Boss Brain

Young people taking charge of their mental health

Connect Health & Community is committed to supporting the mental health of young people in our community. Our lead initiative to support this is Boss Brain run in conjunction with local mental health leaders, schools and supporters.

What is Boss Brain

Boss Brain is a unique peer-led initiative that aims to increase mental health literacy, help-seeking behaviours and reduce the stigma associated with mental illness among school communities.

Under the project, participating students undertake teen mental health first aid training, and design and deliver a mental health initiative for their school. Overall, the project is designed to build the capacity of young people to raise awareness of mental health among their peers.

Click here to read the article that appeared in the online Herald Sun/Leader newspapers.

View the Boss Brain Video Insights

Would you like to hear more about Boss Brain?

Email healthpromotion@connecthealth.org.au to find out more.

Pilot partners:

The Boss Brain pilot project was developed by Connect Health & Community in partnership with Headspace (Elsternwick/Bentleigh Branch), Bayside City Council, Glen Eira Council and Bayside Glen Eira Kingston Local Learning & Employment Network.

What have we achieved?

In 2020, we partnered with Brighton Secondary College. Under the initiative, 23 students were trained in teen mental health first aid and students created a mental health video featuring an interview with a mental health practitioner from Headspace. The video provided advice for students grappling with home learning, lockdowns and health and wellbeing impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

“All our Year 11s and 12s sat down at the same time and watched the video we made -this is  the first time anything like this has ever happened at our school. It sends a very clear message that this is something our school takes seriously, and it was an important step to raising the profile of mental health as an important issue to tackle together.”

– Argia, Year 12.

Brighton Secondary College video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siWNH-I2XKA​ 

Of the 250 students who watched the video, 239 completed an online survey, which found: 

• 73% had a better understanding of where to go for help for a mental health concern
• 66% had a better understanding of mental health and how to recognise the signs and symptoms of mental illness
• 52% were more likely to seek support for a mental health concern
• 55% were more comfortable to openly discuss their mental health.

Acknowledgment:

Connect Health & Community wishes to thank the Bendigo Bank Cluster of Bayside Branches for funding this initiative through its Community Grants program.