A RURAL youth mental health program is set to be delivered in the region for the first time, with eight secondary schools taking part.<\/p>\n
Ballarat is set to be the 10th major location and the first regional Victorian city to offer the program called Live4Life.<\/p>\n
The organisation\u2019s CEO Bernard Galbally said the city will be their largest location to run the program in.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s incredible to see the way this community wants to change the narrative around mental health and wellbeing and suicide prevention,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s being led by the City of Ballarat, and they have just done an incredible job. Already we\u2019ve trained over 110 adults within the Ballarat community.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve had 20 community members put up their hand and want to be trained as mental health first aid instructors delivering mental health first aid courses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Live4Life was first established in 2010 in the Macedon Ranges and was introduced to other regions following the launch of Youth Live4Life in 2015.<\/p>\n
The program will initially be delivered to year 8 students at Phoenix P-12 Community College, Ballarat High School, Ballarat Clarendon College, Damascus College, Woodmans Hill Secondary College, Ballarat Christian College, Mount Clear College, and Mount Rowan Secondary College.<\/p>\n
City of Ballarat mayor Cr Des Hudson is one of the volunteers who\u2019ll be helping deliver the program, and said its servicing a need in the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cOver the last few years, we\u2019ve had five young people from our school community who\u2019ve chosen to die by suicide which is where the conversation started from,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201c[It\u2019s about] letting young people know that there are opportunities for them to reach out, that it\u2019s ok not to be ok.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe model of Live4Life for a size of Ballarat is around $1 million.\u201d<\/p>\n
The four delivery modes include mental health education, partnerships with schools and community organisations, mentor support, and participation and leadership engagement with young people.<\/p>\n
The roll-out is expected to begin from term two onwards for a five-year period with potential to expand to other year levels and schools.<\/p>\n