School link term 1 2014 by ycentral

TERM 1 2014 | VOL: 8 | ISSUE: 1

CEN T R A L COA S T

INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the School-Link Coordinators

Welcome 2014 !!! From the School-Link Coordinators

School-Link Consultancy Service

Welcome to the first edition of the School-Link Newsletter for 2014. The year ahead looks to be busy for CYPMH.

MH & Schools Conference headspace Gosford headspace National School Support

We head into 2014 with our new School-Link Coordinator, Fiona Lo. Fiona has over 7 years experience in mental health and came to us from Northern Sydney Carer Support Service based at Royal North Shore Hospital. Fiona has previously worked at the NSW Transcultural Mental Health Centre. Fiona has completed a bachelor degree in Health Science and last completed a Masters degree in Social Work. I would like to welcome Fiona to the School-Link Coordinator position and wish her well.

Evidence Based Practice Articles Appreciate a Mate - new app Using Social Media ycentral website Gosford MindMatters Services and Resources A Model for Positive Education Contact Details Fiona Lo / Helen Astolfi School-Link Coordinator Gateway Centre, Suite 1, Level 2 237 Mann St, Gosford 2250 Ph: (02) 4328 7350

CIRCULATION Principal Counsellors Head Teacher Deputy Principal Year Advisors

HT Welfare LS Team Staff Room PD/H/PE

Also this year we are hosting our Mental Health and Schools Conference to be held on April 3rd at Gosford Race Club. The conference, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Building Bridges: young people, relationships & technologyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, focuses on current trends affecting the mental health of young people. We look forward to seeing many of you at the conference. Keep those registrations coming in...!!! Workplace stress and burnout is a significant issue in contemporary society, particularly in emotionally demanding roles such as mental health and teachers. So ensure you have some relaxing time-out on your weekends or holidays-whether you go somewhere exotic or remain on the beautiful CC it is important to take the time to replenish yourself.

Regards Helen & Fiona

School-Link Consultancy Service The mental health of children and young people is a key priority for NSW and Commonwealth Governments. In 1999 The NSW Government launched the School-Link Initiative, as one of a range of initiatives to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. School-Link is an innovative and collaborative mental health initiative between NSW Health and the NSW Department of Education and Communities (DEC). School-Link supports CCLHD Children and Young People’s Mental Health, headspace Gosford, schools and TAFE colleges to work together to promote mental health, prevent mental health problems and facilitate identification, treatment, management and support of mental health issues. Communication and shared care are essential elements to enhancing the service provided to children and young people with high support needs. Shared care typically focuses on facilitation of communication and a sharing of role in the care of a person experiencing a mental health problem. The School-Link Consultation Line is a direct contact number to access the School-Link Coordinator(s). The consultation line provides prompt referral and clinical support for all schools across the Central Coast Local Health District. The School-Link Consultation Line provides: •

Facilitation of clinical consultation;

•

Consultation without clinical intervention; and

•

Increased collaborative practice at a local level between DEC and CYPMH.

The School-Link Consultation Line does not replace the usual referral process but is available to discuss any queries or clinical issues regarding a student/young person.

For referral to Children and Young People’s Mental Health contact the Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

Mental Health & Schools Conference

Central Coast Mental Health & Schools Conference 2014 Building bridges: young people, relationships & technology

‘Building Bridges: young people,

The 2014 Central Coast Mental Health and Schools Conrelationships & technology’ focuses ference will focus on the current trends affecting on the current trends affecting the mental healththe mental health ofofyoung The conference is targeted towards young people. people. The conference is targeted and clinical mental young peoschool and mentaltowards health school clinical staff supporting healthfamilies. staff supporting young peopleoffers an opportunity ple and their This conference and their families. for all school and mental health staff to develop links, networks to further enhance collaborative partnerships.

Guest speakers

NSW School Link Initiative A collaborative approach by the NSW DEC and NSW Health in improving the mental health of children and young people in NSW

Dannielle Miller, Nina Funnell, Bronte bridges: O’Brien, young peoThis year’s conference theme ‘Building Dion Alperstein. ple, relationships and technology is about being informed on current adolescent challenges and includes presentations on Topics include ‘Supporting Young to Complicated Successfully Navigate Friend• RelationshipPeople status: It’s ships’, The Harms and How Cannabis Impacts on Adolescent • Supporting Young People to Successfully Development’, ‘Relationship Status: It’s Complicated’......and Navigate Friendships more...!!!• Impact of Cannabis on Adolescent Development and more...

