From Footy Coach to Rural Outreach Worker

In this episode Mal Coutts shares how he went from footy coach to a Rural Outreach Worker, and what he does in that role. He shares his insights into farmer mental health, challenges of the farming life, and how he can help.

You can reach the Rural Outreach Program (Mal or one of the other M's) at 1300 688 732. Or find more information at https://ruraloutreach.org.au

Interested in the topic and looking for more?

Check out these fact sheets on Depression, Relationships and family, and Stress. 

You can also find easy to follow checklists on managing the pressures of farming here. 

Check out the You Got This Mate Program! The program is for men living in rural Australia, and aims to helps them reach their best mental health. It provides:

• Information on mental health matters
• Stories (much like these podcasts)
• Tips to look after your mental health
• Tips to help other men

Facebook: @FarmerWantsaHealthyLife                    Twitter: @_FWAHL 

Transcript

Brigitte

This is a West Wimmera Health Service, podcast. 

Hello, Brigitte Muir here. I am a storyteller who used to be a mountain climber, and I've been calling the Wimmera home for the last 40 years. 

A problem shared, is a problem halved they say. Today I talk with Mal Coutts of the Rural Outreach Program. He is one of three counsellors traveling the Wimmera, to listen to people who need to share their worries with someone. Mal popped over to my place in Natimuk for a home visit and a chat.

Mal

I was in Natimuk last week, we cover a lot of area in the four shires. The Yarriambiack, West Wimmera, Hindmarsh and Horsham Rural Council, and we just go to people where we’re needed, people can just ring us up and have a talk if they're not traveling that well, ‘it cost nothing to talk’ is our slogan, and it's just a program for people who are doing it a bit tough… can ring up and get some information on where to go or just have a talk and vent.

Brigitte

Mal how did you get involved with Rural Outreach?

Mal

I've coached football for too long, but from, from juniors through to seniors in a lot of areas like Edenhope, right through to Pimpinio out to Bordertown, everywhere. And a mate of mine rang me up and said “we need a new rural and remote worker” and I said “me, I have, I haven't done anything since I left school” and I did the interview and I'd coached football and worked with problems with people, you know coaching football, wives and mothers, and… and not knowing, but I was doing that, not the same role, but doing that in the community as well.

Brigitte

Counselling, as well as football coaching.

Mal 

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Brigitte

Just like hairdressers and barbers

Mal 

Yeah exactly, and I said “all right”. So  and I got the job. And then I thought what do I do and it was just,  wouldn’t say not natural, because you're nervous, but it just flowed and I really loved what I was doing. And they were paying me *He*. And then, they were good enough to put me through, I did a certificate IV in alcohol and other drugs, and certificate IV in mental health. And then I became a Mental Health First Aid instructor. So I did all those things and just got me going. And I just realised how important it is to people.

Brigitte

And what's the farming connection. You've been seeing lots of farmers.

Mal

Not Not so many farmers. It's surprising thing 

Brigitte

Really?

Mal

But we speak to them, just how you going? how's things? All that and it and, yeah, it  sort of started off for farmers, originally way back. I would say I'd see 10% would be farmers, the rest is everyday people. There's no, it doesn't matter whether your the chairman of the board or, or the bottle washer

Brigitte

Oh right

Mal

All got the same for all got similar problems and they're all going to be treated the same.

Brigitte

Okay, you know what the problem is with farmers, they don't reach out 

Mal 

No

Brigitte

And this, this, this podcast is about reaching out to farmers and making them realise that your program is such an easy way to sort out whatever they worried about.

Mal

You know, I look, sometimes I've spoken to farmers and they're just because we haven't had any rain. Yeah, you know, or the prices are down, or and, that's fine, but the family situation sometimes, I’ve had three in these four shires, I had three women come up to me in the  last drought and asked me to have a talk to their husbands, cause they want the husbands, their husbands didn't want to talk. But… they could tell the difference they were really struggling with the drought, and they couldn't provide for the family, they thought it was their fault because they didn't have any crops to harvest and they're letting the family down and the wives… the wives saying “we know love, it's not your fault”. So you go and have a talk to him, and he “oh I don’t really need to talk” … and two hours later and, you know, it's just getting it off their chest. 

