Lifeline WA and Rio Tinto partner to support the mental health of Western Australian crisis call volunteers

PERTH, Australia -- Lifeline WA and Rio Tinto are partnering to support the hundreds of Western Australian volunteers who answer calls from people in crisis, as part of a new four-year partnership. 

The partnership will direct A$1.8 million to the agency, with $1.2 million dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of the 540 Lifeline WA volunteer Crisis Supporters.

It marks the first time a corporate partner has directly funded Lifeline WA's Crisis Supporter Wellbeing Program, which employs four dedicated part-time Wellbeing Officers to provide one-on-one debriefs, weekly check-ins and access to mental health resources for Crisis Supporters.

The program also provides wellbeing activities, podcasts and training materials tailored to the unique pressures of crisis line volunteering.

The partnership will also support Lifeline WA to deliver mental health outreach and training in regional communities, schools and frontline services across the state, helping build practical skills that stay long after each visit.

Lifeline WA CEO, Lorna MacGregor, said: “Rio Tinto has been with us through the training of our volunteers, and now they're with us in caring for them. That continuity of support is something we don't take for granted.

"Training a Crisis Supporter is a significant investment of time and resources. But more than that, these are people who carry a profound emotional load for the good of our community.

"Rio Tinto's support recognises that the mental health of those on the frontline of crisis care matters too. This funding gives us the capacity to better retain and care for the extraordinary volunteers who answer the call."

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive Matthew Holcz said: “Crisis Supporters offer compassion, stability and hope to people experiencing distress when they need it most.

“They support thousands of Western Australians every year, but they also need support themselves. That’s why our newest partnership with Lifeline WA is about helping sustain the people who sustain others.

“Access to mental health support can be harder to come by in regional WA and for FIFO workers. This partnership is one of the ways we are making a difference.”

Lifeline WA and Rio Tinto have partnered since 2024, with the company previously investing $860,000 over two years to fund the training of Crisis Supporters including 60 new volunteers trained in the last 12 months.

Earlier this year, Rio Tinto partnered with the Perth Wildcats to present the inaugural Mental Health Game, which raised $13,500 for Lifeline WA. 

The new partnership represents a deliberate evolution: from building the workforce to sustaining it.

Please direct all enquiries to media.enquiries@riotinto.com

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