The Hunter New England and
Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECC PHN) has collaborated with the Central
Coast Local Health District, headspace and creative agency Lead by Story, to
launch the Your Road Starts Here digital platform. Aimed at youth leaving high
school (at any age/level), the platform incorporates resources, videos and
advice to assist young people to navigate life after school.
Through a co-design process with
mental health clinicians and local young people, the comprehensive digital
platform has been developed to assist young people to manage life, expectations
and build resilience.
The platform is arranged into six
key categories relevant to navigating life after school with topics including
goals, money, friendships, career, community and support networks. The platform
also offers a journal filled with pages where young people can write their
thoughts, and tools to assist with planning.
HNECC PHN Chief Executive
Officer, Richard Nankervis says school leavers have been identified as a vulnerable
cohort.
“Research shows that young people
finishing school often struggle with their mental health and suicide risk is
heightened. The pressure of the perceived level of expectation from friends and
family can be overwhelming, particularly when the young person believes the expectations
exceed what they are able to achieve.
“Alongside the Central Coast
headspace, the PHN identified a gap in the market for early intervention services
for young people and collaboratively, the idea for the platform was born. We
are very proud of what has been achieved and look forward to expanding the
program.”
Will Small, Founder and Director of creative agency Lead By Story, led the co-design process. “During the co-design process we quickly realised that there’s no ‘one size fits all’ path for young people after school, and it’s never too late to change direction.
“We used the imagery of the road to represent a sense of journey/adventure, which resonated with a desire many young people expressed to travel, to explore and to try new things after school. Year 13 as it’s sometimes called, can be both overwhelming and exciting, and we wanted to communicate that it’s ok to feel all the big feelings.
“Part of what is difficult about finishing school is the pressure young people can feel to have things ‘figured out’ straight away. Affirming that it’s natural for transitions to take place over longer periods of time, and that it’s ok to make changes along the way and try different things seemed like one of the most helpful things we can do for young people. The song ‘the road we’re making’, performed by Fletcher Pilon addresses these things in an authentic way.
“I hope the platform can become a tool that is used by schools and youth workers for many years to come as a ‘starting point’ to spark important conversations that go well beyond a website.”
Further stages in the project will see Youth Access Clinicians outreach into local high schools to conduct group sessions, mental health presentations, and counselling with young people. This will enable the clinician to provide education and early intervention to young people and also advise on support available in the future.
The PHN thanks all contributors to this valuable resource and encourages sharing within the community.
View the project at https://www.yourroad.au.
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