Tuesday Morning Keynote Session
| Tuesday, March 29, 2022 |
| 8:15 AM - 9:49 AM |
Overview
Keynote 2 - The BackTrack Story - Communities Driving Solutions: A Wholistic Approach to Mental Health
8:15am - 8:45am
Mr Bernie Shakeshaft, Founder, BackTrack
Keynote 3 - Supporting Schools who are Experiencing Suicide Risk, Attempts and Suicide
8:47am - 9:17am
Ms Kristen Douglas, National Manager & Head of Headspace Schools, Headspace
Keynote 4 - Overview of the Cascading Impacts of COVID-19
9:19am - 9:49am
Ms Kathryn Mandla, Head of Advocacy and Research, yourtown
Speaker
Ms Kristen Douglas
National Manager + Head of Headspace Schools
Headspace
Tuesday Morning Keynote Session
Abstract
headspace Schools have been working across the country for the past 10 years supporting Australian schools across the spectrum of mental health literacy, suicide prevention, risk management, and recovery. This keynote will highlight the work and learnings we have gathered over this time, with a focus on how schools can be supported to optimise the mental health and wellbeing of all their students, as well as the educators themselves and the broader community. Kristen will discuss the importance of a whole schools approach, as well as the role and processes educators and administrators have in preparing for, and responding to risk in their school communities, including an understanding of the role of prevention versus postvention. Key facets of postvention work such understanding and mapping exposure, responding to risk of suicide transmission as well as how to mitigate against the risk of suicide clusters forming will also be covered.
Key learnings
• The importance of whole school approach in promoting student wellbeing
• Role of educators and administrators in preparing for and responding to suicide risk, attempts and suicide impacting schools
• Understanding of key components of suicide prevention and postvention work
Key learnings
• The importance of whole school approach in promoting student wellbeing
• Role of educators and administrators in preparing for and responding to suicide risk, attempts and suicide impacting schools
• Understanding of key components of suicide prevention and postvention work
Biography
Kristen Douglas has a Bachelor & Master of Education and over 27 years’ experience in the education, health, mental health, suicide, not for profit, and government sectors. Kristen has held several roles such as educator, Principal, Adolescent Forensic Health Manager (Royal Children’s Hospital), National Mental Health Manager, and roles within state government.
Kristen has significantly contributed to the synergy between education and mental health in Australia. From guiding government policy to leading transformational change and national reform. Kristen has led many national and state initiatives in the critical areas of whole school approach, youth mental health, principal leader mental health and wellbeing, and leading teams through complex environments like COVID. Kristen has authored several national resources and frameworks and specialises in the impact of suicide, complex events, trauma, and natural disasters on schools and communities and how they respond and recover.
As National Manager & Head of headspace Schools, Kristen continues to lead a large multi-disciplinary national team of mental health and education professionals to support primary and secondary schools across Australia from promotion, prevention, early intervention, intervention, to postvention.
She is a highly respected and sought presenter nationally and internationally on the topics of educational leadership, health and wellbeing, suicide, mental health, critical incident response and recovery, and other related topics.
Kristen is also currently a member of the Sydney Myer Foundation and proud member of School Council at Princess Hill Primary School. Kristen was very proud to be awarded a Victorian Leadership Award in 2021 –Through ACEL (Australian Counsel Educational Leadership).
Kathryn Mandla
Head of Advocacy and Research
Yourtown
Tuesday Morning Keynote Session
Abstract
Kids Helpline is Australia’s only national 24/7 helpline for children and young people aged from five to 25 years. It is the safety net for Australia’s mental health system for children and young people. In the years of the Covid 19 pandemic, Kids Helpline has seen seismic shifts in trends and patterns of help seeking by children and young people unlike any seen before in its 30 year history. In 2021, we saw 2.76 million unique visitors to the Kids Helpline website and responded to over 177,000 children and young people who contacted Kids Helpline via phone, webchat or email. In particular, the complexity and severity of issues that children and young people are presenting with is changing. Some of these shifts can be attributed to changes at an individual level, but systemic changes, particularly in relation to mental health services, are also having a significant impact on Kids Helpline service demand. When there is pressure on the face-to-face mental health system for children and young people, Kids Helpline provides an early warning of potential system failure. This often places significant strain on our safety net and compromises our ability to catch children and young people before they fall into crisis.
Generations Z and Alpha, have their own unique preferences and expectations for help seeking, particularly in relation to their mental health and emotional wellbeing. Much can be learned from listening to their views and lived experience to create more responsive services.
This presentation will explore changes in young people’s help seeking behavior and what young people are telling us about their help seeking preferences and expectations of our services. It is timely to revisit our traditional models of mental health service delivery and assess the extent to which they are relevant to today’s children and young people.
