Schools offer a unique opportunity to both identify young people with mental health difficulties and work with them in the preventative, intervention and support space.
There is so much that can be done in schools so that we can STOP watching our students fall through the crack and we can start making a difference and changing the mental health statistics!
It is about creating a culture of wellbeing in our schools rather than just implementing a programme.
It is about adopting a process that is done effectively and sustainably and gets MAXIMUM buy-in from staff, students and parents.
It is about using consistent language and approaches across classrooms to ensure that we make a difference in every child’s life!
And it is about looking beyond our school walls to work with others to make a significant and long lasting difference in the space of mental health.

During this presentation I will:
# Outline the role schools have to play in youth mental health & why the role of educators is so important
# Identify what schools and educators can do to improve student mental health and wellbeing
# Outline some key strategies to utilise such as
- Student Engagement Plans
- Student voice
- A sense of belonging and connection
- Resilience
- Use of a planned approach rather than just a programme
- Strong student services model & connections to outside
services
# Explain the development of a Culture of Wellbeing in schools
# Talk about a model for looking beyond the school walls and considering a cross-sector approach to youth mental health and wellbeing