School-Link Illawarra Shoalhaven 2016

Mental Health CampaignsStudent Driven Campaigns

Mental health issues are a leading impediment to success among students. Treatment is effective and available yet because of a lack of knowledge and unnecessary shame surrounding these issues, mental health is not discussed and too many students are suffering in silence.

Mental Health Campaigns

The Issue: Mental Illness in SchoolsOne in seven of Australians aged 4-17 have mental health problems

But only one in four young persons with mental health problems receive professional help

What is Mental Illness?A mental illness is a health problem that significantly affects how a person thinks, behaves and interacts with other people. Some of the main types of mental illness are:

anxiety depression schizophrenia personality disorders eating disorders

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Mental Health CampaignsStudent Driven Campaigns

Mental health issues are a leading impediment to success among students. Treatment is effective and available yet because of a lack of knowledge and unnecessary shame surrounding these issues, mental health is not discussed and too many students are suffering in silence.

Mental Health Campaigns

Resources: Know the facts to help a friend and save a lifeFinding out more information about depression, anxiety and other mental health issues might help students better understand what someone is going through. Check out some of the factsheets at:

- www.reachout.com.au

- www.mindhealthconnect.org.au

- www.headspace.org.au

- www.beyondblue.com.au

- www.blackdoginstitute.org.au

Why run a mental health campaign? Decrease stigma and increase awareness and knowledge of mental health issues amongst students

Promote ways to improve coping strategies and resilience

Enable and empower students to look out for each other and take action

Encourage students to use mental health services

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Mental Health Campaigns

How do I get started?1. What would you like to do?

a. Is there a certain area of mental health you want to focus on? What change to you want to achieve?b. Do you want to fundraise for a registered charity or for your school?c. The big idea, what is it that will engage people, raise awareness and start conversations?

2. Who can be there to help?a. Talk to the School Counsellor, Year Coordinator or Principal, get them excited about your ideab. Involve other students, talk to as many people or groups as you can.

3. What do you need to get started?a. Resources, what is available at school for you to use? Are there people outside of school who can be approached to help?b. Plan your time, set a realistic timeframe in which to plan and conduct your event.

4. How will you get your message out there?a. How will you promote your campaign; posters and flyers, school assemblies, school newsletter or website, social media?b. Keep all messages positive, focus on the good you are trying to achieve.

5. Celebrating your resultsa. Now it is time to check the results of your campaign, have you gotten the feedback and results you expected?b. Always know that there is room for change and improvement for both short-term and long-term goals. c. Remember to thank people for their supporting your campaign.

Stuck for ideas?3

Mental Health CampaignsLook below for ten different campaigns

1/ Depression Awareness Campaign for Teens in Schools

Erika’s Lighthouse is an American not-for-profit dedicated to educating and raising awareness about adolescent depression, encouraging good mental health and breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

This site contains allot of ideas and information on depression for teens and schools.

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Mental Health Campaignswww.erikaslighthouse.org/depression-awareness-campaign-for-teens-schools

2/ The Mindzone Project

The Mindzone Project aims to increase the understanding of mental health and mental ill-health amongst school students, and in turn, contribute to their capacity to look after their own wellbeing, seek help early and address any difficulties that arise in their school years.

This project places quality mental health and wellbeing resources in a designated ‘Mindzone Space’ within school libraries. The Mindzone resource will provide students with accurate and balanced information about mental health and ill-health at hand that they can access anonymously.

The Mindzone Project has both primary and secondary school booklists.

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Mental Health Campaigns

For further information and a full list of Mindzone books contact The Illawarra Shoalhaven School-Link Coordinator on: david.bunder@sesiahs.health.nsw.gov.au

3/Operation Blue Card

The Blue Cards are an initiative of the Shoalhaven Suicide Prevention and Awareness Network (SSPAN). The ‘Blue Card’ can reduce the difficulties young people may have when they are struggling to ask for help. Asking for help can be the first step to recovery and future resilience.

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Mental Health Campaigns

Check out SSPAN’s website for details on how to order and use the Blue Cards.

www.sspan.org.au/suicide-prevention/blue-card

4/Mindblank Theatre

Mind Blank promotes a better understanding of mental health problems in the wider community and support education using theatre as a medium to discuss mental health and well-being in a safe, informative and entertainment manner. Audience members will walk away

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Mental Health Campaignsfrom a Mind Blank experience with an understanding of the symptoms of specific mental health issue, positive help-seeking strategies and methods to prevent harm during a time of need.

See more at: www.mindblank.org.au

5/ Out of the Shadows

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Mental Health CampaignsYou can make a difference by participating in Lifeline’s Out of the Shadows - national suicide prevention walks held to coincide with World Suicide Prevention Day, September 10 every year. Walk to raise awareness, remember those lost to suicide and unite in a commitment to prevent further deaths by suicide. Get involved by joining a walk or organising a walk in your local community.

Encourage your friends, family and colleagues to participate in Out of the Shadows Talk about Out of the Shadows on Social Media Place posters and flyers in your local community business windows Contact your local media and request they promote Out of the Shadows advertisements Contact your local media outlets (newspapers, TV and radio stations) and ask them to promote Out of the Shadows. Here is a

handy media kit providing tips and guidance about how to approach the media.

Look up: www.outofthes hadow s.org.au/home for more details.

