Towards a comprehensive child mental health system: Exploring data and policy

An Emerging Minds webinar series

With 13% of Australian children aged 0–12 years experiencing a mental health condition¹ and 24% of children entering their first year of school vulnerable in at least one developmental domain², it’s important to build adaptive workforces and systems that can meet children’s needs.

This work involves enhancing capacity across the service spectrum – from mental health promotion and prevention to early and specialist support services. It also means drawing on a broad range of professionals who come into contact with children and families every day – from education and primary health settings to child- and adult-focused services.

But workforces can’t respond alone. They must be able to work within a comprehensive and coordinated system to improve child mental health outcomes.

This three-part webinar series aims to equip participants with research and data to help build organisational understandings of children’s mental health, understand the needs of the workforce, and explore the role that organisations and sectors can play in a comprehensive system.

The series is intended for organisational and systems leaders across the health, education, social and community services sectors, as well as practitioners with an interest in workforce development.

Through these webinars, you will explore:

• the prevalence of child mental health conditions, indicators of mental health vulnerability, risk and protective factors, and service usage
• a broader conceptualisation of the child mental health workforce and current workforce distribution and competency
• emerging trends in the literature about mental health service design and child mental health competencies
• Emerging Minds’ vision for a comprehensive and coordinated child mental health system.

Registering for the webinars

You can find out more and register for each of the webinars by clicking on the following event pages. Registration is required for each webinar, so please ensure you register for all three events if you are planning to participate in the entire series.

While attending all three webinars is recommended, you will still be able to engage with the content by attending one or two sessions. All of the webinars in this series are free to attend.