With a new school year about to start, Kids Helpline has expanded the Kids Helpline @ School program to offer free support to every primary and high school across Australia.

“Just as yourtown revolutionised support for children and young people three decades ago with the launch of Kids Helpline, the expansion of Kids Helpline @ School seeks to ensure all schools have access to early intervention resources,” said Tracy Adams, CEO of yourtown, which operates Kids Helpline.

“Thanks to a substantial funding boost from Bupa Foundation, every primary and high school across Australia now has access to the Kids Helpline @ School program,” Ms Adams said.

“Fostering self-help and building resilience, this free service has no limit to how many sessions a school can book. The curriculum-aligned sessions of Kids Helpline @ School are tailored and adjusted to meet the needs of the student age group and community. It strengthens the reach of Kids Helpline to support the social and emotional wellbeing of children and young people. 

“The negative impact of poor mental health on educational outcomes and personal wellbeing is increasingly a major focus for schools. This is why this early intervention program is so important, it enables high schools to connect classrooms to a Kids Helpline counsellor free of charge by simply booking a session online.

“Young people also tell us that they value the connection of their peers and the material covered in the Kids Helpline @ school sessions can be the catalyst for meaningful conversations between peers and with their teachers,” Ms Adams said.

Kids Helpline counsellors have created sessions for all high school year levels on topics, including:

• Coping with changes & transitions
• Cyberbullying & mental health
• Emotional intelligence
• Everyday resilience

Teachers can connect their classroom to a Kids Helpline counsellor free of charge by booking a session online via schools.kidshelpline.com.au