Youth Mental Health Summit

YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH SUMMIT

The aim is to reduce and ultimately prevent youth suicide, bullying by those not aware of the consequences of mental illness and it will help to remove the stigma of mental illness and create a supportive and inclusive community.

Up to 500 people attend the annual Youth Mental Health Summit, hosted by SWC’s community partners and expert presenters, it provides students and teachers with the skills, knowledge and resources to identify and minimise mental health issues. Schools create an Action Plan and set up Youth Action Groups within their schools to improve wellbeing at their school based on the concepts gained at the YMHS.

Healthy Minds, Healthy CommunityYouth Mental Health Summit

Youth Mental Health Summit 2018

2018 YMHS flyer

On the 30th May 2018, South West Connect in partnership with Fairfield and Liverpool Councils and Local Community organisations hosted the annual Youth Mental Health Summit at the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre.

Nearly 400 high school students and teachers from 20 schools in the Liverpool and Fairfield area engaged in keynote presentations and workshops delivered by batyr – a preventative mental health organisation for young people and Jonny Shannon – an inspiring motivational speaker addressing mental health, bullying and resilience. Students also participated in an expo with a range of local service providers to learn about mental health support programs, resilience tips and strategies to improve mental wellbeing.

The Youth Mental Health Summit used the Five Ways to Wellbeing as the theme for the day. At the Summit, Year 10 students from St Johns Park High School launched their innovative Five Ways to Wellbeing video production that they have been developing in their PDHPE classes over a school term with the help of the SWSLHD Mental Wellbeing Health Promotion Team. Students also received a showbag containing a range of resources, including a YMHS resource booklet containing a 5 Ways to Wellbeing reflection diary to keep track of what activities they did that are linked to the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

The collaboration to improve mental wellness in our school community continues throughout the year including a Post Summit Teacher’s Professional Development Day on the 20th June 2018.

Acknowledgement

SWC thanks all YMHS Partners, volunteers, exhibitors, schools and funding providers for their continued support of the annual YMHS.

A special thanks to the TAFE Diploma of Events Management students who completed their work practice with SWC for their valuable contribution leading up to and on the day of the Youth Mental Health Summit.

The partnership is an early intervention, proactive and preventative strategy to address the emergence and prevalence of Mental Health issues amongst young people before the problem escalates without support into adulthood. The aim is to reduce and ultimately prevent youth suicide, bullying by those not aware of the consequences of mental illness and it will help to remove the stigma of mental illness and create a supportive and inclusive community. Up to 500 people will attend the annual Youth Mental Health Summit, hosted by SWC’s community partners, it will provide students and teachers with the skills, knowledge and resources to identify mental health issues. Schools create an Action Plan and set up Youth Action Groups within their schools to improve wellbeing at their school based on the concepts gained at the YMHS.

Details about the 2017 YMHS event Details about the 2016 YMHS event