An Australian-first service that provides busy parents of teenagers with free, confidential one-on-one parenting help will be launched today by digital mental health service ReachOut Australia. Delivered using a mix of online and pre-booked phone sessions, ReachOut Parents Coaching gives parents the flexibility to easily access support from anywhere in the country.
Any parent who is worried about their relationship with their teenager, or concerned about their teenager's wellbeing or behaviour, can access up to four phone sessions with a professional parenting coach as well as a range of personalised digital resources. Parents looking to better understand their teenager or wanting general parenting support would also benefit from the service.
All phone sessions are delivered by trained professionals from The Benevolent Society, experts in helping families build strong relationships, and tailored to an individual's specific goals and situation. This means that parents will receive practical strategies they can put to use immediately after their first call.
ReachOut CEO Jono Nicholas said the service is a solution for busy parents of teenagers who are looking to access support without having to travel to on-the-ground services, many of which struggle to keep up with demand.
"Raising happy and healthy teenagers today can be a minefield. This is the first generation of parents facing issues around technology and social media in addition to the age old challenges such as bullying, drinking, sex and relationships. We also know that around one in four young people are likely to have a mental illness.
"At the same time, today's parents are working longer hours, making it even harder to access support during the week.
"Because this is a digital-based service, parents have the flexibility to schedule sessions at times that suit them, whether at home or during a lunch break. Booking a session is as easy as buying a cinema ticket online."
Matt Gardiner, Executive Director Child and Family Services, The Benevolent Society, adds: "We believe that parents and caregivers are the most important person in a teenager's life. We provide parents and caregivers with effective parenting strategies and tools to strengthen their relationship with their teenager and feel as though they are back in control. This service is an excellent way to assist parents in their own time. It's confidential, it's available to them when they're available and it helps parents create a plan with the coach, putting them on the path to communicating well with their teenagers."
Through the ReachOut Parents Coaching Program, parents will be able to access up to four free sessions with support from a Benevolent Society coach, who will help parents to:
- recognise what's working with their parenting and what isn't
- discuss parenting strategies
- develop a parenting action plan
- share additional strategies, share tools and resources over digital interface
- keep track of their progress
- book in additional coaching sessions if they need to
The new service is the newest addition to ReachOut Parents, which provides evidence based digital self-help, tools and parenting peer support that parents can access around the clock.
Register for the ReachOut Parents Coaching Program here
To be eligible, parents need to
- be a parent or carer of a child aged 12-18
- have access to a phone and computer or tablet
ABOUT REACHOUT
ReachOut is Australia's leading online mental health organisation for young people and their parents. Our practical support, tools and tips help young people get through anything from everyday issues to tough times, and the information we offer parents makes it easier for them to help their teenagers, too
ABOUT THE BENEVOLENT SOCIETY
The Benevolent Society is Australia's first charity, working as a catalyst for social justice and change for over 200 years. The Benevolent Society advocates for a better life for all Australians and provides quality services in the areas of Family Support, assisting older people, and Australians with disability. We help people age well and live a healthy life, staying in their homes wherever possible.
For more information, please visit www.benevolent.org.au, on Facebook/thebenevolentsociety or on Twitter - @BenevolentAU
