by JoFarmer | Nov 10, 2019 | All, My story
This weekend was the Wheeler Centre’s first Broadside, an “unapologetically feminist” festival of ideas. Of course that’s my jam, so I bought a ticket as soon as it was released. And oh my god, I was blown away by the weekend. I don’t...
by JoFarmer | Oct 15, 2019 | All, My story
Clark Kent takes off his glasses and suddenly he’s Superman. Jo Farmer leaves work and suddenly she’s a person experiencing mental illness. The facade is superficial but somehow works. For a long time, this was me. A mental health consumer who happened to...
by JoFarmer | Oct 4, 2019 | All, My story
I’ve only had a small number of ‘real’ romantic relationships in my life – all unmitigated disasters. That’s not to say I regret them – some were founded on real love, others taught me what I wouldn’t want in a future...
by JoFarmer | Sep 1, 2019 | All, My story
As the train doors close at Melbourne Central, a family push their way on. A single, solitary drip falls from the father. It isn’t raining; they aren’t carrying anything. Parliament station. Where did the drip come from? I stare at the drip trying to work...
by JoFarmer | Jun 24, 2019 | All, My story
I recently went to a public health conference. In addition to leaving with the world’s most ironic dose of gastro, I came away thinking about what it means to be a fat person working in a public health landscape focused on obesity prevention. An off-the-cuff...
by JoFarmer | Jun 18, 2019 | All, My story, News, Sector insights
As one of their election commitments, the Andrews Government pledged to hold a Royal Commission into the Victorian Mental Health System. This is an incredible opportunity for those with a lived experience, often left out of the policymaking process, to shape the...
I’m a policymaker and evaluator focused on improving the health and wellbeing of all Australians, particularly those who experience mental illness and complex disadvantage.