Act for Kids Victorian Centre reopens
After shifting its integrated therapy to telehealth during the coronavirus-induced lockdowns, Act for Kids has reopened its Victorian centre in Broadmeadows and launched a mums and bubs program. During last year’s lockdown, specialist psychologists, occupational and speech therapists delivered more than 600 virtual therapy sessions, meaning vulnerable children impacted by neglect and abuse continued to receive help.
AIEF Mentor Program launches for 2021
The 2021 Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF) Mentor Program is underway, with AIEF students and mentors across the country meeting via virtual events.
The AIEF Mentor Program pairs AIEF Scholarship Students with volunteer mentors from AIEF’s Partners, with the aim of creating structured and trusting relationships that will support students through their senior years at school and beyond.
Mentors support students by listening, providing advice and guidance, and by acting as a sounding board for ideas and problems. The events that take place each year are a great opportunity for student-mentor pairs to build rapport and trust, and continue to strengthen their mentoring relationships.
Tee Off For EB Charity Golf Day
Registrations are now open for the inaugural DEBRA Australia Tee Off For EB Charity Golf Day at Mona Vale Golf Course in Sydney. The day will be packed with competitions, a two course dinner, guest appearances from DEBRA ambassadors and an auction for all the players and guests. Supporters of this event will be helping to continue the support delivered to those impacted by EB and DEBRA Australia’s life changing programs.
Black Dog Institute offers tools to help cope with the continuing pandemic
While we have entered a new year, we continue to live in an ever-changing environment and planning for the future is uncertain than ever. With the initial ‘survival mode’ over, Black Dog Institute provides tools, articles and opportunities that can help you cope with the continuing pandemic in 2021.
ACMF launches music programs across seven new locations
The Australian Children’s Music Foundation (ACMF) announced new ACMF music programs across seven locations where the majority of the locations were heavily impacted by severe bushfires: Mogo, Captains Flat, La Perouse, Richmond, Porepunka, Omeo and Yipirinya. ACMF recognises that such devastation can have a severe emotional impact on children. ACMF’s music programs teach children how to play instruments, understand rhythm, learn to read sheet music, plus enjoy the creativity of songwriting workshops – giving them a much-needed outlet to express their emotions, and improve their mental health.
Orygen calls for national vocation service support rollout
Orygen has called for an Australia-wide rollout of the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) vocational service model for young people experiencing mental ill-health. The IPS model integrates vocational support with clinical mental health care to focus specifically on supporting engagement or retention in education and employment for people experiencing mental ill-health. The Australian Government, prompted by Orygen policy advice, has funded trials of IPS in headspace centres over the past two years, with 50 centres now funded to provide IPS.
Diabetes NSW’s DiaBuddies Days and live cooking show
Diabetes NSW held its first DiaBuddies event with nine families joining Diabetes NSW & ACT and Diabetes Queensland health professionals and coordinators from the Diabetes in Schools program. Families asked about their experiences and traded tips for communicating with school staff, fostering good relationships and staying flexible with managing type 1 diabetes at school. Diabetes NSW recently hosted its first children’s event – a ‘live cooking show’ with 23 participating children, a record-breaking event for online attendance.
Youth Focus’ the Ride
In less than four weeks, 136 riders in 27 sponsored teams will participate in Youth Focus’ the Ride – an annual charity event to raise funds and awareness for Youth Focus. Departing Albany on Tuesday 23 March, three pelotons will cycle 700 kilometres to Perth via three different routes. The Ride will engage with more than 3,500 students at 19 schools along the way to educate and build important mental health awareness.
Happy 30th Birthday to Kids Helpline
On March 25 Kids Helpline will be celebrating its 30th Birthday. Since 1991, Australia’s kids and young people have been turning to our professional, specialised counsellors, no matter who they are, where they live or what they want to talk about.
To help celebrate 30 years of Kids Helpline, journalist and writer Shannon Molloy shared how Kids Helpline helped him get through some tough times in the late 1990s.
“The old orange phone box around the corner from my house first became a refuge and safe haven for me when I was about 11-years-old back in the late 1990s.
The aftermath of my parents’ messy separation, the uncertainty of life at a new school, the creeping realisation that I was very different to the other boys, their noticing and disliking that difference… it weighed on me like a stone and I was struggling to cope. But I was terrified to talk to anyone about the turmoil that was raging inside of me.
That is, except for whoever answered the phone at Kids Helpline. I would call whenever I was sad or scared or felt crippled by anxiety. Sometimes I would phone just to have a chat if I was lonely. Every single time, the caring, kind and patient person on the other end provided me the reassurance I needed to push on and the confidence that I could do it. Whatever that it was.
Bullies. Abuse. Self-loathing. Fear. Kids Helpline helped adolescent me navigate some of the most challenging scenarios and I’m eternally grateful that they were there. And I’m grateful they’re still there for young people today.”