Cost: $90.00 perto person 3rd April 9:00am 4:00pm (registration Morning tea and lunch will be provided

8:30am) Thursday 3rd April

starts

9:00am - 4:00pm (registration starts 8:30am) Cost $90 includes morning tea and lunch Gosford Racing Club, 4 Racecourse Rd, Gosford West NSW

VenueClosing Gosford Club, Racecourse date Racing for registration: Gosford14th March 2014

Rd, West

ForContact: more information and to register go to www.ycentral.com.au/School-Link, or Fiona Lo or Helen Astolfi, School-Link Coordinators (02) 4328 7350 Contact: Fiona Lo, School-Link Coordinator (02) 4328 7350

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

59,369

For more information and to register go to www.ycentral.com.au/School-Link

Speakers - Keynote Presentations Dr Roberto Parada - ‘Three things you must know to help target perpetrators of bullying at school’

Dr Parada is a Lecturer in Adolescent Development, Wellbeing, Behaviour and Pedagogical Studies at the University of Western Sydney. Roberto is also a practicing psychologist with over a decade of clinical experience working in child, adolescent and young adult mental health in the private, public and school sector. Dr Parada will provide an update on international efforts to reduce and tackle bullying in schools. Drawing on both his research and clinical practice he will focus on CBT derived strategies to assist individual students who may be involved in bullying as perpetrators and/or targets. This session will also highlight what aspects of whole-of-school interventions are necessary to create positive learning environments which are likely to reduce the incidence of bullying in schools. Dr Parada is an active researcher in the areas of: bullying and victimisation causes/consequences, positive learning environments, mental health, and the application of cognitive and behavioural interventions in schools. His most recent research projects involve an Australian Research Council funded project looking at bullying and racism in Aboriginal young people. He is a full member of the Australian Psychological Society, Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy and the International Bullying Research Network.

Nina Funnell - ‘Relationship Status: It’s Complicated’

Nina Funnell is a Sydney based journalist, author and researcher whose main areas of interest include technology, education, gender and youth. Nina has taught in the Media and Communications Department at the University of Sydney and is regularly sought for media comment. In 2010 Nina was awarded the Australian Human Rights Community (individual) award for her work in violence prevention. She has recently published a book titled Loveability: An Empowered Girls’ Guide to Dating and Relationships, co-authored with Dannielle Miller. Sexting, cyberbullying and social media are constantly in the news. So how are young people connecting with and through technology? How are their friendships and relationships changing? And what challenges lie ahead? In this presentaion, Nina Funnell will take a closer look at young people’s relationships with technology and one another, and examine what others can do to support young people’s healthy development at this stage.

Dannielle Miller - ‘Making Friends on Facebook’

Dannielle Miller is the CEO and co-founder of Enlighten Education. Dannielle is a highly respected and experienced educator, author and media commentator on issues affecting teenage girls. In 2007, Enlighten Education won the Australian Small Business Champion Entrepreneur. In 2009, The Weekend Australian newspaper named Dannielle Australia’s number one Emerging Leader in Learning. Dannielle delights in working with thousands of teenage girls across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore each year, and she is regularly called upon by the media for her expertise on teen issues. She is an avid blogger and the author of The Butterfly Effect and The Girl with the Butterfly Tatoo. Dannielle also co-authored a book with Nina Funnell called Loveability: An Empowered Girls’ Guide to Dating and Relationships.

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

Mental Health & Schools Conference Bronte O’Brien - ‘Stories and Scribbles’

Bronte O’Brien wrote her first book at age five, entitled ‘The Coluor Flower’. Since then, she has remained a prolific scribbler who delightfully flaunts her 123cm high journal collection. As a mental health advocate, she often melds her expreriences with bipolar disorder together with her interest in writing and speaking. Her advocacy has extended to presentations, television, radio, mental health service considerations and research. Bronte gave an address at the National Press Club on World Mental Health Day 2011. In 2013, she gave a presentation at Sydney Town Hall for the Young Minds Conference where the Dalai Lama was a guest speaker. She is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Sydney. Bronte was also the Dolly Magazine Teen writer. Framed through journal entries, a courageous young woman traces her personal story with mental illness. Along the way she illustrates some broader aspects of mental health - early intervention, patience, persistence and retaining a sense of humor.

