'Connecting Our Way' is an Indigenous-led initiative for First Nations children that integrates traditional healing practices, yarning, weaving, and storytelling within culturally safe, trauma-informed spaces. Embedded Aboriginal worldviews and relational practice, the program aims to foster deep listening, connection, and belonging among children, families, and communities.
'Connecting Our Way' has been co-designed and co-created alongside Elders, Knowledge Holders, and community partners to position First Nations’ stories as living knowledges embedded in Country and collective experience. Implemented within community-led settings, intended program outcomes include increased engagement in learning, strengthened cultural identity, and enhanced emotional safety. The adaptable 'Connecting Our Way' framework allows localised implementation across diverse contexts, guided by community priorities and cultural protocols.
The program is being piloted in Boorloo/Perth, with evaluation processes embedded through ongoing participant feedback, Yarning Circles and reflective facilitator practice. These mechanisms are designed to support continuous learning, evidence building and adaptation while maintaining cultural integrity and informing strategies to strengthen the program, share learning and expand reach. 'Connecting Our Way' is demonstrating how culturally grounded, strengths-based approaches can strengthen social and emotional wellbeing during middle childhood. This work calls for greater investment in Indigenous-led, place-based initiatives that honour connection to culture, kin, and Country as central to healing, resilience, and community wellbeing.

For seventeen years, RAMHP has delivered support and training within rural, remote and regional NSW. Following years of compounding adversity, RAMHP Coordinators, who live in the communities they support, reported increasing challenges in engaging communities through traditional methods minimising the opportunity for mental health promotion, education and support. Understanding factors influencing mental health in their communities, the complexities faced by rural populations and challenges associated with help seeking, RAMHP Coordinators sought a new, effective way of engaging.

Through consultation with their communities, coordinators actively identified needs and barriers to help seeking, discussing findings with a demographically diverse working group. This consultation process confirmed the need for a new approach, a way of delivering information that was accessible and relatable, something that could be utilised at the person's convenience. A resource designed with and for communities and shaped by their stories.

To achieve this, coordinators collaborated with communities, collecting stories about the lived experience of people who had chosen to engage with this process. Boots on the Ground was born from this engagement, capturing people’s experiences and sharing them in a way that individuals and communities could be proud of. Boots on the Ground celebrates individuals and communities thriving in the face of adversity and getting creative to support their mental health.

Since October 2024, over 11,000 physical copies of the Boots on the Ground magazine have been distributed across 20 LGAs in rural NSW. RAMHP Coordinators have used the magazine at over 80 community events, often reporting that it opened conversations about mental health in ways traditional resources could not.

This initiative highlights a meaningful shift in engagement demonstrating the power of strength-based storytelling in creating change. It offers an uplifting, replicable model with potential to redefine how mental health promotion is delivered in rural and remote communities.

Well-being means different things to different people, and understanding its subjective nature remains a persistent challenge in research and practice. While positive well-being is associated with enhanced psychosocial functioning, health, and adaptability, conventional assessment tools often overlook how individuals experience and define well-being in their own contexts. This presentation addresses this limitation through the introduction of a bespoke visual tool; My Story Cards, designed to help individuals identify, reflect on, and articulate their unique well-being needs.
Using a qualitative, participatory design, 45 adults engaged in interviews that combined card-sorting and visual elicitation to select and discuss images representing what mattered most to their well-being. Analysis using interpretative phenomenological methods revealed that participants found the visual process intuitive, emotionally resonant, and empowering. The approach facilitated self-reflection and fostered meaningful dialogue about core needs, such as connection, autonomy, health, and security while highlighting how these were shaped by life stage, gender, and personal circumstances. Participants described how fulfilled needs supported resilience, purpose, and hope, whereas unmet needs were linked to emotional strain and reduced functioning.
The findings demonstrate that visual elicitation bridges cognitive and emotional dimensions of experience, uncovering tacit and context-sensitive aspects of well-being often inaccessible through verbal or text-based methods. By integrating cognitive, emotional, and contextual perspectives, this method offers a person-centred framework that enhances the authenticity and relevance of well-being assessments.
This research and wellbeing model highlights the practical value of visual tools for mental health promotion and preventive practice in community settings. It offers an inclusive and engaging means to support dialogue, guide intervention design, and inform outcomes-based approaches to individual and group well-being.

Breath Circle: Strengthening Emotional Resilience Through Mindful Breath and Movement

Breath Circle is an evidence-based, trauma-informed program that equips young people with lifelong tools for emotional regulation, self-awareness, and resilience. At its core, the program integrates mindful breath and movement practices into school communities, creating a sustainable foundation for preventative mental health and wellbeing.

