Secondary students from 16 schools across the Central Coast region will attend the first Student Mental Health Forum on Wednesday, May 6, organised by headspace Gosford and Children and Young People’s Mental Health.
The Mental Health Forum will be held at The Hub, Erina Fair, with around 130 Year 8 and 9 students expected to attend. The Forum will help students understand how to reduce mental health stigma and learn ways to raise awareness of the issue.They will also hear how other schools promote good mental health, as well as come up with their own ideas and initiatives.
The event features interactive workshops, drumming activities by InRhythm and Mind Blank forum theatre; guest speakers such as Dannielle Miller (CEO of Enlighten Education, author and media commentator on issues affecting teenagers); and presentations by clinicians from headspace and Children and Young Peoples’ Mental Health. Headspace Gosford manager Helen Isenhour said students will workshop ideas on how to implement mental health projects in their school community and teachers will also attend sessions on classroom strategies for anxiety, mindfulness, self-harm and diversity.
“This forum will be invaluable for our Central Coast young people because it will ignite conversations around positive mental health, relationships and wellbeing,” Ms Isenhour said. “Sometimes mental health can be a taboo topic for students but this forum will help broaden their understanding and encourage young people to talk to their friends and ask the question “are you ok?” “We want to ensure 12 to 25-year-olds are able to identify the early signs of mental health problems and know where to seek help locally.”
A committee consisting of School Link, headspace Gosford, Children and Young People’s Mental Health, Department of Education and Communities, St Edwards College and Gosford City Council has helped plan the event over the past 10 months. The organisers intend on the event being a bi-annual occurrence.
Media release,
30 Apr 2015 Sharna Ryan,
Central Coast Local Health District