GESAN stands for Glen Eira South Agency Network. The network was formed in 2002 and is a great example of how effective joint action by a group of diverse organisations can be.

GESAN is made up of over twenty-five organisations from Glen Eira and surrounding municipalities. Gambler’s Help Southern has been active in the Network since the inaugural event - an Agency Expo, by workers, for workers - which brought together an impressive array of staff from local organisations. This event was the starting point in an annual cycle of planning, action and evaluation.

Depression was determined to be a priority issue for the local community and it made a lot of sense for Gambler’s Help Southern to be involved as, not surprisingly, depression is a significant factor in problem gambling situations - both as a cause and an outcome of gambling.

GESAN started the "Depression - Everyone’s Problem" project in 2003. A major community forum was staged, featuring Dr Sandra Lancaster, the Director of the Monash University Clinical Psychology Centre. This was followed by a series of thirteen workshops, each linking the theme of depression with the specific expertise of the presenting GESAN agency. Topics included "Depression and Food", "Sexual Abuse, Trauma and Depression" and "Life after Breast Cancer". Over 300 people attended these events.

Feedback from participants indicated a need for greater understanding of depression in the community - to reduce stigma and to correct misperceptions about the condition - and for local information about how to access appropriate mental health resources.

In response to these needs GESAN began developing resources in 2004, with the input of numerous GESAN agencies, local GPs and consumer representatives. Six generous consumers agreed to write true accounts of their experiences of depression and these have been compiled into a collection. Financial and in-kind support was provided by Glen Eira Council, the Rotary Club of Moorleigh-Bentleigh East and the Monash Division of General Practice.