canvassed. Several ideas were put forward including a performance by John Schumann (ex Redgum) and his best mate Hugh McDonald (also ex Redgum) in the “seated and A detailed proposal was prepared and submitted unplugged” format that ACRRMH had previously used was proposed as a real option for the one-off to Government for funding support. Clifton event. The proposal was unsuccessful. (ACRRMH had previously engaged John and his mate, Hugh McDonald, to perform as part of mental health awareness-raising programmes in the mining and resource sectors in rural and remote Queensland and Western .) After approximate costs, potential benefits, risks and community suitability were discussed, Clifton Landcare decided that a concert event with John and Hugh, based on the Centre’s original proposal, would provide the most benefit and represented the best value for community money. Clifton Landcare provided the seed funding of about half of the estimated cost to get the project of the ground. Other communities heard of the event during the planning process and expressed interest in holding a similar event. As this interest grew St George, Tara, Dalby, the South Burnett and the Lockyer Valley all emerged as possible locations for the event. By this stage the single event of Clifton had developed into a mini-tour. During community consultations, the community’s enthusiasm for the event became apparent and with the expected attendance in some centres exceeding 300, the decision was made to bring John and the whole six piece band, the Vagabond Crew (which included Hugh).

2 The Events Attendances The Roadshow was envisaged as a series of free Feedback from attendees was extremely positive Table 1: Attendance figures for all locations events aimed at a broad cross-section of each and gratifying. Where attendances were not as community. Each event was to include a BBQ, high as anticipated, it appears that promotion Location Community Service face painters and jumping castles for the children was limited and not disseminated throughout the Attendees Providers as well as lucky door prizes and giveaways. Free community. In some cases, there was a lack of Kingaroy 620 14 buses were also to be provided to bring people understanding of the exact nature of the events. Tara 220 7 in from neighbouring communities. Attendance figures of community members and In December 2011, for a number of reasons, local service providers is contained in Table 1 Dalby 145 5 St George and the Lockyer Valley communities (right). These figures are a reasonably accurate decided to wait until Mental Health Week 2012 estimate of attendance and it should be noted Clifton 240 4 to host the event. that a number of people came and went during TOTAL 1225 30 Planning for the Roadshow, by now entitled the course of the event. “It’ll Be Alright in the Long Run”, was consolidated around the communities of the South Burnett (Kingaroy) South Burnett (16 February), Tara (17 February), South Burnett (Kingaroy) was the best attended of the four locations due to three key factors: Dalby (18 February) and Clifton (19 February) • The event in Kingaroy was most effectively advertised with a poster in the front window of 2012. most shops in town • The steering committee was already established and consisted of service-oriented people Objectives from the local communities • The communities of the South Burnett have been hit exceptionally hard in recent times by The objectives of the Roadshow were clear droughts, floods, the impacts of mining and market fluctuations. That said, they have not and defined. Each event would provide flood- necessarily enjoyed the same level of support as other regions. affected communities with access to a wide variety of information to assist with their long- Tara term recovery through a relaxed, informal forum Notwithstanding that the funeral of a very respected local man was held on the same day, the Tara and a good time. Each event was designed to: event attracted the highest attendance rate per capita of all the locations. It was made clear to • provide a respite from the exhausting us that had the funeral not taken place, and so many people not been physically and emotionally and debilitating work of flood recovery drained, the attendance would have been even higher. The number of service providers who travelled and rebuilding to town was encouraging. We received many comments like “Thank you so much, please come back” and “Please do this again next year”. • enhance and build community linkages • raise awareness of and destigmatise Dalby mental health challenges in non-threatening, Dalby is an “interesting” community with a reputation for not supporting community events. The accessible and even enjoyable ways Roadshow event was no different. For the size of the community, it must be said that the attendance • build courage and optimism through was disappointing. The promotion in Dalby was not as extensive as in the other three locations shared experience and we were advised that the sorghum harvesting limited the attendance by some local farmers. • develop and disseminate relevant, trusted However, those who did attend certainly enjoyed the night and believed that it was very worthwhile. and useful recovery information. Clifton The Clifton event was held in the early afternoon on the Sunday of the local show. The marquee originally erected was small and the day was very hot. The crowd grew exponentially once the concert got underway to the point when temporary shade shelters were being continually erected as the concert proceeded. Anecdotal evidence is that the ‘letter drop’ had a positive effect on the numbers. The $750 RSVP prize went to a worthy person to the gratification of the community.