Brigitte

Yes

Mal

And then sometimes it's a matter of saying well, have you spoken to your wife about it? “Yeah, why’d she get you for? Why did she make me talk, make me talk to you for?” which is love though, because she's worried. 

Brigitte

Yes

Mal

They love you, you know? She loves you, she wants you to have someone to talk to because you're taking it on your shoulders. It's a partnership. And that's that's another thing that's happened, which is getting better at… that the wife all she does, in some public eyes is, all she does is raise the kids, take them to all the sport because, he's too busy. Do the shopping, do the cooking, when it's sharing time doing all that sort of stuff. And it's just as hard on her, and the top line for them is, they see how it affects their partner. 

Brigitte

Right

Mal

And they're struggling and they worry what do I do? And that's that's why I say a lot of farmers wives. talk more than the farmers, because it takes a bit of nagging sometimes from a wife to get the farmer to actually, actually open up, and once they open up, open up, its hard sometimes in my community… when most of me too, but I don't, I can't tell anyone that I've seen you, well, you know  what you say stays between us. You know, it sometimes it just little alignment. So the husband and wives get on the same page. So little adjusting here, adjusting there, talking to both them at different times and then perhaps talking to them both in the finish to realise we are on the same side

Brigitte

Yes

Mal

And they both carry, he's down because he can provide and she's worried because she sees what's happening to him.

Brigitte

Yeah. And most of the time its … its easier to a stranger about your problems

Mal 

Yes it is or someone that you know of, or you know, so and so, “Oh yeah”. Talk to him or you know, sometimes your best mate is not the right one to talk to.

Brigitte

Because it costs nothing to talk 

Mal

Cost nothing and the farmers, they’re getting better. I shouldn't be, they’ll be having to go about this. They're getting better, but they're isolated, especially with COVID and they're isolated normally in their farming life. Aren’t they? Doing… especially if it's sort of really a one-man farm or something. But with COVID, they didn't have that opportunity, to go to the lamb sales. They didn't have the chance to get together, four or five and have a talk, and that's when they need to…ah… talk, otherwise, same thing just bottles up, bottle up, bottles up 

Brigitte

Yes. And that's not good for health.

Mal

Not good for health and when, and then 

Brigitte

and then… or the family, or the farm. 

Mal

Well… the kids suffer… the wife suffers, and the farmer suffers and it just goes round and round and something's got to give, and the worst scenario is what, we, we never used to talk about suicide. 

Brigitte

Yes

Mal

But that's the worst scenario 

Brigitte

Yeah yeah 

Mal

because it leaves… you know…. who's to blame, I’m to blame cause  I'm not doing this and that happens and and the suicide is is a huge, a huge problem.

Brigitte

So reach out, please. Please do reach out.

Mal

Please do. If you don't want to talk to me, the others, there’s two others you can talk to for sure.

Brigitte

1300 688 732 It cost nothing to talk

Mal

It costs nothing to talk. And if you want to talk to any of us just ring up and say I want to talk to Mal, Murray, or Maggie its easy, just three M’s. So you're going to find the three of us, and Marnie is the one in the office. *Laughter* So one of the M’s you’ll get.

Brigitte

The four M’s

Mal 

Yeah 

Brigitte

Good on you mate. *laughter* 

Mal 

Yeah that's it *Laughter*

Brigitte

Well alright you people out there, you know what to do *Laughter*

Mal

Yes, yes, go for it.

Brigitte

That was Mal Coutts from the Rural Outreach Program. You will find information related to this episode in the blurb below. Until next, have a healthy life.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai edited by WWHS Health Promotion team.