Balancing Approaches to Balancing Approaches to Mental Health Promotion in Mental Health Promotion in

Canterbury Schools.Canterbury Schools. A Collaborative A Collaborative

PresentationPresentationCiarán FoxCiarán Fox

Mental Health Promoter - Mentally Healthy School Staffrooms. Mental Health Promoter - Mentally Healthy School Staffrooms. Mental Health FoundationMental Health Foundation

Lil ConveryLil ConveryMental Health Promoter - Education settings. Mental Health Promoter - Education settings.

Community and Public Health Community and Public Health

““Fear not those who argue but those who Fear not those who argue but those who dodge.”dodge.”

MARIE VON EBNER-ESCHENBACHMARIE VON EBNER-ESCHENBACH

““Truth springs from argument amongst Truth springs from argument amongst friends.”friends.”

DAVID HUMEDAVID HUME

Why Promote Mental Health in Why Promote Mental Health in Schools?Schools?

“… “… young people spend close to young people spend close to half their waking hours in school half their waking hours in school and inevitably the quality of and inevitably the quality of experiences with teachers and experiences with teachers and peers in that setting will affect peers in that setting will affect emotional wellbeing.” emotional wellbeing.”

Patton, 2000.Patton, 2000.

Settings-based Mental Health Settings-based Mental Health PromotionPromotion

Comprehensive coverage of issues Comprehensive coverage of issues Less overlaps Less overlaps Consistent messagesConsistent messagesLess demands on schoolsLess demands on schools

Best PracticeBest Practice

Works across the whole schoolWorks across the whole schoolStudents-staff partnerships drive Students-staff partnerships drive

actionactionMultiple coordinated intervention Multiple coordinated intervention

strategies strategies Wellness/strengths basedWellness/strengths basedAddresses school ethos and climateAddresses school ethos and climateLong term and sLong term and sustainableustainableEvaluation and regular review Evaluation and regular review

Health Promoting SchoolsHealth Promoting Schools

Priority schoolsPriority schoolsFinancial grant over 3 yearsFinancial grant over 3 yearsDiscussions and needs assessmentDiscussions and needs assessmentAction planningAction planning Implementation and evaluationImplementation and evaluation

HPSHPS

Shared values and vision Shared values and vision PolicyPolicyCurriculumCurriculumSocial environmentSocial environmentPhysical environmentPhysical environment

HPS FrameworkHPS Framework

Com m unity link sand partners hips

S c hool organiz at ionand ethos

Curric u lum teac hingand learning

HPS

Staff wellbeing: Staff wellbeing: Mentally Healthy School Mentally Healthy School

Staffrooms (MHSS)Staffrooms (MHSS)

Supporting schools to further enhance Supporting schools to further enhance mentally healthy environmentsmentally healthy environments

Information, guidance and web-based Information, guidance and web-based resourcesresources

Workshop-based facilitation of solutions for Workshop-based facilitation of solutions for a mentally healthy workplacea mentally healthy workplace

MHSSMHSS

Topics include:Topics include:what is mental wellbeing?what is mental wellbeing?building mentally healthy building mentally healthy

environments environments stress management/looking at stress management/looking at

solutions solutions communication and relating wellcommunication and relating well

MHSSMHSS

Interventions:Interventions:telephone consultations telephone consultations informationinformationresourcesresourcesworkshops address sustainable workshops address sustainable

change with staff and management change with staff and management

Whole school Whole school

mental health mental health promotion?promotion?

Advantages of CollaborationAdvantages of Collaboration

Benefits each organisation AND Benefits each organisation AND schoolsschools

Cover gaps in service deliveryCover gaps in service deliveryConsistent integrated messagesConsistent integrated messagesSingle point of entry for schools Single point of entry for schools Sharing information, experience, Sharing information, experience,

resources and networksresources and networks

HPS and MHSS Collaborative HPS and MHSS Collaborative ValuesValues

Trust and transparencyTrust and transparencyShared goals and a shared visionShared goals and a shared vision Information sharing Information sharing Equal partnershipEqual partnershipClear roles and responsibilitiesClear roles and responsibilities