Key messages:
Kids Helpline is the national mental health safety net for Australia’s children and young people.
Virtual mental health services for children and young people are a core part of the contemporary mental health service system.
There is a misalignment between what children and young people want in the mental health service system and what we are providing.
It is time to listen, learn and become more customer-centric to better service the needs of today’s children and young people.
Generations Z and Alpha, have their own unique preferences and expectations for help seeking, particularly in relation to their mental health and emotional wellbeing. Much can be learned from listening to their views and lived experience to create more responsive services.
This presentation will explore changes in young people’s help seeking behavior and what young people are telling us about their help seeking preferences and expectations of our services. It is timely to revisit our traditional models of mental health service delivery and assess the extent to which they are relevant to today’s children and young people.
Key messages:
Kids Helpline is the national mental health safety net for Australia’s children and young people.
Virtual mental health services for children and young people are a core part of the contemporary mental health service system.
There is a misalignment between what children and young people want in the mental health service system and what we are providing.
It is time to listen, learn and become more customer-centric to better service the needs of today’s children and young people.
Biography
Kathryn Mandla is the Head of Advocacy and Research with yourtown where she leads the advocacy, data analytics, evaluation and research functions.
Prior to working with yourtown, Kathryn was the inaugural Head of the National Office for Child Safety in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the Chair of the OECD Working Party on Social Policy from 2016-2019. She has also worked as a senior executive in the Australian Government’s Department of Social Services in various roles responsible for children, family, housing and homelessness policies, international relations, performance management, evaluation and research.
Kathryn also worked for the Queensland Government as a senior executive responsible for child protection policy and programs, and headed up the Office for Women.
She holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland.
Mr Bernie Shakeshaft
Founder
BackTrack Youth Works
Tuesday Morning Keynote Session
Abstract
BackTrack is an award winning, independent, community-based organisation, based in Armidale NSW, supporting youth at risk to stay alive, out of jail and chase their hopes and dreams. Established in 2006, BackTrack uses a range of principles, techniques and approaches to support some of the most marginalised young people in our community.
Activities and strategies to improve and maintain mental health are embedded in all aspects of the work we do with young people. BackTrack involves all parts of the community in supporting young people who need a hand. In building genuine long term relationships between young people doing it tough and others in their community who can help – the benefits flow both ways.
BackTrack’s programs draw on the wisdom of First Nations communities with belonging, mastery, independence and generosity at the core of all we do. Above all, we focus on the future – “80% out in front” - and hang in for the long term doing whatever it takes for as long as it takes. This approach to mental health and wellbeing benefits not just the young people we work with but the whole community of course… including our pack of 40 dogs.
We see every day what a difference it can make in a young persons life if we step up and support them – and the amazing two way street for others who gain so much from being part of the solution.
Activities and strategies to improve and maintain mental health are embedded in all aspects of the work we do with young people. BackTrack involves all parts of the community in supporting young people who need a hand. In building genuine long term relationships between young people doing it tough and others in their community who can help – the benefits flow both ways.
BackTrack’s programs draw on the wisdom of First Nations communities with belonging, mastery, independence and generosity at the core of all we do. Above all, we focus on the future – “80% out in front” - and hang in for the long term doing whatever it takes for as long as it takes. This approach to mental health and wellbeing benefits not just the young people we work with but the whole community of course… including our pack of 40 dogs.
We see every day what a difference it can make in a young persons life if we step up and support them – and the amazing two way street for others who gain so much from being part of the solution.
Biography
Bernie Shakeshaft is the Founder and a Director of BackTrack. With 25+ years of youth work experience under his belt, he believes that young people are the most accurate barometer of how we are faring as a nation. In the early days of his career, Bernie saw kids dropping out of school, getting into trouble and falling through the cracks of a system that couldn't meet their complex needs.
BackTrack was his solution. In 2006, Bernie founded the organisation with just a shed, a passionate crew of volunteers and a desire to make a real difference for young people doing it tough. Since then, BackTrack has gained national recognition for its holistic, flexible and long-term model and set a gold standard for youth work across the country. After holding the position of CEO for 15 years, Bernie continues to play an active role in setting the organisation's strategic direction in his capacity as founder, board director and member of the Executive team.
Bernie has been named Australian of the Year Local Hero (2020) and National Rural Health Alliance Unsung Hero (2019) and received the Spera Australian Rural Education Award (2018), the Australian Crime and Violence Prevention Award (2017), the Churchill Fellowship (2014) and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of New England (2020). He and BackTrack have also been the subject of the award-winning documentary 'Backtrack Boys' and biography 'Back on Track'.