Our approach includes:
• Somatic education: Delivered in safe, trauma-informed environments, students learn how to calm their nervous systems, regulate emotions, and respond to stress with increased agency.
• Inner empowerment: By fostering self-awareness, autonomy, and body-mind connection, young people are encouraged to turn inward for support and move through challenges with confidence.
• Resilience-building: Sessions reinforce the belief that each student has innate tools to navigate adversity — increasing self-esteem, emotional literacy, and mental flexibility.

We adopt a whole-community model by offering tailored training to teachers, caregivers, and school staff. This shared language of breath and movement creates intergenerational support systems, embedding mindful practice into the culture of the school and wider community.

Breath Circle recently completed a 12-month research collaboration with Western Sydney University’s Young & Resilient Research Centre, analysing programs delivered across 40+ schools nationwide. Results showed that 97% of students reported positive outcomes, including improved emotional self-regulation, reduced anxiety, and increased use of breath-based tools in everyday life.

Our growing impact is strengthened through strategic partnerships with:
• Monash University (music-for-meditation and consciousness research)
• Western Sydney University (program evaluation)
• Cool Australia (curriculum integration)
• Australian Yoga Academy (facilitator training)

By embedding mindful, body-based practices into school ecosystems, Breath Circle offers a scalable, preventative framework for cultivating resilience and mental wellbeing in young people — and the communities around them.

Context and Aim:
Individuals living with chronic conditions and awaiting surgery often experience significant emotional distress, yet there remains a lack of evidence-based preventive interventions to address these needs. The Queensland Health Way to Wellness service (WTW) opportunistically intervenes with priority public patients during their wait to improve modifiable risk factors, including emotional wellbeing through brief evidence-based interventions. The service incorporates the PHQ-4, a screening tool aimed at identifying emotional wellbeing risks related to anxiety and depression, and intervening to prevent further psychological deterioration.
Methods and Analysis:
The evaluation focused on measuring the effectiveness and patient satisfaction of the Way to Wellness service, which has been operating across Queensland since 2019. Evaluation data is collected through evaluation surveys completed via phone and coupled with service-level data including along utilisation rates, to assess both the reach and impact of the service.
Outcomes:
Evaluation results revealed that 9735 patients have participated in the Way to Wellness service since inception and 46% have been eligible for emotional wellbeing support with half of these patients experiencing moderate to severe psychological distress. WTW has connected patients with mental health supports that they otherwise may not have accessed. The evaluation showed >1000 links were provided to support clients including MindSpot, and PainLink. The service also receives compliments outlining the positive impact of the service on emotional wellbeing. These findings suggest that the Way to Wellness service has successfully filled a critical gap in preventive emotional health support for individuals with chronic conditions who are awaiting surgery.
Future Actions:
Given the positive outcomes observed, future actions should focus on expanding the service’s reach to ensure more individuals benefit from early emotional wellbeing support. Additionally, future developments could include the integration of more personalised interventions, increased awareness campaigns, and exploring digital innovations to enhance accessibility.

. What is the problem/issue that requires action?

International students often face cultural adjustment stress, academic pressure, and social isolation, yet preventive mental health initiatives rarely address their unique emotional and spiritual needs. Existing programs tend to focus on crisis intervention rather than resilience building. There is a need for culturally responsive approaches that promote belonging, balance, and mental wellbeing.

2. What do we know or have we learned to address this problem, and how has this finding been derived?

Through participatory workshops with international students and educators, Gita Psychology practices—such as self-reflection, mindfulness of action (Karma Yoga), and detachment from outcomes—were applied as tools to manage uncertainty and emotional fluctuation. These principles align with contemporary positive psychology and stress prevention literature while offering deeper cross-cultural relevance.

3. How has this been used in practice?

The model was implemented in small group sessions at tertiary institutions and community networks. Participants reported increased emotional regulation, reduced self-blame, and greater clarity of purpose. Faculty mentors observed improved engagement and peer support among students. The findings highlight that ancient philosophical frameworks can be adapted effectively within preventive education programs.

4. What actions should we take in the future?

Future directions include embedding Gita-informed preventive wellbeing programs within university orientation, student counselling, and peer mentoring systems. Collaborative research with multicultural educators and mental health practitioners can validate and expand this model. Supporting the mental health of international students through inclusive, philosophy-based prevention can enhance both academic success and community integration.

