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Gone are the times when kids had to struggle with the stigma of mental health issues. Tasmania is opening the door to a brighter future for kids by providing them with access to early intervention and mental health support through Head to Health Kids Hubs.
“Like most health issues, it’s best to seek help early. By supporting children with an emerging mental illness or behavioural issues, we can improve a child’s wellbeing now and set them up for a better future,” noted Assistant Minister Emma McBride.
This is a huge step towards giving kids and their families the tools to navigate their thoughts, feelings, and circumstances, and it has many benefits. In this article, we’ll take a look at this initiative and discuss the importance of mental health support for kids.
Who will the mental health support be available to?
Head to Health Kids Hubs mental health support services will soon be operational in Bridgewater, Burnie, and East Tamar. The Kids Hubs aim to provide free mental health and well-being services for children aged 12 and under and their families who are experiencing mild to moderate developmental, behavioural, emotional and mental health challenges.
The hope is to achieve this goal by filling gaps in the health system through accessible, child-centred services to affected families at no cost.
What will the mental health services provide for kids?
The Kids Hubs will provide multidisciplinary services, such as access to psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, paediatricians, peer workers, and Aboriginal health workers. Children will not require a formal referral or diagnosis to receive care.
As noted, there are many key people who play a role in nurturing a child’s mental health. Parents, guardians and caregivers are at the forefront. You don’t need to have your doctorate to see when kids are struggling with their mental health, but teachers, psychologists and other professionals can study further to effectively help kids.
Nowadays, most universities, like Victoria University Online, allow you to take a postgraduate course online in order to sharpen your knowledge, skills and experience to pick up on potential mental health issues and really make a change in the trajectory of a child’s life.
What is the importance of providing early mental health support for kids?
Childhood is a crucial time in anyone’s life, and your life experiences will play a pivotal role in the development of your mental health. Prioritising early mental health support for children facing mental health challenges will help to recognise and address mental health concerns as soon as possible to give them the chance to succeed in life on a variety of levels.
Providing early mental health support services allows parents and anyone involved in childcare services to be able to identify any mental health issues in kids. People will be able to observe the signs and symptoms in children. Here are some early indicators to take note of in order to prevent the progression of potential problems.
- Changes in mood
- Changes in social interactions
- Changes in behaviour
While your child’s grades should never come before their mental health, there is a direct correlation between the state of a child’s mental health and their academic performance.
Children who show signs of mental health issues have an increased likelihood of struggling at school. Being able to identify and address issues as soon as the signs prevent themselves can help give your child the support needed to help them excel in their studies.
Implementing early intervention in childhood mental health care is one of the keys to helping your kids develop healthy social skills and the building of positive relationships. There are so many social cues and challenges ahead of kids, and they all develop at their own pace, but having access to mental health support can help your child improve communication, build resilience, and gain confidence to develop to their full potential.
With the availability of early intervention comes the opportunity to prevent an escalation of mental health issues in kids. What may present itself as a small and inconvenient issue during the early stages of development, can become more severe or even chronic later in the teen years and adulthood. Early mental health support allows for the implementation of appropriate support for kids to aid them later on in life. These may include:
- Counselling
- Coping strategies
- Therapies
Final Thoughts
Never underestimate the effect that early intervention in childhood mental health care can have on a child’s overall well-being. You might not see it now, but by addressing mental health concerns early on in life, children can be equipped with the tools they need to navigate challenges they may face when they’re older.
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