School Mental Health Program
In 2022 as part of the School Mental Health Menu I was fortunate to take my 10 week Creating Insights program to the wonderfully supportive and inclusive environment at St Peter and Pauls primary school through the initiative of ‘the Song Room’ Kaleidoscope Program.
Written as part of my Masters final project, and based upon years of lived and working experience supporting my clients’ and own children through these formative years, I aim to offer a well rounded program with a person centred approach.
Creating Insights is a strengths-based art therapy program designed to create awareness, and support mental health and wellbeing in School aged children.
Based on the 7 ‘rainbow’ colours, the program takes the children through a weekly theme which is easy to identify and progress along with, encouraging curiosity and engagement. Ideally running as a 10 week program with week 1 as an intro and warm up to art therapy and group formation, followed by 7 consecutive theme based weeks’ and finishing with a collaborative group art piece and staff session to conclude.
A rainbow appears after a storm and is a symbol of PRIDE, HOPE, and DREAMS.
The Creating Insights program aims to arm children and youth with the necessary tools to safely express themselves, create awareness and navigate their transitional and formative years in prevention of the potential for acute crisis in this age group.
The program uses novel and evidence based art therapy interventions to improve the psychosocial needs and overall wellness and self efficacy for this population.
The session designs use a wide range of materials across the ‘Expressive Therapies Continuum’ (Hinz, L. D. 2009) to further support clinical reasoning and theoretical frameworks which inform the proposal.
“The risk factors the drivers of mental health operate during early childhood …and they conspire to produce the kind of wave of new cases of mental health and we see in adolescence and young adults, so focusing on children is truly important.” (McGorry, 2021).
“The earlier we intervene in life, in distress and in the onset of illness, the chances for better recovery are much, much greater. If we give children the best start, they will grow into happier, healthier adults.” (Milroy, 2021).
‘The Menu provides schools with opportunities to purchase evidence-based programs and initiatives across the three tiers of intervention. This includes initiatives that:
- promote student mental health and wellbeing
- enable schools to intervene early to support students
- provide targeted and more individualised support for students who need it.
Creative therapy can be a way for clients to explore and express feelings that are difficult to express and find new pathways to healing. A Creative Arts Therapy session is therefore different to traditional art classes and lessons’ (State Government of Victoria, 13 September 2022).
School Mental Health Menu Recommended Pricing
If you would like to find out more about introducing the program into your school please CLICK HERE
TESTIMONIALS:
“Working with Louise has been such a beneficial program to both our students and staff. We were granted a 10-week program to support the mental health and wellbeing at our school through art therapy. From the moment we met Louise, we knew we were in great hands. She had a vision and plan that she then worked to fit in with the needs of the students and staff at our school. Throughout the 10 weeks she flexibly worked as part of a team and individually to provide students with a tailored program that catered for small group sessions that ran concurrently with the Visual Arts lesson. Before long we had most of the class begging to attend the small group sessions with Louise. Students were returning calmer, centred and happy. Louise provided students with a safe space to express themselves without judgement, supported by their peers in a flexible learning environment which promoted reflection and exploration. Students were challenged to think, raise their self-awareness and be conscious of others.
Louise consistently worked as part of a member of our school, fitting in seamlessly to the rather hectic and ever changing timetable which is primary school. She communicated clearly, engaged regularly in conversations with staff to gain insights into each student and made a huge effort to engage those that she worked with. If every child could attend a weekly session with Louise I believe it could have a very significant impact on their general mental health and wellbeing. We hope that in the future we can reconnect with Louise and we can continue on our learning and growth journey with her.”
Michelle S, Teacher – St Peter and Pauls Primary School
FEEDBACK FROM THE CHILDREN:
“Dear Louise, Thank you for coming to teach us. It was so fun. I would love it if you came to teach my new school next year. I would also love it you paid us a visit to talk to us about the wonders of art. I learnt that art is so expressive and you can use it in SO many different ways. I learnt all of it from you. And again thanks so, so much for coming to our school to teach us art therapy.” H
“Louise thank you when you made us calm, share our feelings” B
“I enjoyed drawing and being mindful” A
“(I liked) when i got some blob of paint that dried and use our imagination to draw things that you think it looks like that you imagine.” G
“Thanks Louise for all the hard work you did to make us happy and for setting everything up just for us.” A
“I love this place. I love working with you.” Z
“Thank you Louise, I just LOVE being creative and expressive.” E
“Dear Louise, I am really going to miss you. You are so caring.” C
“I like all the things you let us do to really express our feelings.” W
“I loved the magic scroll and making things out of clay.” J
*Images used with permission