Mental Health in Schools

Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative

The Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System highlighted that primary schools provide opportunities to identify children with mental health and wellbeing challenges, who can then be referred for treatment, care, and support. The department has expanded the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) initiative in recognition of the important role schools play in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

The MHiPS initiative provides funding to employ a mental health and wellbeing leader (MHWL) in every government and low-fee non-government primary school in Victoria. The initiative will be implemented across Victoria over a staged rollout between 2023 to 2026.

Mental health and wellbeing leaders

MHWLs are qualified teachers registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching, who work across the school to implement a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for students, staff, and families based on a broad knowledge of the needs of the school community. This includes:

• building the capacity of school staff, in particular classroom teachers, to identify and support students with mental health concerns in the classroom
• supporting the school to create clear referral pathways internally (within school) and externally (to community services) for students identified as requiring further assessment and intervention
• coordinating targeted mental health support for students by working with regional staff, school wellbeing and leadership teams, teachers, parents/carers, and external agencies.

The MHWL role focuses on mental health and wellbeing promotion, prevention and early intervention, rather than the implementation of clinical or allied health approaches.

MHWLs receive training from the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne, and professional development through continued learning communities. Further information is provided on the Resources tab.

School leaders are supported to implement MHiPS by dedicated regional mental health branches.

Implementation schedule

The MHiPS initiative will be expanded to all government primary schools and low-fee non-government primary schools based on their areas between 2022 and 2026.

The rollout schedule is:

• 2023: Barwon, Brimbank Melton, Goulburn, Hume Merri-bek, Outer Gippsland
• 2024: Mallee, Ovens Murray, Southern Melbourne, Western Melbourne
• 2025: Inner Gippsland; Loddon Campaspe, Outer East Melbourne, Wimmera South West
• 2026: Bayside Peninsula, Central Highlands, Inner East Melbourne, North East Melbourne

From 2023, all MHiPS Pilot schools will participate in the statewide MHiPS initiative. The pilot has now concluded.

The dedicated regional mental health branches support school leaders to implement the initiative by:

• providing advice about recruiting and onboarding a MHWL
• creating links with schools across their area
• identifying school needs, training, and support requirements.

Schools funding

Each government school campus will receive funding to employ a mental health and wellbeing leader (MHWL) at the Classroom Teacher Range 2 salary mid-point, plus on-costs.

Each school campus' FTE allocation will vary between 0.5 to 1.0 FTE, based on primary enrolments:

• 1 to 299 campus enrolments – 0.5 FTE
• 300 to 599 campus enrolments – 0.6 FTE
• 600 to 749 campus enrolments – 0.7 FTE
• 750 to 849 campus enrolments – 0.8 FTE
• 850 to 949 campus enrolments – 0.9 FTE
• 950+ campus enrolments – 1.0 FTE

Schools receive their MHWL funding via the Student Resource Package (SRP) at the start of Term 1 and are expected to recruit their MHWL for Term 1.

All schools should recruit one MHWL per school campus, however may consider recruiting 2 MHWLs if a job-share arrangement is needed. Schools may recruit more than 2 MHWLs by exception and after consultation with key regional and central departmental staff.

Schools with multiple campuses receive funding per campus, based on primary enrolments. These schools may choose to combine the FTE of multiple campuses and employ a MHWL to work across the campuses or employ MHWLs at each of their funded campuses.

Government schools are required to spend their MHiPS funding in the calendar year it is received and acquit the MHWL salary expenditure in eduPay. The department’s Credit Carryover Policy applies to any unspent MHiPS credit funding remaining at the end of each calendar year. For more information on the Credit Carryover Policy, refer to: Student Resource Package – Managing the Budget: Credit Carryover Policy.

Non-government schools receive funding of 0.4 FTE at the Classroom Teacher 2-4 salary to employ an MHWL.

The MHWL will be funded to coordinate and promote whole school approaches to mental health and wellbeing in their school. They will not be required to have a teaching role alongside their role as the MHWL and must be provided dedicated time out of the classroom in line with the allocated FTE to implement the Mental Health in Primary Schools model.

Schools that participated in the Primary Welfare Officer initiative

The Primary Welfare Officer (PWO) initiative is transitioning to the MHiPS initiative from 2023.

Schools transitioning from the PWO initiative to the MHiPS initiative, in line with the above area rollout schedule, will receive funding under the MHiPS funding line in the SRP.

Former PWO schools will receive the higher of either their PWO funding in the year prior to transitioning to MHiPS or their MHiPS funding as calculated above.

Schools that participated in the Mental Health in Primary Schools Pilot

The MHiPS Pilot has now concluded. Former government pilot schools will transition from their pilot funding allocation to the MHiPS statewide expansion funding model, in line with other schools participating in the initiative.

For more information on the funding allocation model see the MHiPS SRP guide.

For specific information about your school’s funding allocation contact mentalhealth@education.vic.gov.au

Mental health and wellbeing leaders recruitment

• Government schools must comply with standard school recruitment policies and are expected to advertise for the MHWL position via School Jobs Vic.
• Catholic schools are required to recruit in line with their regular CECV Diocesan processes. Please liaise with your Diocesan Employment Relations Unit regarding the appointment of staff.
• Refer to the Resources tab for detailed information and resources on the Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative, including detailed questions and answers, fact sheets and an example position descriptions template.