Student Wellbeing
Mental Health in Primary Schools Initiative (MHiPS) at St Joseph's School this year
As a part of the Bayside Peninsula Region, this year St Joseph's School has been provided funding and training with which to inmplement the Mental Health in Primary Schools Initiative, also known as MHiPS. It is complimentary towards the current Wellbeing and Social and Emotional Programs and strategies that we already have in place. Aligned to this, is my new role as Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader or MHWL, which is a two day per week position at the school, which previously consisted on one day per week in previous years as the Student Wellbeing Leader.
Brief overview of MHiPS and my new role as Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader (MHWL):
• MHiPS has expanded to all government and low-fee non-government primary schools across Victoria from 2023 to 2026 in recognition of the important role schools play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people and this year includes St Joseph's School, Sorrento.
• MHiPS provides primary schools funding for a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader (MHWL) – a Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) registered teacher – to promote a whole school approach to mental health andwellbeing.
• MHiPS builds on the successful pilot (2020 - 2022) with the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and University of Melbourne, Faculty of Education.
• MHWLs are supported by evidence-based training and professional development from the University ofMelbourne.
Here's a video of a case study of a school who have implemented MHiPS:
In essence, my role as Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader within the MHiPS Initiative is effectively to play a key role in :
- Strengthening the school’s capacity to support student mental health
Embedding a whole-school approach to wellbeing.
There are Seven Key Responsibilities of the MHWL, most of which have already been commenced across the past few years in my role as Student Wellbeing Leader, but will be continually reviewed, strengthened and improved upon with the new initiative. Although these responsibilities are consistent from school to school, in practice, these will vary between schools depending on their context, strengths, needs and existing wellbeing structures.
Take a look at these outlined in the infographic below:
Embedding a Whole-School Approach to Wellbeing at st Joseph's School
The components of embedding a whole-school approach to wellbeing across the school involve three areas, including Organisational, Relational and Pedagogical components.
Key Findings from the Mental Health in Primary Schools Initiative and the implementation of the Role of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader
Since its inception in 2020, the implementation of this initiative across Victorian schools has yielded impressive results. While current data at St Joseph’s indicates that student wellbeing remains consistently high, we are committed to continuous improvement. By integrating evidence-based strategies and refining our existing frameworks, we aim to further enhance mental health outcomes. This proactive approach at St Joseph's will hopefully not only foster a thriving school culture but also drives the academic excellence directly linked to student wellbeing.
Looking forward to a great Term 2 together!
Kind regards,
Jenny Todd
(Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader)