A video presented to staff and students at the Central Tafe Wellbeing Festival, Perth, Western Australia

1. Student Well-being @ Central
2014 Symposium
Presenters
Amy Jenkins (Community Mental Health Worker )
Meagan Shand (Manager Health Promotion & Community Development)
An initiative of www.ruah.com.au

2. What does wellbeing look and feel
like to you?

3. Discovery Tour
• 5 towns in regional
WA Dowerin,
Newdegate, Northam,
Narrogin, Katanning
• 18 Days
• 3000 KM’s
• At least 30 hours
driving time
• Talked to over 1000
people

5. Survey demographics
• 97 responses
• 72% female, 28% male
• 36% metro, 56% regional
• Key age groups: 41-60 (43%), 25-40 (27%)

6. Our Wellbeing
• When asked how would you rate your
wellbeing on a scale of one to ten, most
respondents (53%) rated their wellbeing as an
eight or higher. The average rating was 7.22.

7. Our Wellbeing
• People from regional areas were more likely to
rate their wellbeing as low
• Men were more likely to rate their wellbeing
as higher, making up 40% of respondents who
rated their wellbeing 8 or over.

8. Our Wellbeing
• When asked what wellbeing means to you,
the most common word cited was ‘health’,
mental, happy and balance.
• Body, mind and soul in a positive balance;
Feeling well, happy.

9. Our Wellbeing
• When asked what contributes to wellbeing the
response was broader, incorporating aspects
of family and social health and wellbeing:
family, friends, exercise, diet, relationships
and lifestyle.

10. Mental Health & Mental illness
• Sometimes they get confused.
• Mental health is a ‘positive sense of well-being’
• It is not the opposite of mental illness.
• Mental illness is a medically diagnosed disorder
or syndrome that significantly interferes with a
person’s thinking, emotions and interactions with
others; and causes major distress and disability.

11. There are 3 important things
1. Mental illness is like any other illness – the
symptoms can be managed.
2. Mental illness can be prevented- the
important thing is to ‘Get Help Early’.
3. Recovery from mental illness is possible –
with the right support and treatment most
people recover from mental illness.

12. 3 things you can do
1. Talk to someone you know and trust about your
mental health concerns; a family member,
friend, teacher, Ed support, chaplain or school
health nurse.
2. See a Doctor or GP. A GP can often offer you
support or refer you to other services.
3. Connect online or mobile to dedicated websites,
help lines and mobile apps. (see more resources
over page)

13. http://youtu.be/fb86u-3ag9g
Watch a Video – Clint

14. How to tell if you or a friend may not
be coping….
We all have good days and bad days.
However...
• Changes in mood, feelings, thinking or behaviour
• Thinking very negative, pessimistic thoughts
• Thinking about harming yourself
• Thinking and seeing bizarre things and
experiencing strange sensations
• Feeling tense, restless, irritable or quick to
become aggressive

15. How to tell if you or a friend may not
be coping….
• Feeling unable to cope, helpless or useless
• Isolating self from others, not wanting to go outside
• Increased risk taking/ dangerous behaviour (e.g.
alcohol or illicit drug use)
• Increase in emotional outbursts (e.g. crying, laughing
or yelling)
• Reduced energy levels and motivation to participate
in activities and interests
• Difficulty looking after personal appearance and
living environment

16. How to Help
• Approach the person, assess and assist with
any crisis
• Listen non-judgementally
• Give support and information
• Encourage the person to get appropriate
professional help
• Encourage other supports
Mental Health First Aid Manual (2010)

18. How to cope when stress becomes
distressing!
Wellbeing Safety Plan!
• A wellbeing safety plan is a list of activities that a
person can choose when feeling overwhelmed so
that they can avoid engaging in unsafe behaviour.
• Safety plans keep people safe by helping to regulate
emotions
• Covers physical, psychological, social and moral
domains

19. Creating Your Safety Plan
Step 1
• Identify which emotions are most difficult to
manage for you (Remember that there are
often other emotions underneath what looks
like anger; sadness, shame, frustration, etc.)

20. Creating Your Safety Plan
Step 2
• Identify what types of situations are likely to
trigger the emotion(s) you identified in step 1
(i.e.: being ignored, being asked to do more
than your share, etc).

21. Creating Your Safety Plan
Step 3
• Identify the signs that you or those around
you might notice when your emotions are
becoming overwhelming (i.e.: crying, pacing,
fidgeting, scribbling, etc).

22. Creating Your Safety Plan
Step 4
• Identify 5 things that you can do to help keep
yourself and those around you physically,
emotionally, socially safe.
• Transfer these 5 things to your safety plan
card, which you will use as a physical
reminder of coping skills that work for you in
challenging times.

23. Finding the Right Support
Family &
Friends
Recovery
Support
Peer
Support &
Self Help
Doctor or
GP
Clinical
Care
Specialist
Services
Community
Linking


24. Contacts
• For emergencies call Lifeline phone: 13 11 14
• Or eheadspace can help phone 1800 650 890
or visit www.eheadspace.org.au
• www.youthbeyondblue.com
• www.ourwellbeingwa.com.au
• Ruah Mental Health
www.ruah.com.au
Phone: 08 9485 3939
Email: mentalhealth@ruah.com.au