Wellbeing at EPS

Following the 2019 Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, Victoria's Department of Education has committed to provide staged rollout funding for every government and low-fee non-government primary schools to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader (MHWL) by 2026. In recognition of the important role schools and their teachers have in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, the Department of Education in Victoria has partnered with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and the University of Melbourne to design and deliver a training program known as Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS).

At the beginning of 2024, Essendon Primary School entered our scheduled engagement with the MHiPS training program. Lauren Barry is undertaking the new role of EPS' Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader (MHWL) having returned full time to our community this year following an extensive period of Parental Leave. It is important to note that MHWLs are not intended to provide counselling to students. Instead, MHWLs will use their knowledge of teaching and the in-classroom experience to boost the capacity and capability of classroom teachers’ mental health literacy, as well as help support teachers to know when and how to refer students internally within the school and externally to dedicated support services and allied health professionals.

Alongside planning and delivering two days of Wellbeing Specialist classes for multiple year levels, Lauren will be providing school-wide direction for:

• implementing a number of Victoria's Department of Education initiatives, including School Wide Positive Behaviour Support, High Impact Wellbeing Strategies and Respectful Relationships
• working with teachers to effectively embed social and emotional practices, strategies and skills throughout daily routines and schedules, including Berry Street Education Model, The Resilience Project and Zones of Regulation 
• facilitating staff coaching and professional development sessions to relay learnings from MHiPS training about mental health literacy and evidence-based practices and models that promote positive wellbeing and support the prevention of mental health concerns.

Further information about the MHiPS training program can be located via the following link: https://www.mhips.org.au/