3 Community based support and advertising The community’s need for and recognition of the There were also many other community A comprehensive and widespread advertising benefits derived from events like the Roadshow organisations and service providers who campaign included: was evident in the support that was readily contributed by way of in-kind support. This was • ACRRMH media release (Appendix A) offered and freely given at relatively short notice in the form of stalls showcasing services and • newspaper articles (Appendix B to H) from community organisations. products, providing the BBQ, selling drinks, as • local magazine adverts (Appendix I) The following organisations provided financial well as assisting with organisational support • letterbox flyer (Appendix J) assistance combining to a total of $87,043. prior to, during and after the event. The following Their support was sincerely appreciated by all is a list of the in-kind contributors. Again their • posters (Appendix K) those involved and without it the event would support was critical to the success of the • My Community Connect Roadshow. not have been possible. The list of financial • radio interviews contributors follows: • Ag Assist • network notifications • Ag Assist • Australasian Centre for Rural & Remote • email correspondence Mental Health • Australasian Centre for Rural & Remote • social media Mental Health • Bendigo Bank • word of mouth. • Australasian Centre for Rural & Remote • BIEDO There was also a follow-up ACRRMH media Mental Health (BB3) • Boots and Bulldust release (Appendix L) and various newspaper • Bendigo Bank • Centacare South Burnett reports (Appendix M & N). • Clifton Landcare • Clifton Landcare • Community Recovery – Queensland and • Clifton Lions Commonwealth Governments • Clifton Show Society • Conservation Farmers • Dalby Rotary • Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal • Dalby Yumborra Scout Group • R - Health • DISCO • Resilient Places (Clifton) • Headspace Southern Downs • Resilient Places (Mini Road Show) • John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew • South Burnett Healthy Communities • Lifeline • Stanwell Corporation • Kingaroy Rotary • Toowoomba Clubhouse • Max Employment • Western Downs Regional Council. • Money Matters • PPS Productions • Queensland Health • Queensland Murray Darling Committee • R Health • Recovery and Resilience Team • Respite and Carelink • Salvation Army • Seeds of Hope • Sisters of Charity • South Burnett Autism Support Group • South Burnett Healthy Communities • South Burnett Regional Council • Tara Neighbourhood Centre • Tara Men’s Group • Tara Youth Council • Timber Town Medical Centre • Western Downs Regional Council

4 Evaluation Data and Feedback Evaluating this initiative was challenging, The overall objective of the Roadshow was to increase awareness surrounding mental health however there were several measurement through an enjoyable event that increased the knowledge, access and awareness of mental health tools employed to get at least an indication of services available to the local community. Graphs 3, 4 and 5 demonstrate that the overall objective how the event was received and benefits to the was achieved amongst those who returned the surveys. communities. Graph 3: Today’s community event has increased my knowledge and confidence The Evaluation Survey (Appendix T) was made surrounding mental health available to the audience at the conclusion of each event. Attendees were encouraged to 26 (34%) 51 (66%) take the survey home, fill it out and post it back. There were incentives of $100, $50 and $25 gift Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree vouchers to the local IGA or Foodworks for each     of the events, which were drawn randomly from the returned surveys for each location. There were 77 surveys returned. The results from the Graph 4: Today’s community event has improved my knowledge of where I could get surveys are included in Appendix U. help for a mental health issue Graphs 1 and 2 (below) are generated from the Survey and demonstrate that a broad cross 33 (43%) 43 (56%) 1(1%) section of the community was represented by those who returned surveys.  Strongly agree  Agree  Disagree  Strongly disagree Graph 1: Gender of those who returned the survey Graph 5: Today’s community event has made me aware of additional mental health resources 45 (58%) 32 (42%) that are available

 Female  Male 36 (47%) 40 (52%) 1(1%)

 Strongly agree  Agree  Disagree  Strongly disagree Graph 2: Age of those who returned the survey

Under 18 yrs 2 (3%) Prevention and early intervention of health issues in rural and remote areas especially is vital to a healthy life and timely recovery from any illness. As such the Roadshow also played a role in encouraging individuals, families and groups within the community to take responsibility for their 19-30 yrs 10 (13%) own health. Graph 6 shows that the Roadshow made the people who returned the survey think about their own health. Graph 6: Encouraged me to be more proactive and preventative in the way that I look after myself 31-45 yrs 18 (23%) 32 (42%) 44 (57%) 1(1%) 46-60 yrs 28 (36%)  Strongly agree  Agree  Disagree  Strongly disagree

