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 - Dr. Ruth Aston, Senior Lecturer - School of Education Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics, University of Adelaide Overview This session brings together four leading Australian organisations - the Matilda Centre, MCRI, Smiling Mind and the University of Adelaide - to explore what effective preventive mental health approaches look like in primary schools. Through four evidence-informed presentations and a structured group discussion, participants will deepen their understanding of universal prevention, whole-school systems, mental fitness and SEL, and implementation science 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. Four Presentations showcasing different approaches to school based prevention / promotion — 10 Minutes Each (40 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) D. University of Adelaide – Implementation Science for Sustainable Impact (10 mins) 3. Table Workshop: Three Shared Questions (30 minutes total) exploring critical elements required to improve and scale a preventive approach through the primary school setting

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Speaker