mental health programs and services for educators in schools

headspace Schools & Communities provides a range of programs and services to schools and universities across Australia to equip young people and those who support them to manage their individual and collective wellbeing.

Responding to suicide and critical incidents
Find programs for Australian school communities affected by crisis.
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Programs delivered to Students
Book student workshops or refer students to headspace mental health support programs.
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Training and support for educators
Access programs, resources and workshops to help educators better support students.
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how headspace Schools & Communities can help

headspace Schools & Communities exists to help strengthen school communities to better support young people, create better conditions for their mental health, and ultimately lower the risk and impact of suicide. Our community program and services have a focus on:

1. Building mental health literacy and resilience - We deliver education and training programs for young people to provide practical strategies, skills, language and confidence to manage their mental health.

2. Increasing confidence and ability to seek help - We encourage help-seeking behaviours, generate awareness for available support services and connect help-seekers with those services.

3. Supporting response and recovery from critical events - We provide tailored advice to organisations to help respond to existing or emerging risks or recover from crises. This includes connecting individuals and organisations to available services and supports.

4. Working in partnership to create a more effective system - We collaborate with all parts of the system, including education, health, political and community sectors, to advocate for and create positive change.

 

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Responding to suicide and critical incidents

Communities can be rocked by disasters or critical incidents, which can have long-lasting effects on the mental wellbeing of young people and those around them. headspace exists to provide timely capability and support to communities so they can respond and recover from crisis situations.

 

Contact us for immediate assistance

If your school is currently responding to, or recovering from, a suicide or attempted suicide, please contact your Be You state or territory manager:

 

Programs and resources

 

For further information

If you’re looking for support on how to manage your school's response and recovery, please email: schools&communities@headspace.org.au

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Programs working with students

Young people who are navigating mental health challenges need assurance that they can, and should, seek help. We offer free workshops and resources through our work with schools that can directly aid students in seeking help or further information. 

Programs 

  • Mental Health Education Program -  Free mental health education workshops to secondary school students, and their parents/carers across Australia. Contact MHEP@headspace.org.au for more information. 
  • Regional Phone Counselling Service (Telecounselling) - Provides students with access to digital mental health services via credentialed clinicians during school hours. This is available in select schools across VIC/NSW.  

 

Other support services 

  • Online & Phone Support - headspace has a range of ways to support young people and family online or over the phone. 
  • headspace centres – in-person support for young people and family at headspace centres around Australia. 
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Training and support for educators

Schools and universities play an important role in supporting the mental health needs of young people and their families. We support educators with tools to have important conversations, by building their mental health knowledge, skills and capacity.

Programs

  • Be You - the mental health in education initiative delivered by Beyond Blue in collaboration with Early Childhood Australia and headspace. Be You provides Australian educators with knowledge, tools, and resources to create positive, inclusive, and responsive learning communities. 
  • Professional development programs - SAFEMinds: In Practice, Suicide Risk Continuum Training, and STORM® (Skills-based Training on Suicide Risk Management) aim to develop staff skills to support young people and their mental health and wellbeing in Victoria (SAFEMinds is also available in QLD). 
  • Student Support Services Wellbeing Program – provides support specifically for Student Support Service (SSS) Officers who work with school communities in Victoria in the area of mental health. The program utilises strategies such as facilitated reflective practice and psychoeducation to assist with stress management and self-care, to support and maintain mental health and improve overall wellbeing for SSS staff.  
  • University Support Program – Provides training and education opportunities to Australian universities to build their capacity and confidence to engage in conversations about mental health and wellbeing, and offers suicide postvention response and support.  
  • NSW Response and Recovery Program - guides communities through short-, medium-, and longer-term recovery initiatives and practices in the aftermath of natural disasters, suicide risk, and other large-scale impacts. This work is in alignment with national and internal recovery frameworks, focusing on community engagement, capacity building, and connection. If your community requires support, reach out at nswresponseandrecovery@headspace.org.au 

 

Resources and campaigns