Over 60 yrs 13 (17%) The event was also designed to be enjoyable, useful and something that would be recommended to family and friends. Graphs 7 and 8 also indicate that these objectives were also met, by those who returned surveys. Graph 7: Was the event worthwhile attending - been a useful use of my time

54 (70%) 22 (29%) 1(1%)

 Strongly agree  Agree  Disagree  Strongly disagree

Graph 8: Was the event worthwhile attending - certainly been something that I would recommend to my family, friends and work colleagues

60 (78%) 16 (21%) 1(1%)

 Strongly agree  Agree  Disagree  Strongly disagree

5 Evaluation Data and Feedback There were also numerous comments regarding the Roadshow, a selection of which are listed below. “ A great evening. Very relevant.”

“ Awesome work guys. TOP EFFORTS, from everyone.”

“ The event was absolutely awesome.”

“ I would love to see this type of event again and more often.”

“ Great show. Awesome turnout from the community. Nice to see the diversity from the community who have turned up. Please repeat this again soon.”

“ Awesome concept of including mental health is such a fantastic event. Top work. Please do it again soon.”

“ Great show. A few more people probably would have turned up if there were beers on sale and it was not sorghum harvest.”

“ An enjoyable evening, thanks to all who put it together. The face painter for the kids was awesome.”

Feedback was also sought from local service providers. Some of their comments follow: “ The Roadshow gave us the opportunity to open some doors to people who really needed their doors opened. And we need to build on this. The dollars put into this event have been very well spent. What price can you put on life and the will to go on?”

“ There were people who hadn’t been off their properties for years who came to the show and they had fun for the first time in a long time. They reconnected with their community, picked up some information and some of them actually contacted some local mental health service providers. That is a very big breakthrough.”

“ The concert event got people out of their homes and off their farms, to enjoy an evening together with their community for the first time in a very long time. It certainly helped relieve some of the pressure that people are under at the moment - where suicide and serious mental health issues are real risks.”

6 Reflections The “It’ll Be Alright in the Long Run” Roadshow was an outstanding success. The responses, both formal and informal, were overwhelmingly positive. There were many requests to repeat the exercise. It is clear that the Roadshow achieved its objectives and the benefits to the communities of this Roadshow were evident in many ways. Variations in attendance from community to community were to be expected. More intense and focused advertising will assist with future events. Depending on the size of the budget, some consideration might be given to TV advertising, either paid or on the basis of broadcasters’ Community Service Obligations. Some issues such as a funeral and the sorghum harvest also were reported to have had an impact where attendances were lower. Clashes like these are almost unavoidable, though efforts were made to avoid busy periods of agricultural work. Four shows on four consecutive nights was about as much as the band and staff could manage given travel and set-up times. Future planning will consider the travel time and perhaps a rest day. The success of this first Roadshow has encourage the ACRRMH and its partners to repeat this uplifting and informative event in other communities.

John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew performing at Tara

7 Appendix A ACRRMH Media Release (January 2012)

“It’ll be Alright in the Long Run” A morale-building/information-sharing “roadshow” through drought and flooded-affected Queensland communities.

The Australasian Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health (ACRRMH) is partnering with legendary singer- songwriter, John Schumann (ex Redgum leader and writer of “I Was Only 19”) and his seven piece band, the Vagabond Crew, to tour a morale-building/information-sharing “roadshow” through four drought and flooded- affected Queensland communities: - South Burnett (16/2),Tara (17/2), Dalby (18/2) and Clifton (19/2).

The name of the tour, “It’ll Be Alright in the Long Run”, is taken from Redgum’s 1980s hit song of optimism which the band played at the end of its concerts.

“We hope that these concert events, combined with specialised recovery support and information tailored for rural people and their communities, will be uplifting and help provide some respite from the drought and flood trauma experienced by people in these communities, “ said Dr Jennifer Bowers, CEO of ACRRMH.

“Australian farming and bush communities are very resilient and courageous and these events will celebrate this courage and resilience at the same time providing communities with information about mental health and wellbeing, what to look for in yourself and your mates - and where to go for help,” said Dr Bowers.

“At the same time, we want these communities to know that even though the droughts and floods are off the front page, people throughout Queensland remember and understand that the struggle goes on.”

John Schumann, the acclaimed singer-songwriter responsible for the Vietnam war anthem “I Was Only 19”, has long been associated with raising awareness of mental health. “Only 19” brought the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder suffered by returned veterans to the attention of ordinary Australians. In subsequent years John has used his music to bring encouragement and hope to other returned soldiers and victims of drought and bushfires across Australia. John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew, which also features John’s best mate Hugh McDonald (also ex Redgum and writer of the “Diamantina Drover”), have just returned from a tour of Afghanistan where they entertained Australian troops.

