Teaching sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

10 minutes

Explore: We all have mental health

40 minutes

Discover: Help seeking

15 minutes

Thrive: My support system

Explore: We all have mental health

Step 1

Watch the video:

We All Have Mental Health (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxIDKZHW3-E)

then encourage students to pair up and discuss what they noticed about Sasha’s and Andre’s stories.

Use the following questions to prompt discussion:

What helped when Sasha experienced some challenges?
What helped when Andre experienced some challenges?
Why is our mental health as important as our physical health?
Do we sometimes treat our mental health as less important?
Why can this be dangerous?

Provide the following explanation to assist their thinking:

Recognising when you need help is the first step to getting better. So how do you know when you need it? Perhaps you’ve noticed an increase in negative thoughts, anxiety or worry you can’t seem to shake, or maybe you’re low in mood, energy and motivation. Once you’ve acknowledged you’re feeling off or not okay, it’s important to realise you’re not alone and that there are support services that can help you feel better.

Discover: Help seeking

Step 1

Watch the video:

Contacting Kids Helpline (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuI3oux8w5M)

then facilitate a class discussion to explore key concepts.

Use the following questions to prompt discussion:

What was the main message in the video?
Why do you think Kids Helpline would be a good option if you were in need?
How could you encourage a friend to use Kids Helpline if you think they need it?

Step 2

In pairs, give students 5-10 minutes to research other services they can access outside of Kids Helpline. Encourage them to share their answers as a class and explore some of the websites together.

Examples:

Explain that some services, such as Kids Helpline, offer immediate support and can be accessed via phone call, text-based chat or email. Whereas other services, such as Bite Back (Black Dog Institute), offer tools and resources to build your mental health fitness.

Step 3

Display the scenarios on slide 1 of Help Seeking Activities and ask pairs to pick 1 they’d like to focus on. Advise they have up to 20 minutes to conduct online research and practise their role-plays before presenting them to the class.

Step 4

Have students present their roleplays to the class and facilitate a class discussion to promote the act of help-seeking.
Use the following questions to prompt discussion:
What have you learned from participating in this exercise?
Has this exercise changed the way you view support services? How so?
Based on these roleplays and research, which service would you like to turn to if you need support?
What other support systems do you have in your life?

Teacher note: If time permits, run an extended session and invite the school counsellor, guidance officer or nurse to speak about support services available to students at the school.

Thrive: My support system

Step 1

Pose the question, “Why might it be challenging to ask for help sometimes?” and brainstorm ideas as a class. For each idea, ask for suggestions on how students could overcome the challenge or barrier that stops them from asking for help.

Examples:

Stigma: It is a strength to ask for help, not a weakness.
Fear of judgement: There are people who want to support you, and asking for help is a brave thing to do.

Step 2

Each student will create a Time to Talk card. Display the Time to Talk example graphic on slide 2 of Help Seeking Activities. This card will be a tool to remind students where to turn to in times of need. Students should include at least 2 organisations and phone numbers on their cards.

Examples:

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (open 24/7)
Life Line 13 11 14
Go for a run or listen to some music
School Counsellor
Talk to my friend Millie
Ask Mum to make an appointment with my doctor
Remember to focus on your breathing

Once they’ve been created, they could be laminated for students to keep in their wallet or phone case for when they need it.

Step 3

Wrap up the lesson by having a discussion with students about their most significant learnings.

Provide the following to assist their thinking:

It is great that we now have a tool to refer to if we need additional support. Remember that this tool isn’t just for you; just like in the role-play scenarios, this card could also be used to provide suggestions for support for a friend or family member as well.

Self: Seeking Help for Our Wellbeing

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Summary

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