Mind Blank programs have been developed to educate mental health, social and emotional well-being in Primary and Secondary schools settings. We have been running our services since 2011. Our creative arts inspired workshops are in line with the education curriculum, and they are award winning programs.
In 2017 Mind Blanks efforts were recognised in winning the Mental Health Matters Award for Mental Health Promotion.
This was awarded for our Mind Blank for schools programs.
How it works?
The audience is shown a “worse-case” mental health scenario from start to finish. Then the cast of the show replay certain scenes taking suggestions from the audience as to how the conflicts could be better resolved. Our team highlight key points in the protagonist’s life in which are important areas for help seeking opportunities.
Mind Blank actors showcases story’s based on local people with lived experience. We interview develop our content working alongside the local health district. During this process our actors engage with youth mental health psychologists to make sure that we capture realistic life like portals in our scene work.
This project aims to increase the number of individuals practising self-care technique, we encourage young people to seeking help regarding their emotional and social wellbeing, increase the identification, referral and treatment of at-risk individuals by service systems and professionals.
How does this program support mental health promotion, prevention or early intervention?
Our team understands that one of the defining factors for better mental health outcomes for youth is to encourage them to seek help early. The stigma of mental illness held by young people and a lack of awareness can both be barriers to early intervention. We believe our communities need to look at taking a different approach when educating and engaging young people around topics of youth mental health.
Our programs are designed to:
· Promote of help seeking and community awareness of mental health issues for children and young people.
·Empower students to develop initiatives with in their schools to promote positive mental health.
· Up skill teachers, community, parents and peers to be able to intervene early in a young person’s mental health decline to provide adequate informal support in order to reduce the need for more intensive support.
· Provide a socially inclusive event to young people and their peers focusing on mental health, stigma and help seeking/ peer support.
· We encourage students to embrace the uniqueness of their individuality.
· Both the performance and the following interactive discussions will help to remove the stigma of mental illness held by young people, and the lack of awareness, as both these issues can be barriers to early intervention.
· To provide a ‘soft-entry point’ for those who may need further mental health support.
How was this project or program implemented?
Through community partnerships with service providers and schools, we deliver local workshops to young people all over Australia. Our partnerships involve parents and community members in the process of understanding the program’s intentions to reduce stigma and increase support of our desired outcomes.
For more information on our range of programs click here:
What were the measurable impacts of this project/program?
In order to track our programs progress the Mind Blank team seeks to aim for best practice evaluation techniques for theatre-based health programs in schools.
Despite having different program demographic focus’ program aims fall under the following key themes:
Child and youth outcomes:
•Gain new knowledge of mental health issues
•Build confidence and resilience skills
•Demonstration the application of early intervention help-seeking action
•Provide crisis support numbers and referral pathways (on a needs basis)
Key outcomes are measured using the following methods:
1) Participant are asked to complete a survey before and after the program. This aim’s to capture prior knowledge of mental health subject matter, as well as inform the team on insights from lessonslearned from the program rollout.
2) Participants will complete a role play assessment to demonstrate early intervention skills gained.
3) An independent program evaluation assessment will take place to assess insights on participant’s confidence and resilience skills. Interview and survey data is collected from insights from teaching staff or workplace supervisors, as well as program facilitator’s feedback.
For more information about our programs evaluations.
