The Morrison Government is today launching a new, free phone application with information, ideas and guidance for parents to help them provide additional support their child\u2019s mental health and wellbeing.
\nThe Raising Healthy Children App was developed by the Raising Children Network as part of its program to support parents\u2019 mental health literacy by building knowledge and confidence concerning the social and emotional wellbeing of children. The Morrison Government is providing $1.5 million over three years to help fund the program.
\nMinister for Health and Aged Care, Greg Hunt, said supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young Australians is a high priority for the Government.
\n\u201cEach year, more than 300,000 Australian children experience a mental health disorder, and diagnosis and treatment at an early stage is important because it can reduce the length and severity of the problem,\u201d Minister Hunt said.
\n\u201cParents can play a crucial role in early diagnosis and this new app will give parents and carers the confidence to recognise early signs of social or emotional problems and help them to seek support if it\u2019s needed.\u201d
\nAssistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, David Coleman, said the app was targeted towards parents with children aged 12 years and under and includes information on health, development and wellbeing based on the child\u2019s age.
\n\u201cThe app also includes information and support for parents and carers to ensure they are looking after their own mental health and wellbeing,\u201d Assistant Minister Coleman said.
\n\u201cWe know that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant effect on the mental health and wellbeing of young children and their parents, and this app is a resource families can use to recognise warning signs and seek support.\u201d
\nThe app complements existing dedicated online mental health and wellbeing resources available for all parents and carers on the Raising Children Network\u2019s website and can be downloaded from the usual app stores on mobile phones.
\nIn August 2019, the Morrison Government asked the National Mental Health Commission to develop a new National Children\u2019s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy as part of the Government\u2019s Long Term National Health Plan.
\nThe strategy has been informed by a steering committee and expert advisory group and is due to be finalised this month.
\nThe 2021-22 Budget invests a record $2.3 billion in reformed mental health care, through the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Plan. This includes a number of initiatives for children and young people including:<\/p>\n
Australians looking for support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic can access the Beyond Blue Coronavirus Wellbeing Support Service anytime via telephone at 1800 512 348 or online at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au. The Morrison Government is today launching a new, free phone application with information, ideas and guidance for parents to help them provide additional support their child\u2019s mental health and wellbeing. The Raising Healthy Children App was developed by the Raising Children Network as part of its program to support parents\u2019 mental health literacy by building … Continue reading “New phone app to support children\u2019s mental health and wellbeing”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aussie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13159\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nAnyone experiencing distress can seek immediate advice and support through Lifeline (13 11 14), Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800), or the Government\u2019s digital mental health gateway, Head to Health.
\nIf you are concerned about suicide, living with someone who is considering suicide, or bereaved by suicide, the Suicide Call Back Service is available\u00a0 at 1300 659 467 or\u00a0www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"