Brain Bloom

It is the result of a successful pilot program which commenced in 2020 at two local secondary schools. Here are some highlights from the pilot in 2021-22.

• 81% of students reporting an increase in their understanding of mental health
• 77% reporting an increase in their ability to recognise the signs and symptoms of mental illness
• 74% reported feeling more comfortable to talk openly about mental illness
• 81% reported that they were more likely to seek support for a mental health concern.

Feedback from participating students:

‘I like that we got to gain an understanding of something that is so important’

‘I was able to learn so much about mental health’

‘I liked that schools and teens have the opportunity to be open and talk about mental health. Getting the mental health certificate for Teen Mental Health First Aid was great’

‘I think it’s a great program that helps bring awareness and educate students and really gets them involved and thinking about their mental health and others’

The resulting Brain Bloom Practitioner Toolkit is designed to support and guide educators, youth workers or other practitioners working with young people, through the steps to implement and support this program.

It includes information on how to book and undertake mental health literacy training (e.g. Teen Mental Health First Aid) and then guide students to design, implement and evaluate their own projects.

Click on the image below to download the Toolkit as a PDF.

• Click here to download the Brain Bloom Practitioner Implementation Toolkit

 
Learn more about the project in our Media Release.