Synopsis
From 2021-2026, the Melbourne Children’s Campus Mental Health Strategy has lived and breathed the key message: “mental health is everyone’s business”.
A part of our mission was to change conversations across campus about mental health and wellbeing, drawing on all kinds of expertise. Whether it was researchers, educators, clinicians, support staff, or the voices of people with lived and living experience, including children, young people, and families.
The Strategy is now wrapping up, and we will reflect on the past five-plus years of work and showcase the tools you can use to help make mental health your business. This includes learning how to be more evidence- or trauma-informed with your care, building your mental health literacy, and looking after family wellbeing.
We will also look at what’s next for mental health across the campus beyond our Strategy, by identifying the opportunities in advancing this work of making mental health everyone’s business. Who is going to lead the future of campus mental health, and how can you equip yourself and your team to be a part of it?
Speakers
Dr Zeffie Poulakis is a clinical psychologist, Director of Psychology at the RCH, and is the Chair of the Campus Mental Health Strategy Steering Committee.
Dr Poulakis previously held clinical roles at the RCH Gender Service and Complex Movement Disorder Program and was the inaugural Director of the Victorian Infant Hearing Screening Program. She has an extensive research career with MCRI over three decades and holds an honorary appointment with the University of Melbourne.
Her work focuses on evidence-informed clinical practice and research that supports the learning, development, communication, and mental wellbeing of children and young people, particularly those experiencing marginalisation and disadvantage.
Belinda Horton is the Program Director of the Campus Mental Health Strategy and has led the team in developing and implementing Strategy initiatives across campus since its inception. As a mental health occupational therapist, Belinda has over three decades of experience working in mental health service delivery and organisational leadership. She currently also works in private practice in perinatal mental health.
Belinda has her own experiences as a carer for children who have received care at the RCH, and has supported the work of the Strategy’s Lived Experience Lead, Emily Unity, ensuring co-design was at the heart of all Strategy initiatives. Belinda has a vision for mental health being everyone’s business across campus and has valued the opportunity to be part of the Strategy’s legacy to enable this.