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Well Man app designed by McCusker Centre for Citizenship intern to improve lives of boys and men worldwide

26 June, 2018

If you are a modern man wanting to make changes in your mental wellbeing, there’s now a free app that contains helpful tools for managing physical and mental health, including ‘9 Tips to Staying Alive’ for boys and men considering suicide.

The ‘Well Man’ App was launched recently by WA Health Minister, Honourable Roger Cook, who was joined on the steps of Parliament House by the apps creators - UWA software engineering student Alex Arnold and Grant Westthorp, CEO of the Men’s Resource Centre in Albany.

Alex completed a UWA McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship with the Albany Centre last year, designing and developing the app alongside Mr Westthorp, to provide boys and men worldwide with practical information for achieving positive wellbeing.

The tips and tools for the app were gathered by the Men’s Resource Centre after years of walking beside and supporting men who opened up about their experiences and who wanted specific information and skills.

“I think a lot of people, especially men, focus on physical health and don't talk much about mental health,” Alex says.

“The Well Man app addresses this issue by enabling boys and men to focus on how they are feeling and to learn strategies to cope with mental health challenges,” says Alex.

After finishing his internship, Alex continued to volunteer at the Men’s Resource Centre, contributing a total of 450 hours to complete the Well Man app.

McCusker Centre for Citizenship interns, like Alex, are placed at the frontline, working with host organisations on social challenges such as mental health, homelessness, disadvantage and advocacy to gain a greater insight into local, national and international communities.

Since opening its doors in 2016, more than 450 UWA students have undertaken a McCusker Centre for Citizenship internship and contributed almost 50,000 hours in service to over 250 organisations, including the Men’s Resource Centre, offering new skills and viewpoints to strengthen the impact and reach of these not-for-profit organisations.

“The McCusker Centre for Citizenship’s internship program has been extremely valuable to us,” says CEO Mr Westthorp.

“Without Alex’s dedication and commitment the Men’s Resource Centre would be still in the dark ages regarding communication. It’s now so much easier for blokes globally to access our support and information.”

The Well Man app is available in Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, United States of America, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

The Well Man app can be downloaded for free here

See here for more information on the McCusker Centre for Citzenship's internship program.