Mental health and wellbeing program announced to bolster disaster resilience in regions youth

A $10 million mental health and wellbeing program including counselling and a host of activities has been launched to bolster disaster resilience for Northern Rivers youth. Here is the latest.

Play therapist Lisa Wilson, Jack the Flood Puppet, and Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt at the launch of the government's $10 million Resilient Kids program.

A three-stream $10m program aimed at supporting the health and wellbeing of Northern Rivers youth in the aftermath of the 2022 floods was announced in Lismore on Friday.

Funded via the National Emergency Management Agency, the program was co-designed by Healthy North Coast with children, young people, schools, families, and service providers from across the Northern Rivers.

Resilient Kids will be delivered in three streams:

1. Education and skill building through school-based supports

2. Community resilience building delivered from local hubs, with outreach to smaller communities

3. Indigenous children and young people initiatives

(Back row) Social Futures CEO Tony Davies, Family Centre CEO David Boutkan, Human Nature Therapy's Sharyn White, Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg, Trinity College 2022 Captain Daniel Pereira, (front row) Jack the Puppet, play therapist Lisa Wilson, Uncle Reg, Lismore MP Janelle Saffin, Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt and Healthy North Coast CEO Monica Wheeler.

Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt said the program will help families access long-term, positive programs that addresses the mental wellness challenges from disasters and build resilience.

Social Futures will join forces with Healthy North Coast, The Family Centre and Human Nature Therapy to deliver stream 1 which focuses on school-based programs including disaster resilience and social and emotional wellbeing education, plus parent and carer support.

Stream 2 includes counselling services for children, young people and their families, peer-to-peer supports, group supports, referrals to other mental health and wellbeing services.

Collaboration with Northern Rivers Aboriginal Medical Services will deliver activities and services via stream 3.

From left: Play therapist Lisa Wilson, Jack the Flood Puppet, Senator Murray Watt, Healthy North Coast CEO Monica Wheeler, and Social Futures CEO Tony Davies.

Trinity College 2022 Captain Daniel Pereira said during the disaster he saw first hand the fallout and ongoing struggles many students, staff, parents and the community are still having.

“While physical destruction is visible, what is incredibly hard to gauge is how someone’s mental health is,” Mr Pereira said.

He said someone who is always smiling might just be “good at being brave” yet he insisted it’s “okay to not be okay” and let others know how you’re feeling.

“Resilient Kids will provide an opportunity for people to be more open about their struggles, and not just emerging mental health situations but pre-existing or unaddressed issues,” he said.

“It’s also important to recognise that mental health struggles can emerge, weeks, months, or years later from an event, so to have Resilient Kids will be really helpful.”