Lake Macquarie's Alex Mackay pulls a mean beer at the Adamstown Bowling Club

"There's just some good customers, and the staff's really good," Mr Mackay said.

And, sources say, he's pretty good at pulling a beer, too. In fact, he's become a bit of an 'all-rounder' says his boss, Todd Rizoli.

"When he started with us, Alex was shy and reserved," Mr Rizoli said. "Alex has grown into a much loved member of the team."

The 26-year-old from Lake Macquarie, who lives with a mental health condition, says he is grateful for the support he's received to build up his skills while accessing treatment.

Anthony Workman, operations manager in the Lower Hunter for Omnia Inclusive Employment Solutions, who has worked closely with Alex, said Alex was now looking to slowly build up how many hours he works, after gaining confidence in his previous position working on the docks at the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club

"Alex had a job before the yacht club with a labour hire company and it was just flat out 38 hours per week, and that really impacted his health, so he is working up to more hours," Mr Workman said.

"It was fairly new for him being that front of house, but we just knew that the confidence he got from working on the docks, and he really wanted to work in a bar, and we knew Adamstown Bowlo was a great employer. They have a really inclusive and diverse workforce."

Emma Robson, Vocational Partnership Manager with the Hunter New England Mental Health Service, said working collaboratively with local mental health teams has helped people find work, which has had a positive effect on their recovery and overall quality of life.

Data on job candidates receiving support from both teams has led to an increase of 13 per cent of candidates having continued employment at 13 weeks.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, working-age people with a disability are twice as likely to be unemployed, at 10 per cent, than those without disability. They are also more likely to be unemployed for longer.

On World Mental Health Day on Monday, October 10, the World Health Organisation called the global community to make mental health and well-being a priority.

The WHO says the COVID-19 pandemic has created a crisis for mental health, fuelling short- and long-term stresses and undermining the mental health of millions, estimating a rise in both anxiety and depressive disorders of more than 25 per cent during the first year of the pandemic.

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