How it Works.

The initiatives you run should allow people from all different backgrounds, groups, year levels, and different experiences of mental health at your school to come together and feel that they are all on the same level. It’s only then that we can learn from each other. 

Stigma and discrimination come easily when all we see are the things that make us different – if all we know about someone is that they had a mental illness or are going through a tough time, it becomes easier to exclude them. This changes when we get to know the other person on a human level. Activities that help us see the whole person help us find shared interests or experiences, and understand differences. Mental health then becomes just a part of who someone is – it’s not all that they are. 

Mental health mythbusting! There’s a lot of information out there about mental health. Having the right information is key to understanding what someone else is going through. Find someone who knows what they’re talking about to help you – school counsellor, psychologist, doctor, there’ll be someone around!

Bringing people from different backgrounds together is easier when you’re working on something together. This is an opportunity to work side by side as equals, making it difficult to discriminate! This goes for how you run your Chapter, and the initiatives you run in your school.

If you’re working towards a mutual goal is everyone making room for each other to use their strengths, and helping each other in areas where they’re not so strong? Keep your goals in mind – bringing positive change to mental health in your school is not something that one person can win at!