Dion Alperstein - ‘The Harms and How Cannabis Impacts on Adolescent Development’

Dion Alperstein is a Research Officer at the Nation Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC). His primary role is to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical training workshops as interventions for cannabis. He is currently completing a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology at the University of Sydney. Population based studies have consistently shown cannabis to be the most widely used illicit drug, particularly amongst young people. This session will focus on the harms of cannabis and its impacts on adolescent development. It will also address the importance of using appropriate communication strategies that are shown to be effective when attempting to engage young people in conversations about their cannabis use together with the common barriers to engagement. In addition, the presentation will touch on why and how a participant might screen and give feedback on cannabis use.

Central Coast Mental Health & Schools Conference 2014

Building bridges: young people, relationships & technology

‘Building Bridges: young people, relationships & technology’ focuses

NSW School Link Initiative A collaborative approach by the NSW DEC and NSW Health in improving the mental health of children and young people in NSW

‘Building Bridges: young people, relationships & technology’ focuses

on the current trends affecting the mental health of young people. The conference is targeted towards school and clinical mental health staff supporting young people and their families.

Guest speakers

Dannielle Miller, Nina Funnell, Bronte O’Brien, Dion Alperstein.

Guest speakers

Dannielle Miller, Nina Funnell, Bronte O’Brien, Dion Alperstein.

Topics include

• Relationship status: It’s Complicated • Supporting Young People to Successfully Navigate Friendships • Impact of Cannabis on Adolescent Development and more...

Topics include

• Relationship status: It’s Complicated • Supporting Young People to Successfully Navigate Friendships • Impact of Cannabis on Adolescent Development and more...

NSW School Link Initiative A collaborative approach by the NSW DEC and NSW Health in improving the mental health of children and young people in NSW

Cost: $90.00 per person Morning tea and lunch will be provided

Thursday 3rd April 9:00am - 4:00pm (registration starts 8:30am) Gosford Racing Club, 4 Racecourse Rd, Gosford West NSW

NSW School Link Initiative A collaborative approach by the NSW DEC and NSW Health in improving the mental health of children and young people in NSW

Cost: $90.00 per person Morning tea and lunch will be provided

Thursday 3rd April 9:00am - 4:00pm (registration starts 8:30am) Gosford Racing Club, 4 Racecourse Rd, Gosford West NSW

Cost: $90.00 per person Morning tea and lunch will be provided

Thursday 3rd April 9:00am - 4:00pm (registration starts 8:30am) Gosford Racing Club, 4 Racecourse Rd, Gosford West NSW

Closing date for registration:

14th March 2014

For more information and to register go to www.ycentral.com.au/School-Link

Contact: Fiona Lo or Helen Astolfi, School-Link Coordinators (02) 4328 7350 59,369

For more information and to register go to www.ycentral.com.au/School-Link

Contact: Fiona Lo or Helen Astolfi, School-Link Coordinators (02) 4328 7350 59,369

For more information and to register go to www.ycentral.com.au/School-Link

Contact: Fiona Lo or Helen Astolfi, School-Link Coordinators (02) 4328 7350

For more information and to register go to www.ycentral.com.au/School-Link, or Contact: Fiona Lo, School-Link Coordinator (02) 4328 7350

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

59,369

‘Building Bridges: young people, relationships & technology’ focuses on the current trends affecting the mental health of young people. The conference is targeted towards school and clinical mental health staff supporting young people and their families.

headspace Gosford Programs

headspace Gosford headspace Gosford provides young people aged 1225 with help around: • general health; • mental health and counselling; • education, employment and other services; • alcohol and other drug services. To refer to headspace Gosford the young person must: • be between the ages of 12 and 25; • understand and be in agreement for the referral to proceed and wanting to engage with support services; • not be experiencing a mental health crisis. Referrals can be made by: the young person themselves; by family and friends or by government and non-government agencies on 4304 7870 between the hours of 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.

