The Live4Life initiative commenced in 2009 in response to a reported increase in anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide amongst young people in the rural communities of the Macedon Ranges.
After eight years of implementation 14% the Macedon Ranges residents received mental health education through Live4Life. Mental health first aid training has greatly assisted in building local community resilience and cohesion, particularly in response to bushfire preparedness.
The Live4Life initiative aims to ensure that young people, teachers, parents and the wider community are better informed about mental ill health and are proactive in identifying the signs and symptoms of an emerging mental health issue before a crisis occurs.
The initiative has four essential components that have been designed, implemented and independently evaluated for over seven years in the Macedon Ranges Shire, in central Victoria. It is the combined delivery of these four essential components that is critical to local success and sustainability of the model. All elements are locally adaptable and flexible depending on the size and capacity of the local rural community.
The model focuses on ‘upstream’ approach to mental health education and suicide prevention in order to build resilient young people and communities. This is achieved by ‘wrapping’ protective factors around young people such as supportive relationships, support at critical times, positive help seeking attitudes, connection to family, school and community and positive
peer role models.
The components are:
1. School and Community Partnership Group
2. Evidence based suicide prevention and mental health education across all
secondary schools and community groups.
3. Implementation of local youth leadership and participation program
4. Coordination, support and mentoring by Youth Live4Life Inc. Staff
Live4Life Glenelg was launched in 2017. The model is delivered in partnership with the four secondary schools, South West Institute of TAFE and five community agencies; the lead agency is Glenelg Shire Council.
It is important for our shire to seek out regional responses to help meet the continued needs of our young people. Glenelg is an isolated and large shire. Location impacts heavily on supports that are available within the region with services often outreaching into the community. The little support that is currently available to our young people is oversubscribed and services are stretched. Schools and welfare services have identified that access to mental health practitioners is limited and young people who are vulnerable to disengaging may not receive the support they need.
‘Upstream’ models of education and prevention that focus on ‘wrapping’ protective factors around young people such as supportive relationships, support at critical times, positive help seeking attitudes, connection to family, school and community and positive peer role models, is an effective way of building resilient young people and communities.
For more information please contact Cathryn Walder on 55 222 137 or 0400 151 447 or email cwalder@glenelg.vic.gov.au
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