Walking for Mental Health: Meet MindCare’s Ele Mason-Sakkas

This Mental Health Month, the Healthy Communities Foundation Australia’s MindCare team is stepping up for mental health by taking part in the Black Dog Institute’s One Foot Forward challenge. 

Among them is Mental Health Social Worker, Ele Mason-Sakkas, who loves clocking up kilometres on foot on nature trails near her home in coastal Mallacoota, Victoria. 

Elle loves her job which involves supporting people aged 12 and over through a 12-week program designed to help participants achieve their mental health and wellbeing goals. Participants may need help navigating a situational crisis or managing an ongoing mental health condition.  

Ele believes the increased national focus on mental health comes from greater awareness and more open discussion. 

“Better mental health literacy — helped by social media — has reduced stigma and made it easier for people to seek support when they need it,” she explains. 

Having faced her own mental health challenges, Ele brings empathy and lived experience to her work.