MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCEs
A range of resources to better understand mental health and support yourself and those you care about.
You’re a young adult currently studying or starting in the work force. To help you with stress, anxiety, depression and general mental health, we have assembled links to some helpful courses, resources and thought pieces.
1. CONFERENCE: “Neurodiversity – Shifting Paradigms in Mental Health" (MAY 2023)
A two-day conference covering the intersection of mental health and neurodiversity relating to: the workplace, education settings, professional development and equity of access. Link to watch backs of all the sessions.
2. MENTAL HEALTH TRAINING
A world first online training course designed to support the mental health and well-being of all employees including those on the autism spectrum.
The ‘Supporting a Neurodiverse Workforce: A Mental Health and Well-being Online Training Course’ presents current, evidence-based information, and strategies about mental health and well-being for autistic individuals.
Content is available for executives, supervisors, mentors, co-workers AND employees on the autism spectrum.
By completing this 11-module training course, you will learn:
The importance of supporting well-being in the workplace
What autism is, and how to create autism friendly environments
How to recognise mental ill health more broadly as well as for those on the autism spectrum
Strategies to support the mental health of yourself, your colleagues, or your employees on the autism spectrum
Below is the final research report from the development of the toolkit and a summary booklet of the executive summaries from the toolkit resources.
Contact mht@untapped-talent.com to enquire about our face-to-face courses.
An on-line version of the course is now available at the link below at an introductory price of AUD399 ($Australian).
Also refer link to introductory course video.
3. Mental health crisis plan
Mental health is the state of well-being which involves resilience and coping with normal life stresses. When we talk about mental health, we often are referring to the conditions that are negatively impacted when our coping strategies fail.
Common mental health conditions are depression, anxiety and panic. When these are "too hard" to manage, a person may experience a crisis.
This crisis plan has been developed to assist you in times of crisis. It is a PDF that can be edited and saved to be your "go to" when you feel overwhelmed or when your mental health worsens. It will help you think more clearly and manage any difficult times with greater ease.
4. a. COURSES on improving mental health and suicide prevention
Curtin’s Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), “ ‘Talk to me’: Improving mental health and suicide prevention in young adults”, is available through the edX online learning platform. The program has been developed in consultation and co-production with mental health practitioners that are part of the German National Suicide Prevention Program (World Health Organization) and consumers with a lived experience of mental illness. The MOOC will teach those in regular contact with young people, including young adults, parents and teachers, strategies to recognise concerning behaviours and feel better prepared to converse about mental health.
A two-week version titled, “ ‘Talk to Me’: Managing study, stress and mental health at university” will also provide students with the knowledge, skills and understanding to recognise, identify and respond to mental health challenges in themselves and others.
The two MOOCs will be facilitated by Dr Ben Milbourn, Craig Thompson and Professor Sonya Girdler from the School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, and Frank Zimmermann and Dr Viktor Kacic from Klinkum Aschaffenburg in Germany. As at the end of 2020, over 40,000 people had enrolled in this MOOC.
4. B. COURSE ON AUTISM AND MENTAL HEALTH
Curtin has been involved in developing a further MOOC that provides autistic people and those around them with the knowledge and skills to navigate the relationship between autism and positive mental health outcomes.
5. RESOURCES FROM THE NATIONAL AUTISTIC SOCIETY, ENGLAND
This is a resource provided by the National Autistic Society in England, focusing on mental health support for individuals on the autism spectrum. It offers advice, guidance, and resources to help understand and address the mental health challenges commonly experienced by autistic individuals, as well as strategies for promoting well-being and accessing appropriate support. It also has a good practice guide for professionals.
6. impacts of COVID-19 on young people
This is a feedback report from the YACWA (Youth Advisory Council of WA). The aim of the survey was to gain an insight into the impact that COVID-19 has had on young people in Western Australia and assist youth services in providing vital support to vulnerable young people in the community.
7. resources for professionals supporting autistic children at risk of suicide
Autistica in the UK have collaborated with researchers, clinicians and community members to create a new mental health resource. It will help service providers, such as helpline workers, to better support autistic children and young people who are experiencing a mental health crisis.
8. A-Z RESOURCES FOR PROFESSIONALS
This is a directory for professionals providing an index of articles, videos and guides related to mental health from across the raisingchildren.net.au website, which is a comprehensive resource for parents and caregivers, providing evidence-based information and resources on child development, parenting strategies, and family health and well-being.
9. Resources from Mitchell College, NORTH Carolina
These resources offer information, support, and resources related to understanding and embracing the diversity of neurological differences, promoting inclusivity and accommodation for autistic, ADH and dyslexic individuals.
10. COLLEGE TO CAREER: SUPPORTING MENTAL HEALTH
College graduates take on many new responsibilities and obligations in the “real world” upon graduation, which offer many opportunities for change and growth in terms of career development and emotional wellness. For many, this time period includes significant stress and anxiety as young adults feel the pressure of burgeoning careers, financial obligations, changes in support networks, and all the other adjustments that come with stepping away from college and into the workforce. This report, from the University of Massachusetts Medical School, was undertaken to better understand the challenges to emotional wellbeing faced by young adults during the college-to-career transition.
11. Contact support
Telephone and text crisis services have helped many people who have felt suicidal, or were struggling in their life. Contact these services if you are suicidal, feel lonely, scared, depressed, anxious, or need some support. These services may also be able to provide good advice if you are worried about someone else.
If life is in danger (including your own) call Emergency Services in your country.
NOTE: These resources have been curated through the generous assistance of Professor Sonya Girdler, Director, Curtin Autism Research Group, Curtin University; Dr Darren Hedley, Senior Research Fellow, and Dr Simon Bury, Postdoc Research Fellow, at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University; Laurie Ackles, Director, Spectrum Support Program, Rochester Institute of Technology and Xialene Chang, Untapped Intern.