30 September 2024
“I felt worthless and unloved. I sought counselling soon afterwards and felt better every time I went there.”
When you think of Kids Helpline, you may think of the counsellors answering the calls of children across Australia. And it’s true.
But there’s so much more involved in ensuring kids know they have professional support available to them 24/7 - and it’s because of the community’s generous contributions that we’re able to do those things. Like ensuring there are enough counsellors to help answer the call.
We kicked off the year by opening the first-ever Kids Helpline counselling centre in the heart of Melbourne, and with 25% of our national contacts coming from Victoria, we’re ensuring that support is within reach for every child and young person.
Name it to tame it
Early intervention is key to helping young people understand their feelings and, in many cases, can prevent mental health issues from developing and escalating.
With 1 in 4 contacts to Kids Helpline involving emotional wellbeing (and a third of these contacts aged 10-14 years!), it's important kids feel comfortable talking about their emotions.
To do just this, the Kids Helpline team developed these Mood Critters—adorable creatures designed to represent common emotions, to teach children emotional literacy from an early age and to recognise that their emotions are valid and manageable.
Check them out for yourself (including the range of worksheets, colouring-in printouts and posters) and share these great resources with your school!
So far, Mood Critters has reached 30,000 students and 1,000 teachers!
Reaching students across Australia
We understand the importance of reaching children and young people where they are, which is why we were so proud to expand Kids Helpline @ School to high schools nationally with the support of Bupa Foundation.
Already, primary school children across Australia have been benefiting from the early intervention and prevention program which sees a Kids Helpline counsellor joining classrooms virtually to talk all things growing up.
From being kind online and navigating friendship issues, to developing resilience and coping with bullying, Kids Helpline @ School aims to encourage help-seeking when they need it and improve mental health literacy in students.
54,820 primary and high school students received learning sessions in 2023.
Think your school would love to have a Kids Helpline counsellor join their class virtually?
We say no way to bullying
It’s no secret that bullying is a common issue in Australian schools, with Aussie teens facing the second highest level of bullying out of 24 OECD countries.
Did you know... 1 in 4 students have reported being bullied.
It’s everyone’s responsibility to prevent and address bullying, so for Bullying No Way Week, we launched Kids Helpline’s largest anti-bullying lesson for high schools, reaching over 26,000 students!
During the session, students learned everything from understanding what bullying actually is, to practical in-the-moment responses and how to look after themselves.
Getting real about teen mental health
With 1 in 6 contacts to Kids Helpline related to suicide (2023) and half of all contacts mental health and wellbeing related, the Kids Helpline team decided to do a webinar to support parents and the community, and in turn support young people who were struggling.
It's hard to know how to help a child when they're having mental health challenges.
Run by a Kids Helpline counsellor, who has answered the calls of young people seeking help, parents were able to receive professional advice to help and support their teen, and even potentially prevent mental health issues from arising.
A chance for you and a chance for young people
With every ticket purchase, you have the chance to win a Million-dollar home - but you're also helping to empower the next generation to help themselves and each other, so thank you!
