Mental Health Fund and Menu

1. Schools Mental Health Fund and Menu background and objectives

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System was undertaken between 2019 to 2021 and highlighted the important role of education settings in promoting positive mental health and wellbeing.

The Royal Commission recommended that the Victorian Government:

• funds evidence-informed initiatives, including anti-stigma and anti-bullying programs, to assist schools in supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing
• develops a digital platform that contains a validated list of these initiatives
• develops a fund, modelled on School Readiness Funding for kindergartens, to support schools, with priority given to those in rural and regional areas, to select the most appropriate suite of initiatives for them.

The government accepted all recommendations of the Royal Commission and the 2021–22 Victorian State Budget provided $200 million over 4 years and $86 million ongoing to create the new Schools Mental Health Fund (the Fund). Underpinning the Fund is an evidence-based Schools Mental Health Menu (the Menu), which aims to give schools the confidence to select, purchase and implement mental health and wellbeing programs that best meet the needs of their students, and to connect with specialist services where required.

The role of schools in supporting mental health and wellbeing

The Victorian Government is committed to improving student outcomes across our state. By focusing on wellbeing alongside learning, schools will support the ongoing development of children and young people, supporting them to thrive, contribute and respond positively to challenges and opportunities in life.

For most people, mental health issues emerge when they are young. Half of all mental disorders emerge by the time people are 14 years old and three quarters by 25 years old – the same period when most people are in education. Schools play a key role in providing a positive and inclusive learning environment for all students and equipping young people with wellbeing skills and capabilities to support their learning and wellbeing.

We know that:

• a student’s ability to learn is influenced by their wellbeing and a student's wellbeing is influenced by their engagement in learning
• schools provide positive and nurturing environments for students to develop a sense of belonging, the ability to develop positive and respectful relationships and communicate and collaborate effectively, the capacity to regulate their emotions and a positive regard for their physical health and safety
• by building high resilience, schools equip students with the skills and capabilities they need to tackle current and future challenges to their wellbeing and mental health
• schools play an important role in identifying signs of mental health issues, providing early support, and referring students to health services.

Schools Mental Health Fund and Menu objectives

The Schools Mental Health Menu (the Menu) is designed to give schools confidence to make informed choices on how to spend their funding on programs and interventions that meet their students’ mental health and wellbeing needs. The Menu and supporting resources enable school leaders to better understand their school’s mental health and wellbeing needs and to identify appropriate interventions to improve student health and wellbeing outcomes.

The Schools Mental Health Fund (the Fund) and Menu build on an existing suite of health and wellbeing programs and interventions in schools including:

• Doctors in secondary schools
• headspace counselling for secondary students
• Mental Health in Schools
• Mental Health in Primary Schools
• Primary Welfare Officers
• Mental Health Practitioners in Secondary Schools
• Victorian School Nursing Program
• Behaviour – Students
• Student Support Services
• Respectful Relationships
• School-wide positive behaviour support framework

The Fund and Menu are designed to address the following objectives:

• implement Recommendation 17 of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System with fidelity
• provide schools with evidence-based options to support student mental health and wellbeing
• ensure primary and secondary schools can access a range of supports including prevention, early intervention and targeted support
• provide a framework for schools that supports them to choose the right evidence-based interventions
• scale up existing department or other government funded programs and services that support student mental health and wellbeing
• work with providers to improve access and offer new evidence-based services and programs for schools
• evaluate and develop the Menu over time to ensure quality, impact and value for money