“The message the Centre wants to get out there is that it’s perfectly normal to react to traumatic events like floods, droughts and bushfire – sometimes years after the initial event. The trick is to know how to recognise the symptoms in yourself and those around you and to understand the importance of getting help. There is no need for things like PTSD, depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions to ruin your life and the lives of those around you,” Dr Bowers said.

These free events, which include free bus services and BBQs, will also give local service providers the opportunity to network professionally. Community members will be able to access information, services, referral pathways and contact details. There’s even a Lucky Door Prize valued at $750 at Clifton.

“The generosity and support of the many community organisations, businesses and government agencies, financially and/or in-kind, demonstrate just what it means to be Australian,” Dr Bowers said. “The Australasian Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health is very grateful to all the sponsors for the time, money, support and work”, concluded Dr Bowers.

For details and promotional material: - www.acrrmh.com.au or ring Tim Saal (ACRRMH) on 0400 104332 For media requests: - Dr Jennifer Bowers 07 4032 6700

8 Appendix B Toowoomba Chronicle (2 February 2012)

9 Appendix C South Burnett Times (7 February 2012)

Appendix D South Burnett Times (10 February 2012)

10 Appendix E South Burnett Times (14 February 2012)

Appendix F Chincilla News (16 February 2012)

11 Appendix G Dalby Herald (17 February 2012)

Appendix H Clifton Courier (19 February 2012)

12 Appendix I Combined Magazine (January 2012) The “Around the Region” article was repeated in February 2012

13 Appendix J Letterbox Flyer

14 Appendix K Concert Poster Site-specific promotional posters were produced for each of the four concert locations (Clifton, Dalby, South Burnett and Tara).

In association with

PRESENT

FEa T u R i N g

(ex Redgum)

“I was only 19” l “I’ve Been To Bali Too” l “The Long Run” l “Diamantina Drover”

Provided by A ’s’ Sunday 19 February Clifton Lions ‘Best of O’Reilly all-inclusive, 12 noon. Clifton Show Grounds 2 night package for 2 adults RSVP to [email protected] by 5.00pm, 17 February 2012, to go in the draw. Drawn on the day. You must be present at the event to collect the prize.

17th, 18th & 19th February t Clif on

Socie

Supported by: how ty

S

2012

For more information phone Tim Saal: 0400 104 332

Clifton

15 Appendix L ACRRMH post event media release

Media Release

18 APRIL, 2012 Music/Mental Health Roadshow made a real difference The Australasian Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health’s (ACRRMH) recent mental health music roadshow through drought and flood-ravaged regions of Queensland was a powerful demonstration of the ability of the arts to make a real difference on the mental health landscape, according to the Centre’s CEO, Dr Jennifer Bowers. “The ACRRMH partnered with John Schumann and the Vagabond Crew band (ABC/Universal), to tour four drought and flooded-affected Queensland communities in February,” said Dr Bowers. “The concerts were combined with specialised mental health recovery support and information tailored for rural people and their communities.” “In finalising the evaluation of the roadshow, the Centre has received some very moving feedback which demonstrates beyond the shadow of a doubt just how effective these sorts of initiatives are in building individual and community mental health resilience and helping with suicide prevention,” she said. “The roadshow gave us the opportunity to open some doors to people who really needed their doors opened. And we need to build on this. The dollars put into this event have been very well spent. What price can you put on life and the will to go on?” Sandy Towel – Ambassador, Seeds for Hope “Don’t underestimate the importance of this event. I know people after this event who realised that there actually was hope and community support. This event played a role in helping two blokes withdraw from the brink of suicide.” Mark Duffy - Mental Health Nurse “The concert event got people out of their homes and off their farms, to enjoy an evening together with their community for the first time in a very long time. It certainly helped relieve some of the pressure that people are under at the moment - where suicide and serious mental health issues are real risks.” Sister Christine Henry “There were people who hadn’t been off their properties for years who came to the show and they had fun for the first time in a long time. They reconnected with their community, picked up some information and some of them actually contacted some local mental health service providers. That is a very big breakthrough.” Louise Judd – South Burnett Community Development Coordinator Dr Bowers said the success and effects of the roadshow demonstrated that the Minister for Regional Australia and the Arts, Simon Crean, is right when he says the arts have an important and practical role to play in Australia’s broader social and economic agenda. “Another example is the Centre’s Creative Livelihoods programmes, where Indigenous communities use arts and their culture to prevent mental illnesses from getting a foothold and then create markets and businesses from the products of these activities,” she said. “The Centre has received quite a number of requests from communities who heard about the roadshow and want a similar event of their own. Then there are the communities who had one and want us back. That’s the very best sort of feedback,” concluded Dr Bowers.

