International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human Resilience
Open Access

Abstract

The Student Engagement, Mental Health and Wellbeing in Western Australian Catholic Schools Audit (the SEMHW Audit) was conducted in response to formal and in formal feedback from schools about the impact of students with mental health issues in schools. The SEMHW Audit was considered an important way of informing Catholic Schools and Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) about the current status of these students and the role of schools in supporting mental health and well-being of students. The intention of the SEMHW Audit was to share information collected across the system which would then be used to inform service delivery from the system in the area of student engagement and associated mental health and well-being. The audit was conducted in August 2015 and 156 Catholic schools (97%) across the state completed the survey. It was anticipated that the SEMHW Audit would provide information that would assist with identifying the impact and needs of students with mental health concerns in schools, promoting understanding of the roles and responsibilities of schools, CEWA support teams and the Catholic Education Office in supporting students with mental health concerns, understanding how to build the capacity of Catholic schools to meet the needs of these students; examining the relationship between mental health and its impact on behavior and learning; understanding the current issues and what support/resources/guidance are needed by schools to support students and staff and identifying good practice already in schools to support students with mental health issues.

Biography

Email: reid.jacqueline@ceo.wa.edu.au