The Code 9 Foundation

Dean Yates is a no-nonsense old journalist. He’s just finished writing a book about healing from PTSD and moral injury. It’s set around Ward 17, a Melbourne psych unit that treats veterans and first responders. Pan Macmillan Australia will publish the book in mid-2023.

In the meantime, Dean has launched the next stage of his New Narrative: putting into practice what he’s learnt from six years writing the book; three Ward 17 admissions; three years as head of mental health at Reuters, the international news agency, and two decades as a foreign correspondent for the company.

Before the mental health role, Dean was a journalist, bureau chief and senior editor at Reuters for 23 years, covering the Bali bombings and the Boxing Day tsunami in Indonesia’s Aceh province. He was bureau chief in Iraq when a U.S. Apache gunship killed two Reuters journalists in Baghdad on July 12, 2007. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange published footage of that attack in April 2010, shocking millions around the world.

Dean lives in the village of Evandale in Tasmania with his amazing life partner Mary and their three children Patrick, Belle and Harry and a motley bunch of pets: three dogs, three cats, seven sheep and 10 chooks.

Childless not by choice.

More and more couples these days are turning to IVF and fertility clinics in order to have a family. It's a tough, expensive and an emotional roller coaster. But what happens when couples play in that space for a decade more, never to get the outcome they desire.

Russell and Suzanne know this experience all too well. They've invested their time, money, emotions and energy in doing everything in their power to overcome their own fertility challenges. They made decisions for their children's futures, prepared their home and planned their lives that were essentially put on hold and pulled from pillar to post only to be spat out the other side 'childless not by choice'.

How does this effect the relationship between a couple, the mental (and physical) health of the individuals and the relationships with those around them... family, colleagues and friends. How do we support those who grieve on multiple levels for a loss of something others simply don't recognise existed in the first place?

This is a great chat about a tough and likely not widely recognised topic.

Carmen is a Detective Sergeant from the Northern Territory Police, however this is not what this episode is about.

Carmen was involved in a horrific accident in Egypt in 2006 where she received equally horrific injuries. After being told shortly thereafter that she would never walk again, Carmen went on to represent Australia in rugby and play several other sports.

In June this year, she trekked the Overland Trek in Tasmania and at times, being knee deep in snow. Not bad for a woman who was never meant to walk again.

This is a story of incredible resilience and as you will hear, has never lost her sense of humor.

In this pod, A/Commissioner Weir has a chat to Tiff about policing and how Glenn has navigated his way through 41 years of policing.

In this episode, Tiff chats to David Buttifant. Dave was Collingwood FC's sport science director for 13 years, which included the 2010 AFL Premiership season. Dave went on to fulfill the same role at Carlton FC before starting "The Resilience Builders" with Nick Farr. (Ep 21).

Incredibly though, David and his wife responded to the tragic loss of their son, Nicholas who took his own life, by creating the N.I.C.K Foundation (http://nickfoundation.org.au) where they promote positive action in young people.

The Resilience Builders (https://resiliencebuilders.com.au)offer webinars, workshops and outdoor experiences that helps people build resilience.

Episode 22 features Dean Mighell. Dean is the brains behind Path of the Horse, an equine therapy registered charity that runs out of Trentham, Victoria.

For those that have ventured out to POTH, it is nothing short of an extraordinary experience. Dean's knowledge and experience in mental health and the use of horses in treatment is just brilliant.

Tiff and Dean have an all around discussion surrounding equine therapy but also take a dive into their own mental health experiences.

Find Dean and POTH at:

facebook.com/pathofthehorse & pathofthehorse.com.au

Find more of Tiff's pods at:

facebook.com/rollwiththepunchespodcast & https://linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches

In the latest episode of Conversations with the Code 9 Foundation, our new host, Tiff Cook hosted Nick Farr.

Nick is a former member of Victoria Police who later co-founded "The Resilience Builders".

Nick is a highly accomplished mountaineer having completed ascents of Mount Everest and other prominent mountains across the world.

For more information on Nick:

https://resiliencebuilders.com.au/

http://www.nickfarrleadership.com.au/

In this episode, Vanessa joined us to have a chat about what it is like to live with dwarfism. From her early childhood memories to the present, what is really clear is that Ness has excelled and lives life without any regrets.

Matt Ross, ill health retired Victoria Police veteran joins us to talk about his alcohol addiction. Matt is very open about his addiction journey and details ups and downs throughout this process.

Trigger warning, there are parts of this pod that can be confronting.

Ron Fenton. Victoria Police veteran who on 22 November 1984 was shot in the back of the head. Doctors gave him no chance to live, but those that know Ron will attest to the fact that you do not tell Ron these sort of things. He not only survived but got back to operational policing for near on two decades. He rolls around with 37 fragments of that bullet lodged in his head. Ron is now living with terminal cancer however that has not stopped him at all. His bucket list is being ticked off one by one and is completely at peace and has not been this happy for a long time. He is one remarkable person.