Youth Focus, WA’s leading provider of youth mental health services, reflects on their commitment to engaging with students in regional communities, through which they’ve help break down stigma and helped young people seek help early, prioritising positive mental health.
The positive impact of talking about mental health – how school visits in regional WA are opening the conversation and starting to shift mental health stigma.
The growing number of young people facing mental health challenges in regional Western Australia demands a shift in how we approach care. Across both metropolitan and regional areas, young Western Australian’s are experiencing an alarming rise in mental health challenges, however, limited access to mental health services in regional WA creates significant barriers to help seeking and early intervention. These barriers, including location, stigma and accessibility are increasing the severity of mental health challenges and impact on, not only the young person’s life, but the surrounding community.
Encouraging young people to ask for help before it gets too hard to cope is the first step in reducing the severity of mental health challenges. Community-driven initiatives are key to breaking down stigma and encouraging open conversations, improving young people’s understanding of mental health and the importance of reaching out for help if they need it.
It's for this reason that Youth Focus’ flagship fundraising event, the Hawaiian Ride for Youth prioritises community awareness efforts as equal to its fundraising endeavours. Over four-and-a-half days, 140 riders, along with a support crew of 40 volunteers, will cycle 700km from Albany to Perth, visiting regional schools along the way to engage with students on the importance of prioritising positive mental health.
James Sutherland, a founding rider now completing his 23rd Hawaiian Ride for Youth reflects on his school visits: “A huge achievement of the Hawaiian Ride for Youth has been shifting the stigma of talking about, and seeking help, for mental health struggles. Over the past 23 years of riding through regional communities, we have seen an incredible shift of awareness and understanding. It really shows the power of having honest conversations about mental health while visiting these regional schools.”
Normalising conversations about wellbeing and getting support at the onset of mental health challenges, rather than at crisis point, can completely shift the trajectory of a young person’s life. Riders encourage young people to seek and accept help, relating with them through their own stories, actively displaying to students that talking about mental health is not seen as ‘weak’, but courageous and potentially life changing.
“For every time someone has stood up and shared a story, it’s in those spaces of disruption and questioning that we grow together. Lots of young people go through these challenges without raising their hands, and we want to share that it is courageous to seek help or to support someone else. Hopefully, we are educating young people and inspiring them to talk about their feelings,” shared James. “There is still a long way to go, but I have definitely seen a shift over the past two decades and will continue to work towards all young people feeling comfortable in sharing when they are not feeling okay.”
Youth Focus knows how important it is that every young person has access to mental health services – no matter where they live. That’s why, in addition to the eight Youth Focus locations across WA, Youth Focus also provides councillors in over 50 schools across the state. Access to telehealth has been an incredible step in improving access to mental health services for young people living in regional areas, however it is important that there are a range of options available to young people, giving them the opportunity to choose and explore what best suits them.
For close to two decades, Youth Focus has maintained an important and consistent presence at Collie Senior High School. Nadiyah, Youth Focus Youth Counsellor, supports young people in Collie, spending one day a week at the school for counselling sessions.
“Meeting young people where they go most days makes a real difference. It reduces pressure on families in a town where there is no public transport and where there’d normally be a cost associated with getting help, not to mention the wait times.”
Connecting with the community and young people in regional towns is invaluable, especially when they are facing significant challenges in seeking and accessing support.
Despite the resilience and strength shown by regional communities in WA, many young people experience mental health challenges and need support in overcoming these when they arise - and it's thanks to events like the Hawaiian Ride for Youth, and the support of the community, that Youth Focus is able to provide services to thousands of young people in WA each year.
