Tyler Redway
FORMER StandBy Support After Suicide coordinator Tracey Wanganeen has secured a role as the centre manager for the upcoming Head 2 Health facility in Mount Gambier.
Ms Wanganeen announced earlier this week she would be resigning from her role at StandBy after nine years in the position and said it was time for a change.
“It’s a fabulous program and I have loved every minute of my job, but I was offered a position which was too good to refuse,” Ms Wanganeen said.
“It was maybe time for change after travelling nearly 1000 km every week, but probably not for the whole of nine years.
“It took me some time to consider because of my love for the program I have been involved with for so long, but sometimes change can be good and we all need it once in a while.”
She added she wanted to find something new which also gave her the same challenge StandBy gave her when first joining their team.
“I think the attraction is something new for our town, when I started with StandBy it was new so I guess this poses a bit of a challenge to try and unfold it for our community,” Ms Wanganeen said.
“My goal now is to be successful and to achieve whatever purpose the organisation aims to achieve.”
Ms Wanganeen said she had not started work in her new position yet.
“We have some amazing services in Mount Gambier but people don’t always know how to navigate them so being able to walk into a service which can deal with their immediate needs and then advise them as to where else they can get support can only be a benefit for our community.”
“These services have been rolled out in other states but I believe at this stage Mount Gambier will have the first Head 2 Health centre in South Australia,” she said.
She praised her colleagues at Stand By Support After Suicide and added she had been fortunate enough to work with most of them throughout her entire time working with the organisation.
She also said there was a current recruitment program to search for someone eligible to fill her previous role.
“I guess in saying that it may not necessarily be based in Mount Gambier, the fact we are a statewide service doesn’t mean someone will be here,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter because we don’t run from an office so people don’t come to us, we come to them.
“With the experience and the compassion they bring to this role, I can’t speak more highly of this very skilled team.”
