EDFD340: Mental Health Brochure

Excerpts from the presentation:

Kids Helpline is an Australian counselling agency that provides young Australian’s ages 5-25 with confidential and specialised support. The agency predominantly focusses on the mental health of young people – including Anxiety. It also provide services in child protection and discrimination.

The agency uses a range of support platforms that young people can use to reach out and access the support that they require. These include; free telephone services, email, webchat and online forums. We believe that it is important to provide services using a range of resources so that it can cater to different audiences.

The Kids Helpline is constructed into five operational principles which guide their practices to ensure that when children are accessing support from this agency, they are cared for in safe and supported circumstances. The two pertinent ones include principles 1 and 2.

1. All communication is private and confidential

2. All young people are treated with respect

3. All young people can choose the gender of the counsellor they speak to

4. Young people are able to access the same counsellor if they wish to call back

5. Young people are encouraged to give feedback about Kids Helpline & the service they receive

The Kids Helpline is underpin by two overarching values – empowerment and child-centred practices. These values highlight the rights of the young-person to ensure that support is specifically catered to their needs as an individual.

Empowerment

• Dignity of the individual

• Aims to inform young people with resources

• Help young people to develop a sense of control in their life

Child-centred Practices

• Specific to the Child

• Explores the perspectives from multiple angles

• Emphasis on respect

There are a range of legislative requirements that mandate the practices of the Kids helpline. The legislation is reflective into different agency policies including child safety, education and support.

The Child Safe Principles

The Child Safe Principles are a legislative obligation that outlines the safety expectations for the treatment of children. The Child Safe Principles were developed by the Human Rights Commission which guides and informs educational institutions on how children should be cared with equity and respect (Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), 2018). The principles are embedded into the educational policies to mandate that children of all ages have access to ethical and professional education irrespective of the contexts that may be challenging. This is reflective in the values of the Kids Helpline as it indicates how children’s safety must be are the for-front of the agency meaning while the agency staff are working with young people they need to ensure the child’s safety is the primary priority.

The Child Protection Act 1999

Legal Framework guided under the Department of Child Safety. The framework child-centred explores child-centred practices by prioritising the welfare and interest of the child.

Kids Helpline unpins the legislative requirements of the act by mandating the protection of children and reporting any suspicions of things that may be hindering the safety and wellbeing of children. Agencies are mandated through law to report children who are deemed “at-risk” (Department of Social Services, 2009). The child protections act is not limited to child safety as it also protects children from discrimination – which is covered my bulling.

This act explores focuses on the health of children to ensure that all dimensions of social, emotional and physical wellbeing are cared for.

References:

Australian Human Rights Commission. (2017). Child Safe Organisation. Retrieved from https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/childrens-rights/projects/child-safe-organisations

Be you. (2021). Separation anxiety: How can educators help children manage this

anxiety. https://beyou.edu.au/fact-sheets/mental-health-issues-and-conditions/separation-anxiety

Department of Social Services. (2009). National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children 2009–2020. Retrieved from https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsibilities/families-and-children/publications-articles/protecting-children-is-everyones-business?HTML

Kids helpline. (2021). How to manage anxiety.

https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/how-manage-anxiety