Guest Speaker: Mitch De Souza & Alan Suridge

General Awareness Presentation

• Introduction to MATES
• Suicide prevention and  statistics
• Recognizing poor  mental health and the warning signs
• Pathway to help and  further training
• EAP/Community  resources: Accessing help and support

Mitchell de Souza: A former construction worker turned mental health advocate, I understand many of the industry’s challenges. As a Field Officer for MATES in Construction, I conduct onsite training and strive to foster meaningful interactions to educate, support, and refer construction workers to essential mental health resources.

Alan Suridge: A longtime Gawler resident, Alan recently retired from his roles as CEO of both MATES SA and BIRST. With over 32 years of leadership at BIRST, Alan played a pivotal role in establishing MATES SA in 2012. He later took on the CEO role for MATES SA in 2018 while also serving as company secretary on the MATES SA Board. Although retired, Alan remains a committed supporter of MATES and its mission.