Well-Being in Post Primary Schools Guidelines for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention

Interagency Wellbeing Committee The overall aim of this committee is to support post primary schools in Donegal in promoting the mental health and wellbeing of the school community through a co-ordinated, joined-up and collaborative interagency approach to the implementation of the Well-being in Post-Primary Schools Guidelines.

Structure of Well-Being document All young people’s needs exist along a continuum and can be expressed as ranging from mild and /or transient (which might only require classroom-based support) to complex and/or enduring (requiring more individualised and intensive support) as we see from this slide. This continuum of support embedded within the document is based on the World Health Organisation model for mental health promotion and mirrors the NEPS continuum of support. Embedded within the Guidelines is the message that schools should adopt the NEPS three-tiered continuum of support model and that this will be a bedrock of their work in promotion of mental health. It provides a framework for post-primary schools to review their processes and procedures in supporting the social, emotional, behavioural and learning needs of all students. 4

Membership 2 Post Primary and Primary School Principals 1 Guidance Counsellor SPHE teacher NEPS Psychologist Schools Health Promotion Officer and Suicide Resource Officer (HSE) Jigsaw Manager Tusla CAMHS

What we have done so far Annual seminar for Principals and key staff 6 meetings per year of the interagency committee Annual seminar for Principals and key staff Information sharing and improved co-ordination between agencies Poster for schools outlining supports from key agencies Insert for teacher year books Referral pathways between services and schools clarified Leaflet on study skills and stress management included in student diaries

What we have done so far Piloted the self evaluation questionnaires and developed on-line version Series of seminars for Primary school Principals to create awareness of the more recently launched Guidelines for Primary Schools Extended membership of the group to include Primary School Principal representation Currently developing a short Stress Management input for exam year students