Live4Life Community Updates — 2023 in review

Image Description:  A group of Benalla Crew members raising their hands for the camera.

Over the past 12 months, Live4Life has continued to chalk up great achievements in 10 rural and regional Victorian local government areas, plus our first interstate pilot community in Break O’Day Shire in North East Tasmania. Activation of Live4Life commenced in two new Shires in late 2023. With a third Shire coming on board in early 2024, the total number of local government areas implementing Live4Life will be 14. Stay tuned for announcements soon!

In 2023:

6,212 Secondary Students received Mental Health Education

561 Adults were trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid®

232 Young people volunteered as Crew members (Youth Mental Health Ambassadors)

139 Organisations contributed to school and community Partnership Groups

58 New community-based MHFA® Instructors were trained

Ballarat

Over 1200 Students trained in Teen MHFA® across eight schools

168 Adults trained in Youth MHFA® across five courses 

31 new local Teen and four Youth MHFA® Instructors

Ballarat captured some important impact data in 2023 with a feedback survey, in which more than 80% of the 600 students who responded reported that mental health education in schools is important to them —  and that more than 88% have sought help for their mental health. 

“Through this program I gained skills to talk to my friends and family about mental health issues. I’ve gotten a better understanding of mental health and how many people go through this. I learnt about the supports that are available and that there is always someone to go to.” – Year 8 student, Ballarat

Bass Coast and South Gippsland

Over 1500 Students trained in Teen MHFA®

66 Adults trained in Youth MHFA®

Bass Coast/South Gippsland continued to reach large numbers of students and adults in 2023, and hosted an engaging, all-school launch event at Gumbaya Park, featuring all six schools. These achievements are notable in a community spanning two LGAs with a very large geographical area, which presents some significant logistical and financial challenges. 

Baw Baw

Over 800 Students from eight schools trained in Teen MHFA® 

76 Adults completed Youth MHFA® training

7 new Teen MHFA® Instructors

8 Youth MHFA® training courses 

Baw Baw initiated a very successful Community of Practice for their local MHFA® instructors and became the first Live4Life community to draw upon the Victorian Department of Education School Mental Health fund — a major development in the way schools can choose to fund their students’ involvement. The 2023 Baw Baw Crew was the largest yet for this community (a 45% increase from 2022). 

“I feel much more confident to provide support and assistance as a YMHFA qualified person now.” – Youth MHFA® participant

Benalla

Nearly 300 Students received Teen MHFA® training

6 Teen & Youth MHFA® Instructors

2023 marked Benalla’s 7th year of Live4Life implementation and a really successful year for the Partnership with renewed investment and interest for the program. The Crew planned and ran successful Launch and Celebration events. Benalla P-12 Crew hosted a great R U OK? Day BBQ for their whole campus. In a show of cross-community collaboration, Benalla Crew attended a ‘Crew building day’ with the Moira Crew, with 14 members taking up the opportunity. Inter-Live4Life community support is something we are beginning to see more of as communities share, not just their experience and advice, but also resources and expertise. Benalla have maintained a high level of  YMHFA® across schools and will be turning their focus on getting more YMHFA® into  the broader Benalla community in 2024.

Break O’Day

71 Year 8 Students completed Teen MHFA® training

13 Adults completed Youth MHFA® training

12 young people have been recruited to join the Crew 

After a very productive activation period in the last half of 2023 , our first interstate community in Break O’Day, Tasmania, was able to make great progress towards full implementation in 2024. A number of local community members have been through a comprehensive recruitment process and are preparing to complete Instructor training. Break O’Day is funded by the Federal Government’s National Suicide Prevention Leadership Program and includes a two-year independent evaluation by the Centre for Rural Health at the University of Tasmania.

Central Goldfields

87 Year 8 Students completed Teen MHFA® training

19 Adults completed Youth MHFA® training

2 Teen MHFA® Instructors trained

Central Goldfields made great progress in their preparation for full program implementation in 2024, bringing the Youth MHFA-trained support network in Central Goldfields to a fantastic total of 30 adults across school staff and the community. The community is looking forward to bringing in the Crew component in the coming year.

"It has never been more important to assist our rural youth and challenge the stigma associated with mental illness." – Cr Grace La Vella, Mayor, Central Goldfields Shire 

Glenelg

Over 500 Students received Teen MHFA® training

127 Adults completed Youth MHFA® (more than 50% increase from 2022) 

First ever Youth Aboriginal MHFA® in Glenelg

15 youth support staff from the community (including 13 people identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander) completed Live4Life Glenelg ’s first ever Youth Aboriginal MHFA® course, delivered in partnership with Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation, Mental Health First Aid Australia and Girraway Ganyi Consultancy.

“I love the Live4Life program, because you learn different skills and get to meet everyone in the Crew and being able to do something good. It's challenging trying to go to all the meetings when I am not at school, but it’s helped with friendships and understanding my own mental health along with others…My big dream is for more people to understand how mental health works and what it does to people.” – Live4Life Glenelg Crew member

Macedon Ranges 

Over 600 young people from 5 schools received Teen MHFA® education 

50 Adults completed Youth MHFA® training

10 Adults completed a YMHFA® refresher course

As our foundational community in the Macedon Ranges completed their 13th year of Live4Life, the ongoing delivery of the four components of the model was made possible by the sustained commitment of the Partnership Group. In 2023, the lead agency, Macedon Ranges Shire Council, appointed key personal to Live4Life roles, who were able to finish the year off with a successful whole-of-community Celebration Event which saw excellent engagement from Partnership Group members — providing a strong footing for 2024 in which a renewed focus on Crew engagement is a priority.

Moira 

Over 550 young people received Teen MHFA® training

12 Adults completed Youth MHFA® training

46 young people from eight schools volunteered in the Crew

In its fourth year of implementation, high youth engagement was again on show in Moira who took an innovative approach in 2023 with the launch of a Mental Health Expo led by the Live4Life Moira Crew. Over 400 students attended the event, which included motivational Crew speakers, a range of interactive activities, and opportunities to connect with 17 different community organisations who either support young people or are involved in mental health. 

Southern Grampians

Over 450 young people trained in Teen MHFA®

29 Adults completed Youth MHFA® training

24 Crew volunteers from five schools

In 2023, Southern Grampians completed their first full cycle of the entire Live4Life model. This meant that the 2023 Year 10 cohort became the first to have been involved in the program from Year 8.

“I think the most rewarding part of being in the Crew is seeing the difference you’ve wanted to achieve happen. Getting people into the idea of talking about mental health is hard but I think it’s slowly starting to happen, with the Crew being a part of that change.” – 2023 Crew member, Southern Grampians