Award winning youth mental health program inducts a new group of leaders for 2023

Students from across the Glenelg Shire have been inducted as the next wave of youth mental health leaders.

Live4Life Glenelg recently inducted 41 new and ongoing crew members, made up of year 9 and year 10 students from across Casterton, Heywood and Portland, to continue on the initiative’s award-winning success in the south-west region.

The induction days were held over two separate days, in Casterton and one in Portland, to accommodate for each of the schools involved

The sessions provided crew members with a hands-on insight into the year ahead, with team building exercises, planning activities and an overview of Live4Life.

Live4Life Glenelg Crew Support Worker Jesse Beavis said the new crew members would play a critical role in the Live4Life model.

“Young people from Years 9 and 10 are given the opportunity to become leaders in their local area, and to advocate for mental health support and education. It is evident that young people want to hear from their peers about mental health, which is why the crew is so vital to Live4Life’s success in the community,” she said.

“It was fantastic to see an overwhelming number of applications from young people wishing to join the crew for 2023. As a result, we’ve got strong numbers across all of our communities in Casterton, Heywood and Portland, and plenty of enthusiasm from the crew for the year ahead.

“Crew members will gain valuable knowledge and skills to help them feel more confident in their role as Mental Health Ambassadors. They will champion positive mental health promotion, organise events, as well as building their own public speaking and communication skills.

“We are so proud of our local crew and we look forward to introducing our new crews to the community, with an official launch event planned for May.”

Live4Life is an award winning mental health education and youth suicide prevention model designed specifically for rural and regional communities.

Since its implementation in the Glenelg Shire in 2017 more than 230 young people have participated as crew members and more than 1,900 young people and 300 adults have received mental health training. For more information, visit www.live4life.org.au/our-communities/glenelg