Central Coast Council is launching a new online series to help young people ‘help a mate’ with their mental health.
The Help A Mate series of online workshops and video based sessions is designed to explore youth mental health and to provide practical tips on coping with stressful life events.
The series kicks off on July 15 with an online session from the Black Dog Institute that will cover typical life events such as school or work transitions and exam pressures, along with the added stress of living through a global pandemic.
Council’s Director Connected Communities, Julie Vaughan, said the program was informed by young residents who indicated in feedback to the Coast’s Youth Strategy that their mental health and the mental health of their friends was one of their top priorities.
“With the help of Council’s Youth Action Team, Y4Y, we’re providing ways that young people can identify when they or a friend are at risk of experiencing poor mental health and giving practical tools to cope with stressful circumstances and build resilience,” Vaughan said.
“We’ve enlisted the expertise of one of Australia’s most respected mental health organisations, the Black Dog Institute, to talk about teens and young people and their mental health,” she added.
Help A Mate will run four other sessions after its launch activity with the full program available on council’s website.
Each session is suitable for young people, carers, parents and teachers, but bookings are essential for each session.
Source:
Press release, Jul 10
Central Coast Council Media