Wellbeing Report

This term some of the teaching and wellbeing staff have been trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid. This has allowed us to roll out the “Tuning into Teens Mental First Aid” session on Tuesdays, this is a three-week program. Young people will learn how to turn to each when they are upset or stressed, supporting one another, and taking on a heavy load of their friend’s mental health. This program is designed to support students to recognise and assist their friends with mental health problems and outlines how to get appropriate support from an adult. Information has been provided to parents and students around the topics discussed to ensure all students are aware of what support they need for the session and taking timeouts when necessary.

Session 1 has concluded; this was an introductory session which supported the students to discuss mental health problems in general. Creating a safe space for our students Further exploring how common and debilitating it is for young people. Students are further exposed to other support services and professional help they can receive. There is an emphasis on recognising one’s own safety support network and what other support options are available to explore.

Session 2 has also concluded; there was a strong emphasis on supporting a friend who is in crisis and what that means. Some strong topics discussed were suicide, engaging in non-suicidal self-injury, using alcohol or other drugs, or experiencing bullying or abuse. The Action Plan was implemented, and workshops conducted on how to implement it in a crisis. The action Plan (‘Look, Ask, Listen, Help Your Friend’).

Session 3 concluded on Tuesday 5th September; this was the final session and students spent time reflecting and discussing how to assist someone who seems to be developing a mental health problem. It’s not about labelling problems, it’s about giving students the tools to support their friends and encourage adult support.

Every student w issued a resource guide from Mental Health First Aid Australia – Teen Mental Health First Aid for Senior Secondary Students to keep and use when needing more information. Support lines and services are made aware to all students to ensure that they always have a support.