Presentation by Phoebe Joyce, from Mentally Healthy WA - Helping school communities to be well and stay well. Presented at the Western Australian Mental Health Conference 2019.
3. Risk factors
• Social isolation
• Excessive use of drugs or alcohol
• Life crisis/trauma
• Discrimination
• Lack of control
• Lack of meaning and purpose
4. Protective factors
• Good social network
• Being physically active
• Control over your life
• Keeping an active mind
• Belonging to a community group
• Recognition for achievements
• Having meaning and purpose
6. Be active in as many ways as
you can:
physically, socially, mentally,
spiritually …
Do something
7. Belong - join in community
activities, get together with
friends or family, join a sports,
arts or recreational group, a car
club, a choir, a book club, …
Do something
with someone
8. Commit - Set goals and take on
challenges, learn a new skill,
help others, support a good
cause, volunteer…
Do something
meaningful
9. Act-Belong-Commit in the School setting
Learning new things, being physically active, lunch-time clubs, whole school events that
promote a sense of belonging, giving back to the community, being socially active,
becoming a student leader, joining a school committee…
There are many opportunities in the school setting to embed Act-Belong-Commit within.
12. Curriculum, Teaching and Learning (classroom)
Lesson guides linking Act-Belong-Commit
to the curriculum:
- Health and Physical Education
- Health Studies
- English
- Science
Other in class resources available:
- Factsheets
- Interactive classroom activities (Mood Diary,
Chatterbox etc.)
- Weekly Planner
- Mindful colouring
13. Environment, Ethos and Organisation
This may include:
- School mental health policy templates
- Posters to display around the school
- Signage to loan
- Merchandise
- Articles to include in newsletters
- Link existing activities and events to
Act-Belong-Commit message
- ‘Act-Belong-Committee’
14. Partnerships and Services
This may include:
- Message promotion at whole school
events
- Act-Belong-Commit awards at assembly
- Logo used in email signature, yearly
planner and on school website
- Linking with Act-Belong-Commit on
social media
- Media release templates and shared
promotion of school events
- Encouraging parents to volunteer at
school events for own mental health
and wellbeing
- Backed by state-wide campaign
16. • 30% of students surveyed (over 15,000 young people) had done or tried to
do something for their mental health as a result of Act-Belong-Commit in
their school
• 37% of students changed they way they think about mental health
• 24% reported talking about mental health with their friends
Student Impact
17. • Nearly half (43%) of staff surveyed had done or tried to do something for their
mental health as a result of Act-Belong-Commit in their school
• 43% of staff changed they way they think about mental health
• 45% reported talking about mental health with other school staff
Staff Impact
18. What does this mean?
• Increased mental health literacy in
these groups
• Staff are role models for their
students
• Increased openness = increased
early help seeking, and hence the
prevention of more serious disorders
19. Mental stress claims by Australian educators
are among the highest of any profession
Risk Factors:
- workload,
- challenging workplace
environments and
relationships,
- expectations from the
community, both locally
and more broadly.
Protective Factors:
- connectedness with
children and young
people and colleagues,
- feeling supported by
colleagues,
- receiving recognition for
work.
20. What makes you feel connected and energised might make
your colleague feel exhausted. Part of self-care is finding
out what works for you. You probably already have a few
‘go-to’ activities to help you relax (for some people, a cup of
tea and a book might do the trick; for others, the only way
to unwind is by hitting the gym to work off stress).
21. Additional Information
• actbelongcommit.org.au
• Brain Ambulance (brainambulance.com.au)
• Youth Mental Health First Aid
• Be You (beyou.edu.au)
• Heads Up (headsup.org.au)
• WA Health Promoting Schools Association (wahpsa.org.au)
22. Contact and Acknowledgements
Phoebe Joyce
Health Promotion Coordinator (Schools)
Act-Belong-Commit Campaign
Mentally Healthy WA
P: (08) 9266 1873
E: phoebe.joyce@curtin.edu.au
W: actbelongcommit.org.au