Ballarat's young people are more equipped than ever with mental health knowledge as the award-winning Live4Life program embarks on another year in Ballarat.
Returning for its third year, the program will involve at least 11 schools and approximately 2000 students in 2025, as they partake in crucial evidence-based teen mental health education.
Live4Life is the only evidence-based mental health education and youth suicide prevention model designed specifically for rural and regional communities.
Live4Life Ballarat was established in 2023 in response to a reported increase from schools and agencies in young people experiencing depression, anxiety, cyber bullying and self-harm which has led to the need for a coordinated response to address our young people's mental health.
On Thursday May 1 the 2025 Live4Life Ballarat Crew group were officially inducted and recognised as mental health ambassadors for the year ahead.
The Crew is made up of current Year 9 and 10 students from local secondary schools who have chosen to become mental health leaders and advocates after undertaking Teen Mental Health First Aid training as Year 8 students in 2023 and/or 2024.
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves said the program had already made an overwhelmingly positive impact on the health and wellbeing of Ballarat's young people and that she looked forward to seeing it evolve.
"By the end of 2025, it is anticipated that 5,000 young people will have received Teen Mental Health First Aid training in Ballarat in the three years that Live4Life has been running, that is quite incredible," she said.
"The young people that have stepped up to become Live4Life Crew members are taking on a truly worthy cause and I congratulate them for their commitment towards improving mental health among their peers."
Ballarat City Council formally adopted the City of Ballarat Youth Profile 2024 earlier this year, which shows that mental health remains the number one chronic health condition for young people across Ballarat.
A Future Forward Youth Forum was also held at Ballarat Town Hall in March, in which mental health emerged as one of the key themes.