headspace Gosford is not an acute mental health service. If you have any immediate concerns for the safety of a young person please call the Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511. The Mental Health Line operates 24/7.

headspace Gosford does not accept faxed referrals.

headspace FB Page Become a fan of our headspace Gosford Facebook page so you don’t miss a thing! Simply search for ‘headspace Gosford’. Or type in facebook.com/headspaceGosford. You will then know about all our latest news, events, competitions, staff and stories. We have loads of activities happening this year so please ‘LIKE’ the page to stay up to date.

facebook.com/headspaceGosford

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

headspace Gosford Programs

Youth Alliance Project Youth participation is increasingly valued as a right. Young people’s experiences and input into the design and delivery of Mental Health Services is essential in making services relevant and accessible to young people. In 2013, headspace Gosford re-established its youth participation model called the Youth Alliance. There are currently 10 young people in the team, who are involved in a range of activities including mental health education at youth events, consultation of the refurbishment of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health waiting room and assisting in the Mental Health and Schools Conference.

The CHOICE Project headspace Gosford is developing, implementing and evaluating a project called Choices about Health Care Options Informed by Client Experiences and Expectations – the CHOICE Project. The CHOICE Project is a shared decision making and peer worker project, which aims to provide decision making support to young people accessing headspace Gosford. The CHOICE Project recognises the importance of young people being more involved in making informed and preference based decisions about the services they access at headspace Gosford.

For more information on Shared Decision Making check out the headspace Evidence Summary: Shared decision making (SDM) for mental health – what is the evidence? by visiting http://www. headspace.org.au/what-works/resources/-evidence-summaries

For more information on the CHOICE Project contact Tara Dimopoulos or Holly West on 4328 7350

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

headspace National School Support Introducing headspace National School Support headspace School Support is an initiative funded by the Federal Government, Department of Health and Aging, that provides localised support to secondary schools affected by a suicide. The service is flexible and is designed to respond to the individual needs of schools. Support is provided by working with relevant education bodies, local headspace Centres and other service providers.

How can headspace School Support help? headspace School Support recognises the long-term impact associated with suicide and can offer support to school communities, both the immediate and the long-term if required.

Schools can access a variety of services including: • National 1800 number and email support for all Australian secondary schools affected by suicide. • Response co-ordination following a suicide or suicide attempt. • Staff and parent information sessions. • Evidence based resources - including a range of fact sheets. • Comprehensive postvention toolkit - A practical guide to assist schools in their response following a suicide. • Secondary and tertiary consultation. • Assistance with critical incident review. • Education and training related to suicide. • Media liaison and advice. • Help with preparing a school in the event of a suicide occuring. headspace School Support teams are co-located with headspace Centres throughout Australia. The NSW headspace School Support staff include: Graham Parry, NSW / ACT Coordinator. Dion Richardson, headspace Gosford. Jen Fisher, headspace Parramatta. Jen Riley, headspace ACT

headspace School Support is an initiative funded by the Federal Government, Department of Health and Ageing, that provides localised support to secondary schools affected by a suicide.

Download the free hSS resources http://www.headspace.org.au/what-works/school-support/resources. email schoolsupport@headspace.org.au

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

Evidence Based Practice - articles Young people’s expectation preferences and actual experience of youth mental health care Authors: Watsford, C. & Rickwood, D. (2013) Source: International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, DOI:10.1080/02673843.2013.799038 Abstract: Understanding young people’s expectation, preferences and actual experience of therapy is essential, given these factors are linked with engagement in therapy and clinical outcomes. This study examined differences between young people’s expectation, preferences and actual experience of seeking professional help. Age and gender differences were also examined. Participants included 228 young people aged 12-25 who completed a survey on contact with a youth mental health care service; of these, 102 completed a follow-up survey two months later. The young people rated preferences for therapy very highly, whereas their initial expectations and actual experience of therapy were significantly lower. Furthermore, males and the 12-18 year age group had higher expectations around the counsellor’s expertise, and the 19-25 year age group had high preferences for their outcomes and personal commitment. Clinicians could tailor interventions to meet the young people’s preferences to promote engagement.

