23 May 2017
MENTAL WELLBEING - "Bite Back" program
Student mental health and student wellbeing are priorities at Canterbury Boys High School. Our school has a range of programs supporting students from Year 7 to Year 12. This is part of our focus on Prevention and Early Intervention programs which promote psychological wellbeing for all students. This priority has important connections to academic and social success.
At Canterbury we have established links with the Black Dog Institute, to implement a ‘Mental Fitness' program for Year 7 students. This initiative is being introduced to students this school term. What does the program cover? ‘Mental Fitness' discusses Peer Pressure, Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Anger Management, Being Labelled, Technology and Social Networking, Building Resilience and Moving Forward, and Getting the Right Help. The program uses an innovative format to discuss concepts that are traditionally difficult to articulate.
The majority of wellbeing and mental health concerns appear before age 25 years, but research shows only 1 in 4 young people will seek professional help for their needs. To assist in this area, the Black Dog Institute has developed "Bite Back', an online wellbeing support program for young people 12 to 18 years old, to encourage them to communicate their needs and develop ongoing resilience. It enables adolescents to build important community networks, access information about their wellbeing, and become engaged in all aspects of their life. Bite back is presented in a fun way, with interactive activities, quizzes, stories, videos, and fact sheets about mental health topics. Our Year 7 students will be trained in using the Bite Back program.
Bite Back focuses on Positive Psychology, to help students feel happy and engaged in life. At Canterbury Boys High School we are delighted to further develop our positive connections with the Black Dog Institute – it's an important link as we strategically care for students.
Parents can access details of Black Dog Institute programs on the Institute website: