The Mental Health in Primary Schools funding boost will support 1800 Victorian primary schools to build their capacity in mental health.
The Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) project is making history. The project is set to receive $200 million in state funding to support 1800 Victorian primary schools to build their capacity in mental health. This is the largest amount of funding ever pledged for student mental health in Australia.
The funding boost was announced on June 21, 2022, by the Andrews Labor Government. The funding will enable MHiPS, initially piloted in 100 schools with success, to scale to every government and low-fee non-government primary school in the state. The scale-up will occur from 2023-2026.
The announcement reported that The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System helped to raise awareness of the role schools can play in supporting children’s mental health.
“The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System highlighted that schools play an important role in identifying children with mental health and wellbeing challenges who can then be referred to treatment, care and support if needed.”
The MHiPS model helps to build primary school teachers’ confidence and skills in identifying children with mental health concerns and helps establish clear pathways for children who need referrals for assessment, intervention, monitoring and evaluation.
Feedback from the MHiPS pilot suggests that more than 95% of leaders believe the MHiPS model improved their school’s capacity to support student’s mental health.
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