Resources
Guidelines for schools
- Preventing and responding to distress in primary schools: a guide for addressing self-harm, including suicidal behaviours (DOCX)(opens in a new window)
- Preventing and responding to distress in primary schools: a guide for addressing self-harm, including suicidal behaviours (PDF)(opens in a new window)
- Responding to self-harm, including suicide attempts, in students: a guide to assist secondary schools (opens in a new window)
- Specialist schools may use the guidance (primary or secondary school) that best aligns with the developmental age of the students involved
- Suicide Response (Postvention)
- Schools can also access supporting resources including:
- Responding to incidents of self-harm in primary students – step-by-step guide (DOCX)
- Responding to incidents of self-harm in primary students – step-by-step guide (PDF)
- Preventing and responding to distress in primary school students implementation resource – tips for communicating with students, parents and carers (DOCX)
- Preventing and responding to distress in primary school students implementation resource – tips for communicating with students, parents and carers (PDF)
- Preventing and responding to distress webinar(opens in a new window)
Department of Education resources
- High Impact Wellbeing Strategies(opens in a new window) – promote student wellbeing and form part of a whole-school approach
- Mental health and wellbeing toolkit(opens in a new window) – provides advice to help promote and support student mental health and wellbeing
- Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) program(opens in a new window) – provides government and low-fee non-government Victorian primary schools with funding to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader (MHWL)
- Promoting mental health and wellbeing in the school(opens in a new window) – explains School's role in Tier 1 promoting mental health and wellbeing
- Schools Mental Health Fund and Menu(opens in a new window) – supports Victorian government schools to select programs, staff and other support from an evidence-based menu
- Child Safe Standards Guidance – provides best practice advice for applying the new Child Safe Standards to better protect children and young people in all organisations that work with children
- Information Sharing and Family Violence Reforms: Guidance and Tools(opens in a new window) – support education workforces to implement the Child Information Sharing Scheme (CISS) and Family Violence Information Sharing Scheme (FVISS) in their workplaces
- SAFEMinds training(opens in a new window) is available to Victorian government primary, secondary and specialist schools staff to increase their foundational knowledge of mental health, including preventing and responding to self-harm and emerging mental health concerns
Community mental health services
- Beyond Blue(opens in a new window) – service providing mental health support
- Child and adolescent mental health services(opens in a new window) – provide specialist mental health treatment and care to children and adolescents up to 18 years of age
- eheadspace(opens in a new window) phone 1800 650 890, 9 am to 1 am AEST – service providing online and phone support
- Kids Helpline(opens in a new window) phone 1800 551 800, 24 hours a day 7 days a week – service providing support and resources for children and young people aged 5 to 25, including webchat and phone counselling
- Lifeline(opens in a new window) phone 13 11 14, 24 hours a day 7 days a week – service providing 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention services
- Mental health services for children and adolescents(opens in a new window) – information on specific state-funded mental health services are available for children, adolescents and youth
- Orange Door(opens in a new window) – help for people who are experiencing family violence or who need support with the care and wellbeing of children and young people
- QLife(opens in a new window) – provides anonymous and free LGBTIQ+ peer support and referral for people in Australia
- ReachOut Australia(opens in a new window) – online mental health service providing chat support and resources
- Suicide Call Back Service(opens in a new window) 1300 659 467, 24 hours a day 7 days a week – service providing 24/7 phone and online counselling to people affected by suicide
Online safety
- eSafety Commissioner(opens in a new window) – Australia's independent regulator for online safety
Early intervention
- SAFEMinds: Schools and Families Enhancing Minds(opens in a new window) – helps school communities apply the NIP it in the bud! (Notice, Inquire, Plan) early intervention approach
- Be You(opens in a new window) – provides educators with knowledge, tools and resources, including:
- NIP it in the Bud! – an early intervention approach
- Safe Socials(opens in a new window) – provides tips and resources for parents/carers and families to support students to be safe when using social media
Trauma informed practice
- HITS Trauma Informed Factsheets and Resources(opens in a new window) – a suite of resources to support teacher's classroom practice
- Managing Trauma e-Learn modules(opens in a new window) – support principals, school leadership teams and allied health staff in managing and responding to critical incidents and emergencies in schools
- Supporting students impacted by trauma(opens in a new window) – managing trauma response and recovery planning
- Managing Trauma: a guide to managing trauma following an incident (DOCX)(opens in a new window) – supports principals, Student Support Services (SSS) and other recovery team members to take action to manage trauma for students, staff and school community members following an incident
- Managing Trauma: a guide to managing trauma following an incident (PDF)(opens in a new window)
Resources for parents/carers
- Mental health and wellbeing toolkit – parents and carers(opens in a new window) – provides guidance to help strengthen your child’s mental health and wellbeing at home, and how to work with your school and seek help if you have concerns
- Beyond Blue Resource library(opens in a new window) – fact sheets, booklets and other resources to support everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health
- Kids Help Line Self-harm explained(opens in a new window) – explains what self-harm is and suggest things that you can do
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