A new approach to mental health in education

From August 2018, beyondblue will lead a new National Education Initiative with the aim of transforming Australia's approach to child and youth mental health care, by providing a single end-to-end school-based mental health framework.

This comprehensive initiative will cover the continuum from early childhood to secondary school and will support mental health promotion and suicide prevention in older children.

Currently in the development and design phase, beyondblue says the new initiative will be available free to all early learning services and primary and secondary schools from August 2018.

Beyondblue Chair Julia Gillard says the ground-breaking project offers Australia the opportunity to build the most mentally healthy generation of young people we have ever seen.

"Knowing we have secured funding to 2021 will give early learning services and schools the confidence to invest time and effort in taking action to build and improve the mental health and wellbeing of their students.

"And we know when children and young people are mentally healthy they do better at school.

"The beyondblue National Education Initiative will support busy early learning services and schools to set kids up to thrive and provide a how-to guide and easy access to training, lesson content and services. We want educators to know what to look out for when kids start to struggle and where to turn for help, and how to look after their own mental health," said Ms Gillard.

In addition to beyondblue, this initiative is supported by headspace and Early Childhood Australia and is being funded by the Australian Government Department of Health.

According to beyondblue the new initiative will integrate and build on the strengths and evidence-based principles of key existing Commonwealth Government mental health initiatives currently being delivered in education settings.

These initiatives are:

• Response Ability (pre-service training in University and VET settings)
• KidsMatter Early Childhood
• KidsMatter Primary
• MindMatters
• headspace school support (post suicide support to secondary schools)

Beyond blue has assured providers there will be a seamless handover and KidsMatter Early Childhood, KidsMatter Primary and MindMatters will continue to be available in their current form until the new initiative launches in August 2018.

Learn more and request updates here.