Say It Loud In Your Crowd - a youth mental health resource designed by young people, for young people in regional and rural communities
In response to the Final Report by the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System, YACVic Rural worked with young people in rural and regional communities to develop Say It Loud in Your Crowd, a resouce and guide to lead local events and conversations about youth mental health.
“Say It Loud in Your Crowd is a resource and guide to elevate young people in rural and regional communities to be community champions of mental health,” says Katherine Ellis, CEO of YACVic.
“The resource will improve youth mental health literacy, increase the likelihood of young people seeking professional assistance, support young people’s capacity for self-care, and reduce mental health stigma in the wider community."
Emily Kirton from Horsham is a young person from the Say It Loud In Your Crowd Youth Working Group says that the resource “was co-designed by young people from across rural and regional Victoria."
"Now we are taking the Say It Loud in Your Crowd resource and guide back to our communities through a roadshow of events across rural and regional Victoria.
“We recognise that every rural and regional community is unique, and have designed Say It Loud in Your Crowd so that different communities can take what they need to improve youth mental health services in their local area.”
The guide will be made available to all 267,000 young people in rural and regional Victoria, and YACVic will deliver 12 local events in rural and regional communities with the support of the youth working group. They will be held in East Gippsland, Latrobe, Ovens Murray, Great South Coast, Geelong, Central Highlands, Goulburn, Loddon Campaspe, Wimmera/Southern Mallee and the Mallee regions.
Tim Harte, who was also part of the Say It Loud In Your Crowd Youth Working Group says that “young people have the most powerful voices to call for better mental health services and outcomes”.
“Young people’s lived experiences of social issues are invaluable to target issues and advocate for solutions. Advocacy led by young people who have most at stake in the issue, makes sense and has the ability to deliver genuine, tangible outcomes.”
Learn more about Say It Loud in Your Crowd at: yacvic.org.au/sayitloud
Download the Say It Loud In Your Crowd guide and resource
For more information on this project, details of local events or to access a hard copy of the guide, contact Carla Hall on 0459158647 or chall@yacvic.org.au.
Media Contact: Katia Pellicciotta (she/her), YACVic Media and Communications Coordinator on 9267 3744 or KPellicciotta@YACVic.org.au
About Youth Affairs Council Victoria
Youth Affairs Council Victoria (YACVic) is the peak body and leading advocate for young people aged 12–25 and youth workers in Victoria. Our vision is that young people are active, visible and valued in their communities.