Bayside Teen Mental Health First Aid Project

The Rotary Clubs of Hampton and Brighton North are the joint organisers of the Bayside Teen Mental Health First Aid project. This project delivers the Teen Mental Health First Aid training course to high school students in Years 9 and 10 at Bayside’s secondary colleges.

The course, developed by Mental Health First Aid Australia, teaches students about the signs and symptoms of mental health problems that may be experienced by young people. It also teaches the participants how they can support a friend who may be encountering a mental health problem. 
Over the past year, the project has delivered this specialised mental health training to 515 high school students in Bayside. They are now introducing the training to more schools in the area.  Their target is to have trained 700 students in Bayside by the end of the year. So far, the Teen Mental Health First Aid course has been delivered to Year 10 students at Sandringham College and Year 9 students at Brighton Secondary College.

“The course, developed by Mental Health First Aid Australia, teaches students about the signs and symptoms of mental health problems that may be experienced by young people.”

As part of the clubs’ commitment to support the local secondary school communities with mental health training, they also provide specialist training to teachers and school staff, which enables them to support students at their colleges. The two-day training course is also developed by Mental Health First Aid Australia. Adults working or living with adolescents learn how to assist those who are developing a mental health problem or are in a mental health crisis. A recent course was presented to teachers and wellbeing staff from four local secondary colleges. 

This is an exciting and effective project, and the two Rotary clubs are very grateful for the support from Mental Health First Aid Australia, Bayside City Council and The Rotary Foundation, as well as the secondary colleges in Bayside. All these organisations are helping to support young people in the local area with their mental health.