Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS)

The role of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader (MHWL) is to build the capability of the whole school with regard to mental health and wellbeing (identification, promotion and prevention), provide support to staff to better identify and support students with mental health needs, establish clear pathways for referral for students requiring assessment and intervention, and monitor and evaluate student progress. 

By embedding wellbeing practices across everyday teaching and learning, the role contributes to a positive, inclusive school culture, reduces pressure on classroom teachers and school leaders, and supports improved engagement and learning outcomes.

At Boroondara Park Primary School, we prioritise social and emotional wellbeing through our safe and supportive learning environment, evidence-based strategies, our curriculum programs, and whole-school community engagement. To support this, we have been implementing the Visible Wellbeing Framework to oversee our wellbeing programs.

Visible Wellbeing Framework​

Visible Wellbeing (VWB) is a whole school approach to wellbeing, combining the science of wellbeing with the science of learning to achieve the three key goals of:

• Helping students and staff to more clearly see their own and others’ wellbeing using VWB practices,
• Helping students and staff more systematically build wellbeing using the SEARCH framework, and,

• Facilitating learning through the Visible Wellbeing Classroom process.

   

Visible Wellbeing creates a unified and consistent approach to wellbeing across the whole school community. Designed by internationally recognised psychologist, Lea Waters AM, PhD, Visible Wellbeing combines the science of wellbeing with the science of learning. The outcome is the build our capacity as a staff to implement wellbeing practices into daily life at school.

The whole-school program trains staff in a wellbeing framework, language and practices that can be embedded in the classroom. The purpose is to empower staff with a comprehensive framework, language, and practices to foster wellbeing within the classroom environment. 

The program is underpinned by an evidence-based framework called SEARCH. This framework covers 6 pathways to wellbeing:

• Strengths
• Emotional
• Management
• Attention and
• Awareness
• Relationships
• Coping

• Habits and Goals.

   

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the wellbeing programs and initiatives that we have at Boroondara Park Primary School.

Kind regards,

Kristen Schultz

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader and Learning Specialist - Wellbeing