INFOBUS October 4th 2018: Getting to know the ReachOut Online Community Team with Amirah
This month's Infobus continues with the theme of "get to know the ReachOut team" as we welcome our guest @Amirah-RO, our Online Community Manager at ReachOut! We are very excited to introduce our incredible manager and give you the opportunity to learn more about the team behind the scenes!
Next week, on Thursday the 4th of October from 7pm-9pm join us to get to know the ReachOut team with Amirah and talk all things forums, ReachOut, mental health, social work and life!
Amirah is an award-winning social worker and youth advocate with over ten years’ experience supporting ‘at-risk’ youth in Australia and abroad. She is also the Founder and Director of Taboo Talk, ‘A brave space for difficult conversations’. Amirah is a firm believer in self-expression and promotes the use of arts and culture as a means of empowerment. An example of this is her most recent collaboration with Bankstown Youth Development Service (BYDS) and Zeal Theatres in producing ‘To Be Honest’, a play showcasing the painstakingly honest and often untold stories of young people’s journeys overcoming homelessness, drug abuse, racism, family breakdown, and mental health issues.
Amirah spent most of 2017 travelling the world where she engaged with communities right around the globe, including Indonesia, Capetown, Tanzania, Dubai, Egypt, London and Germany. Having worked with thousands of young people across the world, and across sectors, Amirah feels confident in her ability to understand the diverse and complex needs of young people and how to best work with individuals to help realise their true potential. Amirah joined ReachOut Australia 8 months ago as Online Community Manager.
We are very excited to welcome Amirah as our guest! Do you have a question you would like to ask? Now is your chance to ask all the questions you have been wanting to ask and get to know Amirah better!
You can submit your questions for Amirah here and join the discussion Thursday night at 7pm 
We look forward to seeing you there!
If you would like to get a notification 30 mins before we start the infobus, high five this post!
speaking of Self care..
How often do you engage in self care activities and what are your favourite ones to do?
@scared01 Every day. Whether it's consciously taking a break to get a cup of coffee (or a brownie @Jess1-RO haha) or doing meditation. I try to practice it every day.
My favourite activity is to count my blessings, quite literally! I wear beads on my wrist most days and when I'm feeling overwhelmed or stuck, I think of one thing I'm grateful for, for each bead. there are 100 beads on it and I've never gotten through all 100 before feeling better! Usually 10-15 
oh wow what an interesting self care activity! are you wearing your bracelet now?- can you share a pic of it?
@Amirah-RO wrote:@scared01 Every day. Whether it's consciously taking a break to get a cup of coffee (or a brownie @Jess1-RO haha) or doing meditation. I try to practice it every day.
My favourite activity is to count my blessings, quite literally! I wear beads on my wrist most days and when I'm feeling overwhelmed or stuck, I think of one thing I'm grateful for, for each bead. there are 100 beads on it and I've never gotten through all 100 before feeling better! Usually 10-15
This made me smile so much!
@Amirah-RO woahhh i love your self-care ! i really like the bead idea😻
Wow @Amirah-RO what a great gratitude activity! I have seen the beads before and have wondered what they are, now I know and that is incredible!
And yes we do like our chocolate treats
Thank you @FootyFan26, it has been great to see you on infobus tonight!
What is your favourite part of working at ReachOut?
What things do you have on your desk at ReachOut to personalise it?
What is your favourite part of working at ReachOut? Working across different teams, including media and comms, content and research. It's cool to have to opportunity to give input about the awesome content that RO puts out. And it's a given but the forums! Although I don't have as much contact as Gina and Jess, I check in every time and am constantly reminded of the courage and vulnerability shown in our online community 🙂
What things do you have on your desk at ReachOut to personalise it? I have some gifts from my previous clients, a candle and a cool shell thing, not really sure how to describe it! I may have to take a photo of it when I'm in the office next 🙂 They remind me of why I do what I do 
im really lookin forward to seeing your bracelet too
@scared01 Definitely! It reminds you that work is not just work. It's something meaningful. I'll post a photo of it when I'm in the office, it's really beautiful 🙂
It is amazing to get to see the courage of this community- we are lucky to be a part of it @Amirah-RO! Totally agree with you about working across teams! RO is super connected between teams and we learn so much from our ReachOut Peers!
Next question for you:
What's something we can do to get more men working in the mental health field?
Thank YOU @Jess1-RO for hosting and @scared01 @Bee @litgym @FootyFan26 and everyone else for joining the convo tonight. This was the highlight of my week! You guys are absolute legends!!!
@Jess1-RO thanks for hosting tonight, see you around the forums !
@Amirah-RO lovely speaking to you tonight ❤️
thank you for being so open and sharing this part of your life with us @Amirah-RO and thanks so much @Jess1-RO for organising and asking all the questions 😄
AMAZING @Amirah-RO!
Thank you so much to everyone that contributed to the conversation tonight! It has been such a pleasure to watch this discussion unfold, learn more about @Amirah-RO and share some time with our amazing community!
A HUGE thank you to Amirah for your incredibly insightful, honest and compassionate responses today! I am feeling incredibly inspired by your responses and experiences, and I am sure that many in our community are feeling inspired by you tonight too
Thank you again everyone! That is a wrap for tonight's Infobus
We will be back again soon to talk to The Naked Farmer for Infobus on the 18th of October so stay tuned and check out the thread here
you will probably still be working but maybe from a hammock in jamaica? do some video confrencing and tutoring..
