In March the Health and Wellbeing Team attended a Youth Mental Health Awareness Group meeting where we shared our aims and program. At this meeting the young people expressed concern about “what comes next”, post school. They acknowledged that starting something new felt overwhelming and that challenges living away from home could impact them.
The project Beyond Norfolk: Relocating and Connecting was developed with multiple groups and funding streams. The first component was delivered last week on Norfolk Island. Through funding from the Brisbane North Primary Health Network, Susie Edmonds (Inner Directions INNER DIRECTIONS – Home) was engaged to deliver interactive on island workshops to Year 12 students, Teachers, Parents and Community members.
The Year 12 workshop Mindset Mastery: Building Resilience for Success provided practical strategies to overcome obstacles, build resilience and assist with essential skills as they transition to post school options.
The Teacher and Parent/Community workshops Building and Maintaining Positive Relationships, were designed by Susie to empower teachers, parents and the community with valuable tools and strategies to support young adults as they face the challenges of leaving the island post school. Building and maintaining positive relationships is crucial to guide and assist young people.
Susie has an extensive set of skills and has a natural ability to build rapport with young people and support those that are part of their journey to find balance and a fulfilled life.
The next components of the Beyond Norfolk: Relocating and Connecting project are:
- Deliver a series of sessions to young people over December and January to assist them gain skills that will assist with life away from home. Skills will range from cooking, car maintenance, understanding rental agreements, financial literacy, navigating the Centrelink website, how to make social connections and remain connected etc.
- Recruiting and training young mentors who can support these post school students. Mentors will be equipped with skills to provide practical support guidance and help young people navigate the challenges of transitioning to post school options. Mentors will be young people currently living away and pursuing post school options.
If you are a young person who has now left school please consider completing this survey ”You survived and we’d love to hear your wisdom” by following this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdL4fcbEwIvcZfZL73YzIYDzZLfwc5xdqT74cjrJ-KSHMQORw/viewform
Your feedback will assist in a targeted approach to assist students about to leave Norfolk Island. If you would like more information please contact the Health & Wellbeing office on 22687.
This activity is supported by funding from Brisbane North PHN through the Australian Government’s PHN Program.
