About 600 Year 10 students from the Peel region, from nine different schools, attended Mandurah Baptist College on Wednesday to hear from a former Fremantle Docker player about his struggle with mental health.
Heath Black shared his journey of mental health and recovery to the packed auditorium of secondary students, as part of GP down south’s 3 Tier Youth Mental Health Program launch.
Mental Health Minister Roger Cook said the State Government would provide $133,000 per year for three years to GP down south, to provide the 3 Tier Youth Mental Health Program.
The program raises awareness, provides school workshops about mental health and counselling sessions in the Peel area.
The program aims to increase awareness of mental health issues and opportunities for recovery, increase knowledge of coping strategies for specific mental health issues and improve access to appropriate, individual support to improve mental health and wellbeing.
One in four Australians aged 16 to 24 will experience a mental illness and in Western Australia, suicide is the main cause of preventable death for adolescents.
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Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Mental Health Alanna Clohesy said GP down south had been working on the program since 2014.
“Before the election we said we would look in to it and fund it if appropriate,” she said.
“They have worked really hard to get the evidence and information together about what works, so now we are launching it which is really exciting. We know seventy five percent of all mental illness occurs before you are 25, so it is important for young people to learn how to develop resilience and monitor their own health.”
GP down south chief executive officer Amanda Poller said young people can suffer in silence.
“This presentation is about trying to reduce the stigma and break down those barriers,” she said. “There is help out there and this is all about encouraging those help-seeking behaviours.”
She said she was always humbled to see so many students open up at the presentations about their own experiences. “There is always mental health experts at the events who make contact with people on the day,” she said. For support, call beyondblue on 1300 224 636 for free counselling.
