Wednesday, March 25, 2026

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM

Jarrah Room

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Overview

Space limited! Registration free but mandatory - Only available to face-to-face conference delegates

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Details

Hosted by: Smiling Mind ​ Facilitated by: ​Dr. Addie Wootten, Director of Strategic Engagement, Smiling Mind Presenters include: - Dr. Louise Birrell, Program Lead of Young People’s Mental Health & Wellbeing - The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use | NHMRC Emerging Leader Research Fellow - Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney  - Dr. Simone Darling, Principal Research Fellow, Team Leader and Senior Program Manager - Murdoch Children’s Research Institute - Dr. Addie Wootten, Director of Strategic Engagement - Smiling Mind​ Overview This session brings together three leading Australian organisations — the Matilda Centre, MCRI and Smiling Mind to explore what effective preventive mental health approaches look like in primary schools. Through three evidence-informed presentations and a structured group discussion, participants will deepen their understanding of universal prevention, whole-school systems, mental fitness and SEL and explore what it will take to scale a prevention movement within the primary school setting.  Target Audience Anyone interested in mental health promotion and prevention in the school setting . Learning Outcomes 1. Understand the distinct developmental needs of primary school–aged children and how mental health promotion and prevention differ from approaches used with adolescents and adults. 2. Identify the major barriers and enablers influencing effective implementation of preventive mental health programs in primary school settings, drawing from research and real-world practice. 3. Articulate shared system-level conditions that support sustainable, scalable preventive mental health approaches including workforce capability, routine-based SEL, leadership engagement, and low-burden evaluation. Structure 1. Welcome & Framing (5 minutes) 2. Three Presentations showcasing different approaches to school based prevention / promotion — 10 Minutes Each (30 minutes total) A. The Matilda Centre – Universal Prevention in Schools (10 mins) B. MCRI – Whole-School System-Level Approach (MHiPS) (10 mins) C. Smiling Mind – SEL & Mental Fitness as a Universal approach to mental health promotion (10 mins) 4. Table Workshop: Three Shared Questions and reflection (40 minutes total) exploring critical elements required to improve and scale a preventive approach through the primary school setting

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Speaker