Continuing the mental health conversation one workshirt at a time

Born and bred in outback Queensland, Ed Ross is no stranger to the red meat industry. As the Co-Founder of TradeMutt and TIACS, he understands the difficulties blue collar workers face when it comes to mental health and seeking professional help.

“I grew up at Bowen Downs near Aramac in Central Queensland. I did distance ed from grades 2–5 and then went away to boarding schools in both Toowoomba and Brisbane for the rest of school.

“Then, I went up to the Territory for a few years before moving to Brisbane to complete a mature-age carpentry apprenticeship in 2014.”

Mental health wasn’t a subject that was top of mind for Ed during the time he spent out on stations and within rural and remote communities. He said people in his circles never spoke about stress and anxiety as he was growing up.

“You knew when the old man had a bit on during shearing or if it was dry when he was managing stations…but there were never any conversations about mental health or about people struggling.”

Changing lives through workwear

Ed met his TradeMutt Co-Founder Dan Allen when the two started for a new builder on the same day in 2014. Dan was already a couple years out of his apprenticeship and the pair quickly became good mates.

One day in late 2015, Dan received tragic news that one of his other close mates had unexpectedly taken his own life.

“When the tragedy happened with Dan’s mate, it was a realisation moment where we thought ‘holy moly, there’s a massive issue here and now that we’ve seen it, we can’t ignore it’,” Ed said.

After coming to this realisation, Ed and Dan founded TradeMutt. Through the brightly coloured workwear shirts, they were able to provide a catalyst for blue collar workers to start a conversation around mental health on a more regular basis.

“As a social enterprise, 50% of our profits go into the social changes we are trying to make. We didn’t just want to tick a box by donating to an existing organisation – we wanted to make sure the money we were donating was making a real difference.

“We realised that what we were giving people through TradeMutt was starting a conversation among themselves on site and at work, but then the next step was where do people go when they need more than peer-to-peer support?”

With most answers leading to crisis support services, Ed and Dan realised there was a gap in the early intervention space.

They created a service that broke down the physical, financial and social barriers of accessing professional mental health counsellors with the establishment of TIACS in 2020.

TIACS is a free preventative mental health service which aims to provide easy access for farmers, tradies, truckies and other blue collar workers. Providing up to eight free sessions via text or call with the same counsellor, the service is confidential and simple to use.

“We started off with one counsellor and a mobile phone in June 2020. Now, we have 10 counsellors and operate Monday to Friday from 8am–10pm through a state-of-the-art telephone system. We are a professional service that provides its service for free”

Through the services of TIACS, Ed and Dan have already helped over 20,000 blue collar workers around Australia access professional support.

You can find out more about accessing this service and what is defined as a blue collar worker here.

Ed (left) met his now Co-Founder Dan Allen (right) while completing his carpentry apprenticeship in Brisbane.

Conversation is the key

In the ever-changing landscape of Australian agriculture, there can be many factors outside of producers’ control. It’s important to make sure you and your mates are taking the time to look out for each other.  

Ed said the biggest thing people can do to help is encourage others to seek help and talk about their own experiences.

“I haven’t met anyone who has reached out to a mental health professional they have gelled with and have not benefited from it,” he said.

In fact, Ed has experienced the benefits firsthand.

“I’ve seen multiple counsellors through my own journey. I haven’t gelled with some of them and that’s completely normal.

“The ones you do gel with better, you get a massive return for yourself, from investing in that time to speak to someone.”

What’s next?

According to Ed, there is always something to be working on and there is always a ‘next’.

“We’re always looking for what the next problem is that needs to be solved and asking ‘what’s the next thing we need to do?’

“For us, the next focus is on growing the TIACS service and making sure it’s marketed so that we are reaching those people we are aiming to help. Our vision is to be the mental health service people tell their mates about.”

If you would like to find out more about the services being provided by TIACS or would like to support through fundraising or making a direct donation, visit the TIACS website.