Students in Queensland will soon benefit from an initiative that's successfully helping their interstate peers address mental health challenges and boost wellbeing.
A pilot of the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) initiative will be rolled out in Mount Isa after receiving funding from the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation. All government primary schools and a high school in Mount Isa have agreed to participate in co-designing workshops, tailoring the project to the local context.
MHiPS, launched in Victoria in 2020, was developed by Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI) in collaboration with the University of Melbourne and in partnership with the Victorian Department of Education. It also received philanthropic support.
The initiative embeds a mental health and wellbeing leader within schools to strengthen their capacity and capability to respond to mental health challenges among students while connecting families to additional education, social and health services. By 2026, every government and low-fee non-government primary school in Victoria will have access to MHiPS.
MCRI Professor Frank Oberklaid, who welcomed the expansion, said the initiative would make a great difference to students in Mount Isa who may not have the same access to support services as their urban classmates.
Image: Professor Frank Oberklaid
"Schools are a community hub, especially in rural and regional areas where healthcare access can often be an issue," he said.
"This adapted pilot will help build the capacity of schools in Mount Isa to better support student and staff wellbeing as well as provide clear pathways for young people that may require additional referrals or services.
"Feedback from the project rolled out in Victoria has been overwhelmingly positive and has assisted students who may otherwise have slipped through the cracks."
The MHiPS team will collaborate with the Queensland Department of Education and work alongside the University of Queensland's Brain Institute.