Key summary of findings: Males held a significantly higher expectation of their counsellors’ expertise when compared to females. The 12-18 year old age group held higher expectations of the counsellor expertise. The 19-25 year old age group held significantly higher expectations for outcomes and their personal commitment towards treatment. • The study demonstrated that young people are responsive to evidence based psychological interventions. • Young people’s initial expectations around their clinical outcomes were much more optimistic than their actually experience of their outcomes of therapy. • On initial contact, young people strongly desired therapy to be a really positive experience however, on average, young people perceived their actual experience of the therapeutic encounter to be less favourable than they had initially hoped for. • The findings highlighted a need to provide education to young people in regard to what the therapeutic encounter involves in order to promote realistic hopes of therapy.

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

Evidence Based Practice - articles What do we know about school mental health promotion programmes for children and youth? Authors: Linda O’Mara & Candace Lind Source: Advances in School Mental Health Promotion, Volume 6, Number 3, July 2013.

Abstract: There are numerous studies of school mental health promotion and primary prevention and many

reviews of these studies; however, no clear consensus statement has emerged regarding school mental health promotion other than that child mental health is an important area that should be addressed in schools. This integrative review seeks to address this gap. How should mental health promotion be addressed in schools and what approaches work best? Using an integrative review approach, two authors searched 11 selected databases, and hand searched an additional 15 promising journals to answer the question: ‘What is the state of school- based mental health promotion literature reviews published in selected databases in the English language from 1998 to 2010. Findings suggest a whole school approach focusing on mental health promotion rather than on mental illness prevention is effective in promoting child and youth mental health. However, study populations are limited and many studies either lack clarity regarding who implemented interventions, lack of theoretical foundations, process evaluations or youth viewpoints.

Key summary of findings: • A ‘whole of school’ approach that involves multiple stakeholders (including schools, parents, professionals and communities) is the most effective in promoting health and preventing mental health issues in children and young people. • Programs focusing on mental health promotion rather than illness prevention are more effective in raising awareness. • Positive outcomes of mental health promotion programs include improved mental health, self-esteem and coping skills of young people. Improvement of young people’s social and problem solving skills were also evident in the findings. • Interventions from the mental health promotion programs have led to youth displaying significantly less negative behaviours and showing more significantly improved school performance. • Targeted programs can help children cope with adverse life events such as divorce, bereavement etc. Targeted programs are also very useful in primary prevention for youth at risk. • Findings have demonstrated there is a need to support teachers when implementing programs at school. • A major concern that arose in the findings is that mental health promotion initiatives do not address the key priorities or concerns of young people. There needs to be better involvement of children and young people when planning these initiatives. • Mental health promotion programs that focus on promoting positive mental health and developing generic coping and stress management skills are generally more effective.

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

Appreciate A Mate-friendly new app New app for young people counters cyberbullying and spreads positivity online. To coincide with National Compliments Day, Young and Well CRC has launched a free Appreciate A Mate app. CEO Associate Professor Jane Burns: ‘This new app – based on evidence that gratitude is good for you – gives young people a simple digital tool to share compliments with each other, starting a positive cycle of online communication.’ Appreciate A Mate is a friendly app that instantly generates messages of appreciation. You can shake it, swipe it and mix up the colours on over 50 positive messages. The app makes it easy for young people to share positivity online. This innovative campaign takes a new approach to tackling cyberbullying and poor self-esteem in young people. The Butterfly Foundation provided expert advice in understanding how the campaign could best promote positive body image, build self-esteem and reassurance, and hundreds of young people also influenced the campaign. ‘Young people told us the building blocks of self-esteem were acceptance and feeling valued by the people closest to them – their friends and family. This is entirely consistent with international evidence. They gave us feedback on the campaign idea and even wrote the messages that you see in the app,’ Associate Professor Burns said. Fourteen-year-old campaign collaborator Lotte Beckett: ‘I think Appreciate A Mate is a fantastic way to improve the mental health of young people, and change the way we think about the effect our words have, in both a broad and personal context,’ while co-collaborator Belle Campbell, also 14, noted: ‘Appreciate A Mate is the perfect way to channel the influential powers of social media into a healthy and supportive tool – it’s engaging and easy for young people to utilise.’ ‘The Appreciate A Mate app is very quick and simple to use to compliment your friends or family. Real positive messages create positive self-esteem and boost confidence. How you feel about your body is connected to how you feel in general – a simple message or compliment from a friend can make all the difference,’ said Christine Morgan, CEO, The Butterfly Foundation. Young and Well CRC partner and campaign Project Manager, Bernadine Brewer of Sydney-based digital consultancy Zuni, said: ‘Working with Digital Arts Network, we built on this insight by tapping into young people’s current online habits to create a campaign that facilitates positive communication between peers. By providing young people with a tool that works for them and how they prefer to communicate, we have an opportunity to really influence a change in online behaviour.’

