This article provides an overview of a new schoolbased mental health initiative currently being trialed in 101 primary schools in Australia. KidsMatter: the Australian Primary School Mental Health Initiative is a population model for supporting student mental health and well-being. Using a whole-school implementation model, it provides schools with a framework, a guided process and key resources to develop and implement a co-ordinated set of mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention (PPEI) strategies for the specific mental health and well-being needs of their students. Through KidsMatter primary schools are engaged in building their capacities for PPEI by promoting a positive school community, teaching social and emotional skills, providing parenting support and education, and facilitating early intervention for students experiencing mental health difficulties. The article describes the rationale and theoretical underpinnings of KidsMatter, outlines key features of the framework, implementation process and resources, and concludes with an overview of the major goals of the trial and the anticipated learning from the evaluation.
While social-emotional learning programmes in schools often have positive outcomes, many such initiatives are not well implemented and maintained. This paper reports on teacher reflections on the process of planning and implementing a whole school social-emotional learning (SEL) programme with a conflict resolution focus, called Enhancing Relationships in School Communities (ERIS). Ten primary schools participated in an 18-month professional development programme offered by the researchers to assist schools to develop a whole school approach to handling interpersonal issues using a cooperative problem-solving approach. Implementation (core) teams of three to five members, including principal or assistant principal and relevant teachers, attended workshops and managed the change process. In individual interviews, 29 core team members described the most significant changes that had taken place, what factors facilitated those changes and what assisted in overcoming barriers. A synthesised model of facilitators of implementation was developed on the basis of these interviews. The major components of the model included ensuring a whole school vision and process; pre-programme engagement confirming commitment and alignment of researcher and teachers' visions; facilitative programme structure and processes such as linking the current programme to existing programmes and processes in the school; leadership and support for staff in the change process, for example, through the implementation team; the nature of the programme content; and monitoring and feedback processes to sustain motivation and inform on needs and outcomes.
This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Confident Kids Program, as a separate component of the multi-group Exploring Together Program (ETP). Confident Kids aims to reduce children's behavioural and emotional difficulties through a group program for primary school children that meets once weekly for 10 weeks. This report presents an analysis of pre-post data collected from 39 parents whose children attended the Confident Kids programs and 48 teachers in the state of Victoria. Following the program, significant improvements were noted in parent reports of children's internalising and externalising difficulties, levels of parenting satisfaction and parenting styles. Teachers also reported a significant improvement in children's internalising behaviour from pre-to post-program. The benefits of offering both multi-group and single component interventions in school and community settings are also discussed.
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