Media comment: Dr Jennifer Bowers. m: 0437 823 860 e: [email protected]

Australasian Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health 18-26 Cannon St, Cairns Queensland 4870. Phone: (07) 4032 6700 l Email: [email protected] l Fax: (07) 4032 6701 l www.acrrmh.com.au

16 Appendix M Chinchilla News (23 February 2012)

17 Appendix N Dalby Herald (24 February 2012)

18 Appendix O Survey Tool

“It’ll Be Alright In The Long Run” Mini Road Show Evaluation

Thank you for attending today’s Free Community Event. The Centre hopes that you have found today’s event to be informative, fun and worthwhile. By taking the time to fill out this questionnaire, you are assisting the Centre in continuing to improve the mental health of people who live and/or work in rural and remote Australia. Additionally you could win a $100, $50 or $25 gift card to your local supermarket (prizes drawn 12th March, 2012).

Please fill in blanks and circle the appropriate response in the following table and return the survey in person or via post to Tim Saal PO Box 105 Toowoomba Qld 4350:

Name: Phone: Email:

I wish to receive the ACRRMH newsletter. 18 – 30 31 – 45 46 – 60 Over 60 Sex: F M Age: Under 18 YES NO years years years years

Very Over the past 12 months please rate your general health. Excellent Good Fair Poor Good Very Over the past 12 months please rate your physical health. Excellent Good Fair Poor Good Very Over the past 12 months please rate your mental health. Excellent Good Fair Poor Good

Strongly Strongly Please respond to the following statements “That today’s free community event has: Agree Disagree Agree Disagree Increased my knowledge and confidence surrounding mental health. Highlighted the connection between mental health and other factors in rural and remote communities. Increased my knowledge of the work of mental health professionals. Improved my knowledge of where I could get help for a mental health issue. Increased my knowledge of where I could direct someone who needs help with a mental health issue. Made me aware of additional mental health resources that are available. Encouraged me to be more proactive and preventative in the way that I look after myself. Been a useful use of my time. Certainly been something that I would recommend to my family, friends and work colleagues.

Other comments, specifically, what did you particularly like or dislike: ______

______

______

Thank you for your time and we at the Centre look forward to continuing to work with you into the future.

19 Appendix P Survey Data Tables

Surveys received from: Kingaroy Tara Dalby Clifton Total Number of surveys received 15 14 19 29 77 Percentage of attendees at each show who returned the survey 2% 6% 13% 12% 6% Gender Male 8 5 4 15 32 (42%) Female 7 9 15 14 45 (58%) Age Under 18 years 1 1 0 0 2 (3%) 18 – 30 years 2 2 3 3 10 (13%) 31 – 45 years 5 3 7 3 18 (23%) 46 – 60 years 5 4 8 11 28 (36%) Over 60 years 1 1 1 10 13 (17%) nil response 1 3 0 2 6 (8%)

Self-reported health status (all locations combined) Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor Please rate your: General health over the past 12 months 18 22 14 19 4 Physical health over the past 12 months 16 19 21 17 4 Mental health over the past 12 months 16 17 24 12 8

Response to statements regarding the Roadshow (all locations combined) Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly Agree Disagree Today’s community events has: Increased my knowledge and confidence surrounding mental health 26 51 0 0 Highlighted the connection between mental health and other factors in 34 43 0 0 rural and remote communities Increased my knowledge of the work of mental health professionals 31 41 5 0 Improved my knowledge of where I could get help for a mental health issue 33 43 1 0 Increased my knowledge of where I could direct someone who needs help 37 39 1 0 with a mental health issue Made me aware of additional mental health resources that are available 36 40 1 0 Encouraged me to be more proactive and preventative in the way that 32 44 1 0 I look after myself Been a useful use of my time 54 22 1 0 Certainly been something that I would recommend to my family, friends 60 16 1 0 and work colleagues

20 For further information: Australasian Centre for Rural & Remote Mental Health Phone: (07) 4032 6700 Email: [email protected] PO Box 2362 Cairns Qld 4870 PO Box 226 West Perth WA 6872 www.acrrmh.com.au