Recommendation 17

Supporting social and emotional wellbeing in schools

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Status: Delivered

What the Royal Commission said

The Royal Commission recognised that education settings are a key place where mental health and wellbeing can be supported and promoted. It found that the highest unmet need in education is in primary and secondary schools.

The Royal Commission called for a Schools Mental Health Fund to be developed. The Fund would allow Victorian Government schools to purchase items from an evidence-based “Menu”. All initiatives in the Menu aim to support students’ mental health and wellbeing.

What we’ve achieved

Schools Mental Health Fund and Menu

  • The Victorian government has invested $217.8 million over four years with $87 million ongoing to create the Schools Mental Health Fund.
  • This will allow Victorian Government schools to purchase items from an evidence-based “Menu”. The Menu <https://www.schools.vic.gov.au/schools-mental-health-menu-search&gt; helps schools choose from a range of evidence-based programs and initiatives that:
    • Promote student mental health and wellbeing
    • Enable schools to intervene early to support students
    • Provide targeted and more individualised support for students who need it.
    • The Menu is a publicly available resource (including Catholic and independent schools). It helps all school sectors understand which programs and resources are proven to support student mental health and wellbeing.
    • The Menu was developed in close partnership with the Schools Mental Health Reform Reference Group, which includes teachers and mental health experts, ensuring it reflects real school needs and best practice.

Mental Health in Primary Schools

  • The Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) program provides funding to schools to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader (MHWL). MHWLs help lead a whole-school approach to supporting student mental health and wellbeing.
  • The Department of Education worked with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) and the University of Melbourne to pilot MHiPS in Victorian schools between 2020 to 2022.
  • The Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative has been rolled out to more than 1,000 schools, enabling the employment of Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders and strengthening whole-school approaches to student wellbeing.
  • More than 95 per cent of participants involved in MHiPS agreed the MHWL model has increased schools’ ability to support student mental health and wellbeing.

Updated

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