Teen Mental Health
First Aid (TMHFA) is an evidenced-based program that increases mental health
literacy.
The intention of the program is to reduce mental health stigma, increase help-seeking behaviour
and increase the capacity of young people to support their peers to find help
for mental-health problems.
Outcomes
- Increase confidence to assist help a
peer with a mental health problem and seek appropriate support when
required.
- Reduce stigmatising attitudes towards mental
health.
- Promotes help-seeking behaviours.
- Increase capacity to identify and respond to
a mental health crisis
Description
Over three sessions, the MHFA course teaches participants
how to recognise changes in a friend's thinking, feelings or behaviour that
may indicate the presence of a mental health problem, how to offer initial
mental first aid support, and how to connect them with a trusted adult.
Target group
Students in years:
- 7 to 9 (Junior
Program)
- 10 to 12
(Senior Program)
Session details
-
Junior (Years 7-9): three 60-minute sessions, delivered one week
apart.
- Senior (Years 10-12): three 75-minute sessions, delivered one week
apart.
Prerequisites
- 10 percent staff at
school trained in Youth MHFA. This staff training is also offered free-of-charge by the Youth Team at City of Greater Geelong. Find out more about YMHFA.
- Youth MHFA
trained staff identifiable by students (via classroom posters or page on intranet).
- Pre-session
delivered prior to course delivery.
- Teen MHFA
program information sent to parents.
Delivery requirements
- Program to be delivered to regular class
sizes (28 students maximum)
- All classes in a year level required to complete
program over the course of the year.
- Data
projector/TV screen and sound/audio equipment.
- Teaching/support
staff present for all sessions, preferably Youth MHFA trained.
Evaluation
Facilitated by our Youth staff at conclusion of session three, via paper based questionnaire.
Linked programs
Additional Course information can be found at Teen Mental Health First Aid.
Bookings
In preparation for 2025, we have identified a list of priority schools for our youth community development programs and the team is in the process of contacting them. The priority schools have been identified using the City of Greater Geelong’s Social Equity Framework (viewable here) and / or where they have had little to no engagement with our team over the past three years. Our aim is to ensure we are working equitably across The City to deliver high quality health and well-being programs to young people at schools that have previously not had access to our services.
Once we have assessed demand for our programs from our priority schools and inline with our capacity, we encourage expression of interests from additional schools for our programs.
Please email [email protected] to enquire about our programs. We will endeavour to have all our programs filled by early term 1 2025.