Youth Mental Health Champions

A new initiative to help young people in the Bayside and Glen Eira areas to access mental health services when they need them.

Mental health and young people

One in four young people aged 16-24 will suffer mental illness, making it the number one health issue for young Australians (Department of Health, 2017).  Mental illness impacts on quality of life and overall health and wellbeing, however few seek help or feel comfortable talking to friends and family about it. There is a need to destigmatise mental illness and support young people to start a dialogue about mental health.  

What is the Youth Mental Health Champions Project?

The Youth Mental Health Champions Project  aims to raise awareness among young people of the signs and symptoms of mental illness and where to seek information and support. Our Youth Mental Health Champions will receive training in Youth Mental Health First Aid. Their mission will be to educate their local community on mental illness. 

Led by Connect Health & Community, the project is a joint initiative of Bayside City Council Youth Services, Glen Eira City Council Youth Services, Headspace Elsternwick and the Bayside Glen Eira Kingston Local Learning and Employment Network.

The project is co-funded by the Bendigo Bank Bayside Cluster and DHHS. 

If you would like to learn more, contact the Health Promotion team at Connect Health & Community on (03) 9575 5333 or via email healthpromotion@connecthealth.org.au