Advocacy by the Youth Advisory Council

Youth Advisory Council Annual Report 2023 (PDF 8MB)

Youth Advisory Council Annual Report 2021-2022 (PDF 5MB)

Youth Advisory Council Annual Report 2020-2021 (PDF 4MB)

Youth Advisory Council Annual Report 2019-2020 (PDF 246KB)

2023 Project: Student Voice Report

This year, the 2024 NSW Youth Advisory Council (YAC) advocacy project is focused on reducing the stigma of mental health and enhancing mental health education in schools.

The YAC heard from over 100 young people and collaborated with batyr’s National Youth Advisory Group, the NSW Ministry of Health Mental Health Youth Advisory Group, and the Department of Student Voices in Education and Schools (DOVES) Youth Advisory Group. Across their consultations, young people reported they do not think enough is being done in schools to help educate children and young people to have positive conversations about mental health.

Their recommendations aim to ensure all students, teachers and parents across NSW have access to consistent and comprehensive, evidence-based mental health education. And importantly, that children and young people who have experienced the stigma of mental health in their own lives, are included in decision making about mental health education.

2024 YAC members Ellen, Miranda and Sonja met with Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning, the Hon. Prue Car, MP, and Minister for Mental Health and Youth, the Hon. Rose Jackson, MLC, and the new NSW Mental Health Commissioner, Jennifer Black, to present their research and recommendations:

1. Fund and co-design (with young people and parents with lived expertise), a suite of evidence-based resources to educate parents and provide them with practical tools to support the mental wellbeing of their children when they start kindergarten and year 7.
2. Mandate Youth Mental Health First Aid Training as part of the curriculum of all teaching qualifications.
   1. Allocated assignments or tutorial lesson plans should be co-designed with young people and focus on building a teaching student’s skills to implement tailored approaches for students with diverse needs and backgrounds (for e.g., Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally and linguistically diverse, living with disability and LGBTQIA+).
3. Make Teen Mental Health First Aid Training a mandatory part of the PDHPE curriculum for years 7 students.
4. Explicit teaching of the spectrum of mental health experiences in age-appropriate ways should be mandated as part of the curriculum to increase awareness and destigmatise mental health experiences.
5. Fund the research and development of a peer-to-peer education and storytelling model to begin mental health awareness and education for year 5 – 8 students in an age appropriate and inclusive way.
6. Undertake a comprehensive mapping and review project to determine what evidence-based mental health education and programs are currently available and being delivered in schools.
   1. The project should measure the effectiveness of such education, including its ability to tailor its approaches and content for students with diverse needs and backgrounds (for e.g., Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, culturally and linguistically diverse, living with disability and LGBTQIA+), whether children and young people across NSW receive equal and consistent, quality mental health education in schools, and identify any gaps that exists.
   2. The project should include the establishment of a panel of students with lived experience and teachers, and a process to assess and review mental health programs, education and learning within schools to ensure what is being approved and implemented is effective, relevant, and reflective of children and young peoples identified needs in this space.
7. Department of Education to review and establish age-appropriate mechanisms and processes to seek feedback and input from children and young people and embed student voice, participation and leadership principles into curriculum review and co-design.

We are excited to see the impact of this work and look forward to a future where all children and young people can talk openly about their mental health and ask for support without fear of judgments or shame.