2 minute read
Youth Mental Health and our connection to Live4Life
Earlier this term, the Year 8 cohort completed the Teen Mental Health First Aid course as part of the Macedon Ranges Shire Council Youth Live4Life program. This initiative, which has been strongly supported by Braemar College, began in 2010 in the Macedon Ranges in response to a rising incidence of anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicide among young people.
Largely, Youth Live4Life envisions all rural communities in Australia being empowered to support, improve, and invest in young people’s mental health to reduce youth suicide. Their mission is to make the Live4Life model accessible to all rural communities across the country. Their purpose is to reduce youth suicide in rural communities by:
• Reducing barriers that prevent young people from seeking help
• Decreasing mental health stigma
• Increasing awareness of local professional help
• Enhancing mental health knowledge among secondary school students, teachers, parents, carers, and community members
• Building community resilience in addressing mental ill-health
The model places young people at its core, providing targeted, evidence-based mental health education and peer-led health promotion activities, as well as training for adults to ensure they have the skills and confidence to respond when needed most.
The mental health education is aimed at students in Years 8 and 10 or 11, targeting two critical periods in adolescence. This empowers young people to recognise mental health issues in themselves and others, enhancing their ability to act when they identify a problem. The evidence-based mental health education component ensures the delivery of consistent, research-based messages within the community, which is crucial for reducing stigma, increasing mental health literacy, and promoting positive help-seeking behaviours.
Our commitment to youth mental health is deeply intertwined with our connection to the Macedon Ranges and Live4Life. Through this partnership, we strive to create a supportive environment that addresses the mental health needs of young people in our community. Live4Life and the Teen MHFA course provides us with a robust framework and resources to deliver evidence-based mental health education, promote peer-led health initiatives, and equip our students, staff, and community members with the skills necessary to recognise and respond to mental health issues. By working together, we can foster a school climate that not only normalises the challenges faced by our youth but also ensures they are never alone in navigating these challenges.
