Schools

Photo by Stephen Paris from Pexels

OBUKA promotes a culture of Mental Well-being in the school environment. Our program supports students; staff - teaching, non-teaching, management; and parents.

Students spend the majority of their time in school. This is, therefore, the ideal place for all types of learning to occur, including mental health education to destigmatize mental health issues and to improve resilience. Mental health conditions account for 16% of the global burden of disease in people aged 10–19 and the consequences of not addressing adolescent mental health conditions extend to adulthood.

Our School Wellness Program incorporates the 5Ts for Mental Health Education

1. TALKING about Mental Health to students, staff, and parents

2. Providing appropriate TRAINING for teachers and staff

3. Incorporating Mental Health into TEACHING

4. Providing helpful TOOLS for students

5. TAKING CARE of teachers

Our Program is designed to...

● Build resilience against adversity

● Provide the skills and confidence to self-seek help for early intervention

● Foster a friendly, respectful, safe and inclusive school environment

● Establish proactive policies addressing wellbeing and inclusion

● Foster strong partnerships with students, parents, carers, community

● Recognize and intervene when students experience problems related to well-being

Why schools?

● Ease of reaching adolescents

● Students spend one-third of their time in school

● Half of all mental health conditions start by 14 years of age but most cases are undetected.

● Schools are better equipped to recognize when intervention may be required.

● One in six people are aged 10–19 years

● Mental health conditions account for 16% of the global burden of disease in people aged 10–19

● The consequences of not addressing adolescent mental health conditions extend to adulthood