Youth Mental Health First Aid Initiative

The Camden Youth Mental Health First Aid initiative is a collaborative project between Camden Council, Meraki Mental Health Training, Local Sporting Clubs, Schools, and the Local Youth Services Network. The project provides FREE Accredited Youth Mental Health First Aid Training to local teachers, youth workers, sports coaches, parents, young people themselves, or anyone who engages directly with Camden’s young people.

The need for this project came from the Camden Youth Strategy and consultation with almost 1500 local young people. Throughout this consultation. Council found young people were more likely to reach out to their friends, family, teachers, or sports coaches then seek professional help when needing support. Council identified the need to provide appropriate and accredited training to upskill our community to support the mental health and wellbeing of local young people.

Since the inception of the project, more than 80 residents have received this free training with an additional 150 training spaces being made available over the next three years. Survey results thus far show, a significant improvement in participants ability to support someone going through a mental health crisis and participants having increased confidence on how to approach conversations around mental health and wellbeing with local young people. 

If you would like more information on this or to register for a future session, please reach out to our staff here