Mental health education is becoming a staple in Australian school curriculums. A new program called "be you" is being rolled out in northern territory schools. It’s hoped the initiative will help to normalise discussion about mental health and equip students with healthy coping mechanisms.
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00:00 At Ludmilla Primary School in Darwin, sharing your emotions is first on the classroom agenda.
00:07 It's one of the first schools to implement the BU initiative, which strips things back
00:16 to basics.
00:17 How to even be a good friend, how to stand up to a bully, how to reach out and ask for
00:24 help when you're not feeling well.
00:28 The program's already showing promising results.
00:31 What BU does is support the educator to know the signs. So it educates the teachers to
00:38 know the little things to look for, the changes in behaviour that might signal that a child
00:46 needs some additional support.
00:48 The framework is catered to fit the unique needs of each school. Ludmilla have engaged
00:53 leaders from the local Aboriginal community, Bagot, to start a walking school bus and school
00:58 attendance program, creating a culturally safe environment for students.
01:03 They've got a good relationship with the teachers here and with us workers on the community
01:09 and they feel safe about talking about any problems that they have.
01:16 Liz picked the school specifically for its wellbeing framework.
01:20 I love you, have a great day at school, love you too.
01:25 And she's witnessed positive impacts on her kids.
01:29 There's emotional resilience, there's physical health, mental health, enhanced self-confidence,
01:35 self-esteem, social skills.
01:38 The program is being rolled out in every school across the Northern Territory, with Ludmilla
01:43 Primary the star pupil. They say the results speak for themselves.
01:48 Teacher satisfaction and I believe it is because of the emphasis through BU and Beyond Blue
01:55 that we place on wellbeing, wellbeing of our staff, our students and our community.
02:01 Happy students, happy teachers, happy school.
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