Updated mental health program prompts food for thought

SEVERAL new programs have been added to the State Government’s two-hundred-million-dollar Schools Mental Health Menu, the Minister for Education has announced.

The Menu is designed for schools to select evidence-based programs, support staff and resources and book trusted services in areas such as social and emotional learning, mental health literacy and eating disorders.

It was established in 2022 in response to the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, which found that schools can play a critical role in identifying student mental health and wellbeing challenges.

The updated Menu now includes 59 evidence-based programs and initiatives, supporting schools to meet their students’ mental health and wellbeing needs with special consideration given to initiatives servicing rural and regional areas.

Minister for Education Ben Carroll said the revised Menu will help to make sure every Victorian child has the support they need to thrive at school, without the added expense for families.

“Not only are we putting thousands of mental health workers and leaders in every Victorian school, we’re also making sure kids have access to a full suite of mental health tools right through their time at school,” he said.

Minister for Mental Health Ingrid Stitt said every young Victorian deserves the mental health support they need to grow and learn to the best of their ability.

“Providing these programs in schools is about early intervention in an environment where students feel most comfortable,” she said.

Browse or search the full Mental Health Menu on the Schools Vic website.