6/ Stress Down Day

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Mental Health CampaignsStress Down Day is Lifeline’s annual fundraising campaign held in July. People are encouraged to participate in a stress reducing, fun activities and then make a donation to Lifeline. It’s easy to get involved and all funds raised support Lifeline’s 13 11 14 crisis support service.Our top 10 Stress Down activities: Look up http://stressdown.gofundraise.com.au for more information1. Host your own morning teaHost a morning tea at school or for your friends. Include a donation upon entry into morning tea and also set up donation boxes for people to contribute as they enjoy the treats! Include some games like 'guess how many lollies in the jar' and people can pay a gold coin donation to guess. You can add in some little quirks like if anyone mentions school during morning tea they have to donate a gold coin!2. Worst dad joke competition We have all heard them, it’s now time to share them with everyone and see how funny you really are. Set up a 'worst dad joke' competition and charge a gold coin entry fee and get the crowd to judge who has the best (or worst) joke. 3. Trivia competition Take 15 minutes out of your busy day to do a trivia challenge. Most local papers have daily trivia questions and for every question you get right participants donate a gold coin and for every question you get wrong you can up the ante! This is a great way to laugh with your friends and test your knowledge.4. Paper plane throwing contest Have a paper plane throwing contest. Get participants to make a donation upon entry and furthest plane wins a prize!5. Fashion parade - best or worst stress down outfit Stress Down Day's aim is to have fun and laugh! What better way to do this then dressing up or dressing down! Hold a fashion parade for the best and worst stress down outfits. This could be your PJs, slippers, fancy dress or your favourite characters - just don’t forget to laugh! And if you don’t dress up or stress down you have to make a donation to the host.6. Dare your teachers to dress up as a superhero for the day - see how much your team mates will help you raise to get your teacher dressed upGet all your friends on board and challenge your teachers on Stress Down Day! Get everyone involved and raise as much as you can to see them strut their stuff as a superhero. The more money you raise the longer they have to stay dressed up!7. Lunch time soup kitchenWhat better way to warm up and stress less with some homemade soup! Get some volunteers at your school to make big pots of soup and at lunch time host a soup kitchen! People can bring their own coffee mugs and charge $5 a cup or $10 a bowl. Add in little quirks like if someone mentions school during lunch they have to donate a gold coin!8. YogaDo you know someone who teaches yoga and could spare their lunch time for one day to help a national charity? Get everyone relaxed for the rest of the day by hosting a yoga class! Participants can feel good and help raise funds for Lifeline while stretching out.9. Hand and neck massagesSet up a massage station and recruit some helpers and do hand and neck massages during the day! Charge people for 5, 10 or 15 minute massages and watch as everyone stresses less and feels better by helping raise funds for Lifeline.10. Lifeline wants to hear how you like to stress less and laugh more. Email your tips to stressdownday@lifeline.org.au

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Mental Health Campaigns

7/ Mental Health Month NSW

WayAhead - Mental Health Association NSW (WayAhead) hosts Mental Health Month — a month of awareness, education and public engagement.

Mental Health Month NSW is part of a national mental health promotion campaign held throughout October each year. The timing of the campaign centres on World Mental Health Day, which happens each year on October 10.

The 2016 theme is yet to be announced, keep an eye on their website for updates.

The Mental Health Month website http://mentalhealthmonth.org.au features the registered events being run across NSW each October. These range from wellness walks to art exhibitions, film festivals to fairs. There is something for everyone, but some target at risk population groups such as LGBTI, CALD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse), youth and Aboriginal communities. These events create supportive environments running activities that are both educational and entertaining.

Campaign materials such as banners posters and postcards can be ordered through the website.

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Mental Health CampaignsThe public is encouraged to get involved this October and attend one of many events hosted around Sydney and regional NSW. Together we aim to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, support those who experience, and emphasize the importance of mental health in the everyday lives of all of us.

8/ Help Hats Help Heads

Hat Day is an initiative of Australian Rotary Health, one of the largest not-for-profit funders of mental health research in Australia.

Hat Day is a national fundraising and awareness day to shine a light on mental health research in Australia and aims to raise money for mental health research, people affected by depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, anorexia and other serious mental illness conditions.

Hat Day occurs each year on World Mental Health Day - the second Friday in October (October 14, 2016).

Look up http://hatday.com.au/about-us for ideas on activity ideas, promotional materials and an online guide to everything you need to know about hosting Hat Day.

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Mental Health Campaigns

9/ RU OK Day

R U OK? is a not-for-profit organisation, whose vision is a world where we’re all connected and are protected from suicide. Their mission is to encourage and equip everyone to regularly and meaningfully ask “are you ok?” 

Suicide is the leading cause of death for Australians under the age of 44 years with more than 2,300 Australians taking their own life every year. (ABS 2012)

R U OK? aims to build the awareness and capacity of all Australians to have regular, meaningful conversations with family, friends and community members to prevent suicide.

Since its launch in 2009, R U OK? Day has become a household name; known by an estimated 65% of Australians in 2012, with more than half of those, or 1 in 3 people getting involved in the national campaign on the second Thursday of September (September 8th 2016).

With your help in raising additional funds, R U OK? will have more capacity to reach more Australians and help inspire regular, meaningful conversations every day of the year, and ultimately change, and even save lives.

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Mental Health Campaigns

Look up https://ruok.org.au for more information, resources and ideas.

10/ Student Minds

Student Minds is a student mental health charity from the UK. They believe that peer support can change the state of student mental health. Their vision is for students to take action to foster an environment where everyone has the confidence to talk and listen to each other, the skills to support one another and the knowledge to look after their own mental health.

Some ideas from Student Minds:

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Mental Health Campaigns

Check out their website for more:

www.studentminds.org.uk/campaigns.html

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