MHFA – From little things big things grow

Teen and Youth MHFA – Bengalla sponsorship and UH services support of vital mental health project for our community.

Where there’s a will works consistently to support our schools and community in the delivery of Positive education.

Positive education does not ignore or suggest that our young people will not experience difficult and painful times, it teaches them the skills they need to support and manage their mental health and wellbeing assisting them to make a successful transition into and maintain a healthy adult lifestyle.

In 2017 Where there’s a Will also embarked on a project for intervention and awareness that has seen over 2650 year eight students in the Upper Hunter trained in Teen Mental health first aid. This program is rolled out to over 400 students per year across our secondary schools.

This course equips and empowers our young people with the practical skills, knowledge, and confidence to recognise and respond to a friend or classmate experiencing a mental health problem or mental health crisis until a trusted and responsible adult can provide support.

Benalla Mine have sponsored Teen MHFA in this community for many years, allowing WTAW to continue to deliver.

2023 Samantha Cockerill, Scone High, teacher encouraged WTAW to look at a more sustainable model that will ensure this vital education is never let go here in the Upper Hunter.

 WTAW began discussions with our local community services and Bengalla around the possibility of training our local youth workers to train to become facilitators and deliver Teen MHFA in our schools as part of their existing roles within the community.

Mel Powell  Upper Hunter Youth Services and Carlie Brown Upper Hunter Community Services attended Teen facilitator training in May, Louise Newling and Joshua Hallet from Upper Hunter Shire Council will train in August this year, a vital project. This has all come about thanks to Benalla’s ongoing belief and commitment to community wellbeing.

This is an amazing achievement. The MHFA project is sustained in our community for years to come. It is also an amazing community spirit that sees us all holding hands for projects like this to be everlasting.

“What was a vision in the beginning, positive education in our schools for wellbeing language and skills and Mental health first aid for intervention and awareness has become the plan of so many in this community”. Our student leaders use and African proverb “Go fast go alone, go far go together”, this community is going far.

A huge thank you to Bengalla for the vision they shared with WTAW which has not only seen this project maintained for many years but has backed it to be sustained for years to come. A big shout out to our dedicated, hard-working youth and community service workers who will make this happen.