Brief Interventions in Youth Mental Health Toolkit (BIT)

Program description

The Brief Intervention Toolkit (BIT) provides training for mental health and wellbeing professionals working in secondary schools to deliver psychosocial intervention to young people. It aims to equip these professionals with the knowledge and skills to successfully deliver a brief intervention model within the school setting.

BIT provides 9 evidence-based modules to use with and support young people experiencing mild to moderate mental health concerns. The toolkit focuses on mental wellbeing and skill development including:

• sleeping well
• mindfulness and relaxation
• problem solving skills
• understanding and managing my moods
• communicating with confidence
• understanding my anger
• physical activity for wellbeing
• understanding and accepting myself
• nutrition for wellbeing.

Intended outcomes

• Increased clinician confidence, knowledge and skills to undertake interventions for young people with mild to moderate mental health concerns
• Improved understanding of the evidence for use of brief interventions as an early intervention strategy for supporting young people presenting with mild to moderate mental health concerns
• Improved timely access to evidenced-based interventions for young people
• Symptomatic relief and reduced psychological distress of young people
• Improved capacity of young people to develop skills to manage their mental health and wellbeing

Program details

Implementation considerations

• Target population: Mental health and wellbeing professionals working in secondary schools. BIT assumes prior clinical knowledge and experience in clinical interventions for young people.
• Program adaptability: BIT can be used flexibly by trained mental health and wellbeing professionals to meet the needs of individual students, including priority populations. As such the training can be delivered to suit local school needs and focus on areas that are deemed to be more relevant. The program is adaptable for diverse student cohorts including:
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
  • asylum seeker and refugee students
  • culturally and linguistically diverse students
  • LGBTIQA+ students
  • neurodivergent students
  • students with a disability.
• Staffing: Backfill is only needed if the wellbeing team and mental health practitioner have other activities or teaching that needs to be covered to attend training and reflective practice sessions. The Menu provider and its personnel must not be alone with any school student or group of school students in the classroom or in any other place at the school’s premises without another educator, teacher or teacher’s aide present at all times.
• Training requirements: Virtual training and the reflective practice sessions require access to a computer, internet connection, Microsoft Teams or Zoom and a quiet space if training. Face-to-face delivery requires a suitable venue and access to reliable IT resources, including hardware and internet access.
• Factors to consider: The number of participants can vary from one professional to a cohort of professionals across different schools. The commitment is a full day training workshop with additional 3 x 90-minute support sessions. These times can be flexible around staff availability minimising the need for backfill.
• Australian context: The program has been developed and applied in Australia.

Cost

Minimum cost

$5,000+

Detailed cost

The price of the program is $7,023 (including GST), and includes:

• preparation and engagement for the entire program
• 7 hours of program delivery by 2 x facilitators
• evaluation
• 3 x 90-minute support sessions
• preparation of a final report.

Additional support sessions of 90-minutes each are priced at $371 (including GST) per hour.

Travel costs will be applied based on the school’s distance from Parkville, VIC 3052.

Accommodation costs will apply when required travel from Parkville is greater than two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening.

Flight costs will apply when flying is the most reasonable option to attend the school, based on time and cost.