The Guide goes Global

• Welsh team showcase work at Canadian mental health training event
• Training session drew people from Sri Lanka, Brazil, Kenya, USA, Canada and Germany

Action for Children’s Guide team has showcased its work on children’s mental health in Wales to educators from all over the world at Teen Mental Health’s prestigious international Mental Health Academy in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Invited by Senator Dr Stanley Kutcher, who developed the Guide, the team delivered a presentation on how the Guide is changing the conversation around mental health in Welsh schools. They also helped guide the participants with their thinking about future implementation of the Mental Health and High School Curriculum worldwide.

Action for Children was awarded a Welsh Government grant for the delivery of The Guide last year, to all year 9 pupils across Wales at no cost to the schools. The Guide provides mental health literacy training for teachers and a complete set of resources proven to increase the understanding of mental health and mental disorders, decrease the stigma of mental illness and increase the ability to seek help, amongst students and teachers.

Chris Dunne leads the Guide team and said: ‘It was a great honour to be invited by Dr Kutcher to present our work to the Mental Health Academy and tell the world about what the Guide has achieved in Wales. We also spent valuable time with Canadian colleagues delivering the programme and will be working with Andrew Baxter, lead for the Alberta Mental Health Literacy Project & Mental Health Quality Improvement Committee on developing a pilot for a primary school literacy programme.

‘It’s clear from our time with the Teen Mental Health Team and colleagues from across the globe that the children of the world need this support now more than ever and it’s great to be part of the international passion and drive to do something that truly can make a difference for their future.’