The Victorian government has invested $217.8 million over four years to support student mental health and wellbeing, including $200 million over four years and $87 million ongoing to create a Schools Mental Health Fund (the Fund). Underpinning the Fund is the evidence-based Menu (the Menu).
The Menu provides schools with opportunities to purchase evidence-based programs and initiatives across the three tiers of intervention. This includes initiatives that:
- promote student mental health and wellbeing
- enable schools to intervene early to support students
- provide targeted and more individualised support for students who need it.
Menu items have been externally assessed for how well they support student mental health and wellbeing, ensuring schools have access to a range of evidence-based supports to meet their needs.
OurFutures is rated the highest by the menu for it’s level of evidence (level 4)
Schools of Substance is a school-based alcohol and other drug education support program. The program has five optional key components:1. Review of the school’s existing programs
2. Development of best practice policy
3. OURFUTURES: Implementation of evidence-based alcohol and other drug prevention programs within schools
4. Training and information for teachers and parents
5. Evaluation of the Schools of Substance program
Click here for OurFutures on the Menu
For more information on the fund please see:
- Rules of Use (from the Victorian Department of Education) VIC schools-mental-health-fund-menu-rules-of-use
- Instructions for Reporting Expenditure (from the Victorian Department of Education) VIC schools-mental-health-fund-instructions-for-reporting-expenditure