Appreciate A Mate is now available for free download from the App Store; android and desktop users can access the campaign at www.yawcrc.org.au

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

Using Social Media The campaign kicked off in July 2013, with hundreds of positive compliments spreading their way across websites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. The compliments were in the form of beautiful illustrated images with positive sentiments like ‘Don’t ever change,’ ‘Your smile makes me smile’ and even ‘Your face makes Facebook better.’ Since then, almost 26,000 of these images have been created and shared by young people across Australia. ‘The campaign reached and exceeded our targets so quickly and young Australians were asking us when they could download Appreciate A Mate as an app,’ explained Bernadine. ‘We were delighted to be able to take the campaign one step further by releasing the new iPhone app and we’re hoping to flood the internet with positivity in 2014!’ An initiative of Young and Well CRC led by the University of South Australia in conjunction with the University of Western Sydney, Zuni and the Queensland University of Technology, Safe and Well Online builds upon the original Smart Online, Safe Offline initiative developed by the National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.

Advice on using social media

Tips for parents

• Talk with your kids about their digital lives & let them know you are always there for them. • Protect personal information - teach your children how to turn on privacy settings. • Encourage children to ‘think before they click’, to think about content and the consequences of posting it. • Be an offline supporter. Encourage kids to have some screen-free time each day and turn off devices at bedtime. • Teach kids to treat others the same way they’d like to be treated online and be zero-tolerant to rude or mean online behaviour. • Don’t just talk about the right thing to do; be a role model with your own digital habits.

Tips for young people

• Protect your personal settings, use strong passworks, change them regularly and don’t share them. • Think before you click - think about content and the consequences of posting it. • Remember, your phone doesn’t rule your life. Have some screen-free time each day and turn off devices at bedtime. • Treat others as you’d like to be treated online. • Talk to an adult you trust if someone you know is being cyberbullied or you see something online that upsets you. Source: Telstra. www.telstra.com.au/cyber-safety

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

www.ycentral.com.au

The ycentral website is an excellent resource for workers, teachers, young people, families and carers. The site provides a range of information that can be utilised in the classroom to increase awareness around mental health issues and how to seek help.

For any urgent mental health issues call the Mental Health Line on 1800 011 511.

ycentral Level 2, Gateway Centre 237 Mann, Gosford. www.ycentral.com.au

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

MindMatters

MindMatters is getting a makeover

Over the coming months you will notice changes to the look and feel of the MindMatters website as we introduce new ways for you to engage with our learning materials. The Australian Government Department of Health commissioned the redevelopment of MindMatters in June this year. The new MindMatters wil be an exciting addition to mental health initiatives across all education sectors. beyondblue will be leading this ambitious project and will be working closely with leaders in the field to create a world class online environment to support schools to meet the mental health needs of Australia’s young people.

What does this mean?

It means that MindMatters is here for the long haul. Over the last decade the majority of Australia’s Secondary Schools have already engaged with MindMatters. This redevelopment will ensure current schools and those new to MindMatters will benefit from continued relevant and professional resources.

What is changing?

MindMatters will adopt a new four component framework. The framework will be a new way of working but the redevelopment will make sure we continue to bring you the very latest thinking in youth mental health. The framework has been developed to: • maximise engagement with MindMatters and ultimately student impact. We will explicitly seek to provide schools, students and families with evidence-based strategies and programs to meet specific needs;

• help schools access the best existing and emerging evidence-based programs, strategies and supports offered by mental health, community, youth and education agencies; • allow schools to access MindMatters on multiple levels and as flexibly as possible across the whole school.

Why change?

A similar framework was first developed for the successful KidsMatter Mental Health Initiative. The plan now is to closely align the initiatives which will give educators a suite of professional resources to support mental health all the way from birth through to young adulthood. The new framework will help schools: • make sense of the increasing number of student mental health and wellbeing programs that are available; • implement targeted strategies for supporting students experiencing serious mental health issues (e.g. depression, self-harm and suicide prevention) as well as universal wellbeing approaches (e.g. teaching resilience); • develop common mental health language from primary (using KidsMatter) through to secondary school (using MindMatters).

For more information on MindMatters in your area visit the website www.mindmatters.edu.au

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

Services and Resources My Wellbeing. My Classroom

reachout.com has released the first installment in their ‘Wellbeing@School’ series, an i-book titled “MyWellbeing. My Classroom’. This resource guides teachers and students through the practical application of Martin Seligman’s Positive Psychology framework. The activities are applicable for all ages (for sustaining or improving wellbeing), explores the Personal and Social Capability of the Australian Curriculum and can be used with students as individually or as a series of activities in the classroom/pastoral care group.

Now available for download au.professionals.reachout.com/My-Wellbeing-MyClassroom-Resource

Body Image Friendly School Resources

The National Advisory Group on Body Image has available a ‘checklist for body image friendly schools’ to provide practical guidance for all schools on the issue of body image. The messages contained within the checklist have been used in a poster and accompanying material to support school leaders and teachers in considering the sensitive and sometimes difficult topic of body image. The materials use a whole-school approach, and will assist the school community - school leaders, teachers, students and parents - to reflect on, discuss and take action on the way the school might develop and provide a positive body image friendly environment where, as the key message says, all individuals and the whole school culture ‘respects every body’. The Respect Every Body poster, Conversation Starters and links to fact sheets are available for free download: www.youth.gov.au/sites/youth/bodyimage/resources

About Central Coast NSW Medicare Local

The Central Coast NSW Medicare Local is a not-for-profit organisation and is responsible for improving the patient journey through better coordination and integration of services, identifying the health needs and service gaps for local communities, and working in partnership to meet these needs.

Child Mental Health Service

The objective of the Child Mental Health Service component of the Access To Allied Psychological Services (ATAPS) Program is to provide eligible children with evidence based short-term psychological services within a primary care setting. The Child Mental Health Service is designed for children under 12 years who have, or are at risk of developing, a mild to moderate mental, childhood/behavioural or emotional, disorder, and who could benefit from short-term focused psychological intervention. The service is not intended to provide long-term intensive support to consumers and in some cases individuals may be more appropriately referred to another local service.

How the Program Operates

This program provides services to children up to 11 years who have, or are at risk of developing mental illness and/or behavioural/emotional disorders. GPs and Paediatricians are able to refer consumers to this service. • Funds are available for GPs to refer patients to the Central Coast Medicare Local’s contracted or employed Allied Health Providers for the provision of ‘time-limited’ focussed psychological strategies. Referrals must occur in the context of a GP Child Treatment Plan. • Patients are eligable for a maximum of 12 sessions per calendar year • All CC GPs are able to access patient referrals via this program.

www.ccnswml.com.au

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511

A Model for Positive Education The Geelong Grammar School Model for Positive Education is a science - informed conceptual and applied framework for schools to encourage and support their students and staff to flourish. Geelong Grammar School passionately believes in the importance of student and staff wellbeing. The high prevalence of depression among young people worldwide, the well documented small rise in life satisfaction, and the synergy between learning and positive emotion all argue that the skills for wellbeing should be taught in school. There is substantial evidence from empirical studies that skills to increase resilience, positive emotion,

Positive Psychology is an umbrella term for work that investigates happiness, wellbeing, human strengths, and flourishing. (Gable & Haidt, 2005)

engagement, and meaning can be successfully taught to school children and achieve meaningful outcomes. Since 2008, Professor Martin Seligman, one of the founders of Positive Psychology, has been involved in a collaborative project with Geelong Grammar School. This project is recognised as pioneering the development and application of what has come to be defined as Postive Education.

Positive Education brings together the science of Positive Psychology with best practice teaching to encourage and support schools and individuals within their communities to flourish.

Positive Education is education for both traditional skills and for happiness. (Seligman, 2009)

(Geelong Grammar School, 2011)

Mental Health Line 1800 011 511