This week, ReachOut Australia and the Mental Health Commission of NSW began a 6-week campaign to promote the pilot of ReachOut Next Step, an online self-assessment tool that links young people living in Western NSW to mental health information and support.
Created to make it easier for young people to recognise and understand the issues they’re experiencing, and to find the most suitable support, ReachOut Next Step assesses the young person’s needs and recommends a range of suitable support options. Designed in partnership with young people from Western NSW, the tool also provides clear actionable steps to follow and information about what to expect during the help-seeking process.
ReachOut Next Step is embedded in a comprehensive study combining qualitative and quantitative research to measure young people’s impression and awareness of the tool, and the impact Next Step has on their help-seeking intentions and behaviour.
Jono Nicholas, CEO of ReachOut Australia, said: “ReachOut Next Step has the potential to reduce the number of non-critical cases that present at local services, by matching people with support that best meets their needs.
“Next Step connects a young person to support that’s most appropriate for their situation, based on an online assessment that tests how severely an issue is affecting them. In some cases the best option may be face-to-face support, but in other cases it may be self-help information or a peer-to-peer forum at ReachOut.com.
“By providing a simple assessment as part of the help-seeking process, we could provide help to greater numbers of people more quickly, and even reduce client backlog at local centres.”
Working in collaboration with organisations from the Western NSW Local Health District (LHD), the pilot focuses on young people aged 16–25 years who live within the LHD. This encompasses cities, inner regional, outer regional and remote areas including Bathurst, Orange, Mudgee, Parkes, Forbes, Cowra, Dubbo, Lightning Ridge and Bourke.
John Feneley, the NSW Mental Health Commissioner said: “It is critically important to support young people, whose mental health needs are not always met by traditional services. This pilot program is a great example of developing targeted support tools in local communities and I look forward to seeing the results of the study later in the year.”
Image caption: ReachOut Ambassador Andrew Morley launched ReachOut Next Step at Dubbo College on Tuesday, 11 August 2015.
Created to make it easier for young people to recognise and understand the issues they’re experiencing, and to find the most suitable support, ReachOut Next Step assesses the young person’s needs and recommends a range of suitable support options. Designed in partnership with young people from Western NSW, the tool also provides clear actionable steps to follow and information about what to expect during the help-seeking process.
ReachOut Next Step is embedded in a comprehensive study combining qualitative and quantitative research to measure young people’s impression and awareness of the tool, and the impact Next Step has on their help-seeking intentions and behaviour.
Jono Nicholas, CEO of ReachOut Australia, said: “ReachOut Next Step has the potential to reduce the number of non-critical cases that present at local services, by matching people with support that best meets their needs.
“Next Step connects a young person to support that’s most appropriate for their situation, based on an online assessment that tests how severely an issue is affecting them. In some cases the best option may be face-to-face support, but in other cases it may be self-help information or a peer-to-peer forum at ReachOut.com.
“By providing a simple assessment as part of the help-seeking process, we could provide help to greater numbers of people more quickly, and even reduce client backlog at local centres.”
Working in collaboration with organisations from the Western NSW Local Health District (LHD), the pilot focuses on young people aged 16–25 years who live within the LHD. This encompasses cities, inner regional, outer regional and remote areas including Bathurst, Orange, Mudgee, Parkes, Forbes, Cowra, Dubbo, Lightning Ridge and Bourke.
John Feneley, the NSW Mental Health Commissioner said: “It is critically important to support young people, whose mental health needs are not always met by traditional services. This pilot program is a great example of developing targeted support tools in local communities and I look forward to seeing the results of the study later in the year.”
Image caption: ReachOut Ambassador Andrew Morley launched ReachOut Next Step at Dubbo College on Tuesday, 11 August 2015.
Related links
- TV star supports Dubbo teens, Prime7, 11 August 2015
- Former Home and Away actor raising mental health awareness in Dubbo, Daily Liberal, 12 August 2015
