Jemma Hemsted
Jemma Hemsted is a dedicated mental health advocate and emerging professional, holding a Bachelor of Psychology and currently pursuing her Master’s in Counselling. In 2023, Jemma served as an outreach counsellor for youth aged 0-18 in the Far South Coast of New South Wales, providing essential support following bushfires and at this time, also began her role with StandBy Support in suicide postvention support.
Jemma's passion for helping others is matched by her deep commitment to her community. She lives in Bermagui (NSW Far south coast) with her husband and their five children, including four active boys who play AFL for the Bermagui Breakers. Through her involvement in local sports committees and community activities, Jemma fosters strong connections and advocates for mental health awareness.
Jemma is passionate about enhancing community capacity in suicide intervention and mental health. She advocates for improved access to mental health services in remote and regional areas of NSW. During her outreach work, she recognized a critical need for suicide intervention and postvention training among educators and community members, driving her commitment to empower others with the skills necessary to support those in crisis. Through her professional and personal endeavours, Jemma continues to make a meaningful impact in her community, growing people’s awareness of education/training, resource accessibility, and community engagement, to empower individuals to effectively support others in their suicidality and suicide bereavement.
Abstracts this author is presenting: