AICAFMHA:
promoting mental health for young Australians
Australian Infant, Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health Association Ltd
ABN 87 093 479 022
NYPS Project Update - 7/12/2004
The project needs your help!
With Christmas fast approaching we are really keen to encourage young people and service providers to put their hand up to be involved in the reviewing of draft models as to how young people could be involved in the development and implementation of programs under the National Mental Health Plan and National Suicide Prevention Strategy. The draft models will be presented in youth friendly and professional formats with both available for comment.
What the review process looks like is very much up to you, as one of the main themes from the literature and discussions with various groups out there is that 'the one size fits all' approach does NOT work. So, if you or your young people are interested in reviewing the draft documents please contact the project officer, Dyanna Smith McCue either by phone 08 8276 2283 or email smith.dy@saugov.sa.gov.au as the AICAFMHA team are keen to support you in this process.
Reference Group
The second reference group meeting is planned for this Thursday and after
collating information from the literature and service provider's both in
Australia and Overseas the team is keen to check out with the reference
group:
Whether the themes drawn from these sources 'fit' with their experiences?
Is there any extra information we should be following up on?
The Process... As
we move into the 'dark side of the moon' writing up all the information
collated is starting to happen with a three monthly update due very soon. It
is hoped over the next few weeks we can coordinate times/dates to support the
review of draft documents and get busy writing them up over the
Christmas/New Year period.
I have met with the case study groups and am finding out about their:
Experiences historically and currently in the area of youth participation and
What their hopes/goals are for the future, as this will guide us in developing
a model, which suits their needs.
EMAILING LIST
NB: We encourage you to use this emailing list as a discussion tool in regards to the field of youth participation or I am happy for you to email me directly if you have any information you would like to have put 'out there' for discussion.
INFORMATION UPDATE
In summary, the following conditions appear necessary from the literature and
conversations with young people and service provides for the success of the
National Youth Participation Strategy.
1. Young people must be informed about
the objectives, process, and end use of the research before any fieldwork is
started. This is to ensure valid consent to participation, also increased
awareness of benefits of participation.
2. Workers and young people must agree on the issue of confidentiality at
the beginning of the project. This is to ensure that the privacy of young people
is protected.
3. There must be transparency about the aims and processes of young people's
participation in the community and development issues with parents, the young
people, and other community members.
4. Attention to sampling should be given emphasis so that relevant groups of
young people are represented in the project. If the group needs to be divided
into smaller groups, the appropriate groupings should be considered to enable
them to participate more actively in their groups.
5. There is a need to look at young peoples potential for participation when
designing activities. This potential should be matched with the tasks young
people are expected to do.
6. Activities for young people should be fun and not boring. Breaks in
activities, shorter activities, and games can be used to make the project
more enjoyable for young people. Group approaches work best for young people.
When young people are not enjoying themselves, getting bored, or dropping out,
methods must be changed and adapted to the young people's interest.
(ECPAT 1999) (Johnson 1996) (Theis 1997)
Thank you for your ongoing support...
NB: All fortnightly updates are available on the website www.aicafmha.net.au - click on Youth then Updates
ECPAT, U. (1999). "Standing up for ourselves - A study on the Concepts and
Practices of Young People's Rights to Participation." International Young
People's Action Against Sexual Exploitation of Children.
Johnson V. (1996). "Starting a Dialogue on Children's Participation." Participatory Learning and
Action No. 25.
Theis, J. (1997). "The Old Wine in New Bottles? Some Thoughts
on Children's Participation in International Development Work." SEAPRO Forum.
Dyanna Smith-McCue
National Youth Participation Strategy Project Officer
smith.dy@saugov.sa.gov.au
Ph: (08) 8161 7338
Fax: (08) 8161 6983
PO Box 387, Stepney SA 5069
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