Thanks so much for having me on here tonight and it's great to be part of such a positive and delightful community. If anyone did want to get in touch please ping batyr at hello@batyr.com.au.   I really appreciate being welcomed into RO Parents tonight and look forward to connecting again some time.   :) ... View more

Such a good question @Ngaio-RO   I think this all depends on the relationship with the school. I would love to think that sharing the fact that your child has a mental health diagnosis would only garner positive outcomes. In my opinion the more people looking out for and talking to a young person who's experiencing a mental health difficulty the better.    Most, if not all of the schools batyr work with are prioritising mental health as much as they would physical health. It's nice to have conversations with schools centred around how they are doing all they can to create a positive, inclusive and safe school environment with regards to mental health.   Re work...shouldn't we all take 'dooner' days every now and then to recharge the balance and disconnect to reconnect with ourselves.      ... View more

I agree. A multi faceted approach is crucial. Also agree with you on the importance of  good quality personal interactions!   batyr aim to start the conversation and explore how young people can look after themselves and look out for their friends / family members. We're all about bridging the gap between young people and the array (sometimes harder to find then others) of services available to them.     ... View more

Sounds incredible and happy to hear it's helping :) ... View more

Thanks @Ngaio-RO   Great question! There is always coverage linking drug use, to mental health issues so i'd try an explore safer methods of self care. I wouldn't suggest just letting your son smoke pot as we know the longer term ramifications of this would far outweigh the short term alleviation of anxiety symptoms.    The challenge would be in how you approach this conversation without just sounding like you know is and isn't best for your son. Probably finding a time when he seems at ease and comfortable to talk would be an appropriate time to nudge him in the right direction. You want to help them with out  coming across as intrusive or pushy.     ... View more

Another interesting articles I read this week - https://www.theguardian.com/social-care-network/2017/may/05/five-priorities-childrens-mental-health ... View more

$$$ being an access to services can be a huge barrier. It's great that we have the Mental Health Treatment Plan in Aus, but most parents need additional support for their teenagers that exceed what is provided here.   I think this is where services like Headspace, Lifeline, Kids Help Line become exceptionally important.     ... View more

@Ngaio-RO   I think knowing what resources exist for young people can be a really good way to help them cope. If there are opportunities to share apps, articles and positive stories about mental health then as parents the more we know the better.   Some great apps to chuck into your mental health toolkit are Headspace and Calm.   Another good way to help your teenage is to model positive behaviour when it comes to self care and balance.   It would be hard to encourage teenagers to use the apps, try resources etc if we haven't had a decent crack ourselves :) ... View more

@taziness great question!   I definitely agree that lacking a real connection with any provider is going to be a major barrier to continuing with that avenue. One thing we talk a lot about in our programs is the resilience often shown by young people when having an experience with a service provider that they didn't enjoy or feel connected to, yet continuing to see what other options exist for them.   The silver lining here is that young people can access support a variety of ways and it doesn't have to be utilising a face 2 face services...and it can be done in their own time and in their own space.   I also think that we have to be open to the fact that if a young person doesn't feel a genuine connection to the person their working with then that's ok. Other options can be explored. It's not like we get along with every person we encounter...and providers are people that we need to trust and feel connected to :)     ... View more

@taokat @taziness there was an interesting article on ABC news yesterday re Mindfulness apps (the pros and cons). Have you guys encouraged the use of these? ... View more

@taokat we here this all the time. Great that you were able to notice this change in behaviour. The next challenge is trying to start the conversation and listening to what is going on for them. ... View more

@Ngaio-RO changes in behaviour most definitely go both ways...sleeping more / less, eating more / less etc. Interesting as a lot of young people we work with in schools highlight this as a sign (lack of sleep) they often notice in themselves when school becomes a bit stressful due to exams and social / peer pressures. ... View more

Hi @dougs!   100% it can get tricky because at all ages we withdraw because we might be having an off day! If this is linked in with a drop in grades, missing school and talking about themselves negatively then it would be a good time to check in with them.    ... View more

Sounds awesome! Glad you felt like you were being 'herd' :) ... View more

Thanks @Ngaio-RO In terms of 'Looking Out' we tend to talk about changes in behaviour. For example if your child is generally quite outgoing / extroverted and then for a period of time (say at least 2 weeks) they're withdrawing, isolating themselves and not engaging in their normal behaviour (Footy, Netball, family dinners) then this can usually be a good indication that something is up.   Another big one to look out for is sleeping patterns. If your child is over sleeping, spending a lot of time in bed and overly lethargic then that could also be a good cue.   Does this help as a start? ... View more

Happening here :) ... View more

Thanks @taokat A big thumbs up for sharing that with us  Looking forward to tonights chat also!   ... View more

Thanks for having me RO.com    My name is Dom and I am batyr's School Program Manager and we're currently working with around 170 schools across Australia (Mainly East Coast).   So, a bit of background on batyr for those who may not already know:   batyr is a for purpose organisation that focuses on preventative education in the area of youth mental health. batyr provides programs that train young people to speak about their personal experience with mental ill health and start a conversation in their community.    Last night we ran a wonderful Parent Forum at Ruyton Girls School where the parents heard from Sam Refshauge (batyr CEO) Georgie Harman (Beyond Blue CEO) and one of our wonderful speakers Genesis.    Sam shared some background on batyr and highlighted why we exist as well as giving the parent some tips for supporting young people.   Georgie shared r esources Beyond Blue offer and tips for supporting young people.     Genesis shared how it was dealing with anxiety & panic attacks. The pressure she put on herself to deal with it on her own and the massive difference that was made when she was finally able to share the burden with her friends & family.   We also ran a Q&A to allow parents to get some more info on issues they were dealing with / experiencing.   One question was: "How do you know when the difference between normal teenage behaviour & mental health challenges?"   Georgie answered by stating: "Often we over diagnose and it can be unhelpful to label kids and put them in a box however the important thing to focus on is providing a supportive environment no matter what the issue is"   Looking forward to spending some time with you tonight,   Dom     ... View more