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Workshops

Workshops are being held as part of our Concurrent sessions. Workshops will be held Face-to-Face and will NOT be recorded, nor livestreamed for virtual (plenary hub) delegates. The workshop information will continue to update as information is confirmed.

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Registration is free for but mandatory. Once you register for the Conference, you'll receive the information to register for your preferred workshops.

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Click on the links below to view more details about our workshops:

  1. ​​Workshop #1 - Prevention in Action: Nothing for Us Without Us

  2. ​​​Workshop #2 - Working with children in mental health promotion and preventive mental health

  3. ​​​Workshop #3 - Upskilling workshop – Co-design process for preventive mental health and mental health promotion

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​​Workshop #1 - Prevention in Action: Nothing for Us Without Us

 

Date: Tuesday 24 March 2026

Start Time: 1:30 pm

Finish Time: 3:00 pm

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Hosted by: Prevention United

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Facilitated by: ​Ms. Suzanne Dick,  CEO - Prevention United and Ms. Hong Hanh (Hani) Nguyen, Community Engagement Lead - Prevention United 

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Presenters include:

  • Binusha Pathirana, Youth Advisory Group member - Prevention United

  • Em Howells, Youth Advisory Group member - Prevention United

  • Ashwak Ahmed, Youth Advisory Group member - Prevention United

 

Overview

This youth-led session brings lived experience and practical insight to the forefront of preventive mental health. Through storytelling, interactive activities, and an open Q&A, Youth Advisory Group members share what helps and what gets in the way of early support for young people in schools, communities, and digital environments. Participants will explore future-focused advocacy grounded in real experiences, including the impacts of AI, social media, and educational transitions. The session invites leaders, practitioners, and stakeholders to collaborate with young people toward stronger prevention awareness, responsive school systems, and sustained partnership in shaping the future of mental wellbeing in Australia.   

 

Target Audience

  • Leaders and decision-makers in State/Territory and Federal mental health commissions and Health departments and statutory bodies 

  • Advocates and people with lived and living experience of mental ill-health and carers

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Learning Outcomes

  1. Strengthened Prevention Awareness and Access: Increase general awareness of preventative mental health strategies and the existing support systems and interventions available to young people.

  2. Generational Collaboration for Future Goals: Facilitate ongoing collaboration between young people and professionals to jointly define and set goals for protecting the mental health and well-being of future generations.

  3. Future-Focused Advocacy and Youth Voice: Inspire and develop new advocacy initiatives led by youth voice in preventative mental health, ensuring they adapt to contemporary societal challenges like AI, evolving school systems, and social media.

  4. Enhanced School-Based Recognition and Referral: Improve communication and collaboration with schools to ensure both staff and students can effectively recognize signs of poor mental health and are fully aware of available help and resources.

  5. Sustained Stakeholder Partnership: Establish a continuous, collaborative relationship with key stakeholders, particularly young people, to inform and shape the mental health sector's work.

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Structure

  1. Storytelling

  2. Interactive activites (small and large groups)

  3. Q&A

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​​Workshop #2 - What does effective preventive mental health look like in primary schools - and what will it take to scale it?

 

Date: Wednesday 25 March 2026

Start Time: 11:00 am

Finish Time: 12:30 pm

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Hosted by: Smiling Mind

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Facilitated by: ​Dr. Addie Wootten, Director of Strategic Engagement, Smiling Mind

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Presenters include:

  • Dr. Louise Birrell, Program Lead of Young People’s Mental Health & Wellbeing - The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use | NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow - Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney 

  • Dr. Simone Darling, Principal Research Fellow, Team Leader and Senior Program Manager - Murdoch Children’s Research Institute

  • Dr. Addie Wootten, Director of Strategic Engagement - Smiling Mind

  • Dr. Ruth Aston, Senior Lecturer - School of Education Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics, University of Adelaide

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Overview

This session brings together four leading Australian organisations - the Matilda Centre, MCRI, Smiling Mind and the University of Adelaide - to explore what effective preventive mental health approaches look like in primary schools. Through four evidence-informed presentations and a structured group discussion, participants will deepen their understanding of universal prevention, whole-school systems, mental fitness and SEL, and implementation science and explore what it will take to scale a prevention movement within the primary school setting.

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Target Audience

Anyone interested in mental health promotion and prevention in the school setting .

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Learning Outcomes

  1. Understand the distinct developmental needs of primary school–aged children and how mental health promotion and prevention differ from approaches used with adolescents and adults.​

  2. Identify the major barriers and enablers influencing effective implementation of preventive mental health programs in primary school settings, drawing from research and real-world practice.

  3. Articulate shared system-level conditions that support sustainable, scalable preventive mental health approaches including workforce capability, routine-based SEL, leadership engagement, and low-burden evaluation.

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Structure

  1. Welcome & Framing (5 minutes)

  2. Four Presentations showcasing different approaches to school based prevention / promotion — 10 Minutes Each (40 minutes total)

    • A. The Matilda Centre – Universal Prevention in Schools (10 mins)

    • B. MCRI – Whole-School System-Level Approach (MHiPS) (10 mins)

    • C. Smiling Mind – SEL & Mental Fitness as a Universal approach to mental health promotion (10 mins)

    • D. University of Adelaide – Implementation Science for Sustainable Impact (10 mins)

  3. Table Workshop: Three Shared Questions (30 minutes total) exploring critical elements required to improve and scale a preventive approach through the primary school setting

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​​Workshop #3 - Upskilling workshop – Co-design process for preventive mental health and mental health promotion

 

Date: Wednesday 25 March 2026

Start Time: 1:30 pm

Finish Time: 3:00 pm

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Hosted by: PHAA Mental Health Special Interest Group (SIG)

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Facilitator & Presenters - ​To be announced

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Overview- TBC

 

Target Audience - TBC

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Learning Outcomes - TBC

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Structure - TBC

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