John Clark

John initially started with Rural Alive and Well (RAW) as a mental health outreach worker, but due to increasing demand for training from community and industry, he became involved in educating and up-skilling others in suicide prevention and mental health awareness. John is now the Wise Minds Program team leader offering training at RAW.

John grew up in a farming family who are still producing beef and wool in Western Victoria. He is a former chemical engineer and has over 10 years’ experience working in mental health and suicide prevention. John is a certified trainer with Mental Health First Aid Australia, a Beyond Blue public speaker and has a Certificate IV in Mental Health Peer Work.

As someone who has experienced first-hand the effect of workplace burnout, depression and anxiety, John brings his lived experience coupled with his strong industry background to be uniquely placed to support businesses and community groups who understand that wellbeing plays a major role in productivity, employee satisfaction and retention.

John sees RAW as being a truly authentic Tasmanian home-grown, grassroots organisation that has been able to forge deep connections with businesses, individuals and communities to prevent suicide. John considers it both a privilege and deeply satisfying to be able to take this knowledge and equip others to take up the gatekeeper roles in their sphere of influence.

John’s passions outside of work are his wife and three children, hunting, fly fishing, bushwalking and sport (run, bike, swim repeat). He recently set a new state freestyle record. He also enjoys volunteering for the local State Emergency Services (SES) search and rescue team.