Keywords: international students, preventive mental health, Gita Psychology, emotional resilience, cultural wellbeing

Context and aim
Over 80% of motor vehicle crash (MVC) injuries are classified as minor to moderate, yet often result in persistent and elevated levels of psychological distress which can affect work participation and quality of life. Mental health conditions are common in this group, but the use of mental health services remains poorly understood. This study examines the prevalence and determinants of mental health service use following minor to moderate MVC injury.

Methods and analysis/research findings
This retrospective cohort study of work-related MVC injuries used data from workers' compensation claims in New South Wales, Australia, linked with universal health insurance, hospital, and social welfare records. Analysis compared the prevalence of post-injury mental health service use between (1) people hospitalised after MVC injury; and (2) people with MVC injury who were not hospitalised. A third, age and gender matched community comparator group was included. Binary logistic regression was used to examine associations between mental health service use and covariates including pre-injury service use, age, gender, socio-economic status, and injury year. Analyses were stratified by funder (universal health insurance or workers' compensation) and conducted across multiple follow-up periods (12, 24, and 60 months).

Translational outcomes
This study confirms that people with minor to moderate work-related MVC injuries experience significant mental health needs, evidenced by the high prevalence of mental health service use. The results highlight the importance of preventive mental health strategies, even for non-hospitalised injuries, and could inform service design across healthcare and compensation systems.

Future actions
To strengthen prevention, future efforts could include mental health screening post-MVC, integrated physical and psychological care, targeted support for vulnerable groups, and policy changes to improve access. Enhanced data sharing across health services and compensation systems could also help identify people at risk and to provide timely support.

Young people experiencing acute mental health and psychological distress episodes require adults to be able to support and guide them during these difficult moments. However, many adults are unsure how to respond effectively to young people, with responses often reactive, inconsistent, or not being appropriate to the level of distress. Many times adults either under-or-over-respond to young people in these times.

When an adult over-responds to a young person in distress we often provide interventions that are not suitable, such as emergency service involvement and presentations to hospital. At times, adults also under-respond and the young person will often escalate to activate the adults around them.

There is no standardised approach to 'safety planning' and for young people experiencing acute mental health or psychological distress episodes. Young people, and the families who support them, are provided with inconsistent, non-standardised information that is often contradictory. This non-standardised approach is not current best practice for physical health issues such as asthma and diabetes.

Along with the non-standardisation and inconsistency, current practices relating to 'safety planning' are siloed. Different settings and sectors have different names and templates for safety planning for the same child. EquiEnergy Youth's Coach 2 Cope programs and tech enabled individual support planning tools provide an evidence-based framework to standardise the care and support for young people across settings and sectors. The tools allow young people, families, and professionals to use a common language and framework to co-create the support plan that guides a consistent, predictable, and appropriate response to young people to reduce episodes of distress. The TAR3 Support Plan can be used at a primary prevention level to guide adults to support a young person's coping, resilience, and positive help-seeking behaviour. Additionally, the plans can be used at an intervention level for those young people experiencing increased frequency, intensity, and duration of psychological distress that often impacts on the safety of self and others.

The presentation will provide an overview of Coach 2 Cope program and tech enables support planning tools, and current implementation and outcomes progress across sectors and settings.

Context and aim: After exploring community perception of the behaviour that promotes mental wellbeing in 2002, the Act Belong Commit® campaign was piloted in regional areas in 2005-2007. Based on its success, the statewide mental wellbeing promotion campaign was launched in 2008. The model has been adapted for different cultures, geographic areas, settings and population sub-groups. Traditional mass media gave way to digital first channels, driving the evolution of the campaign in 2020, including a brand refresh and strategic shift. This study evaluates campaign awareness and engagement from 2019 to 2022.

Methods and analysis: Mixed methods evaluation included a comprehensive brand and communication review, partner consultations, digital analytics, and annual Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) 2019-2022 (total n=2,256). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify demographic factors associated with campaign awareness at 5% significance level.

Outcomes: Unprompted awareness of the Act Belong Commit® message decreased slightly, from 20.4% in 2019 to 16.6% in 2022. Prompted overall campaign awareness increased from 54.2% in 2019 to 82.5% in 2022 with differing channels reported. Awareness was significantly higher among females, rural and remote residents, and middle-aged adults (p<0.05). Proportion of people who reported taking action to improve their mental health due to the campaign increased to 27.7% in 2022 from 13.4% in 2019. In 2021, there were 81,928 total visitors to the website, and three collaborative posts over one week reached 109,634 unique users across Facebook with over 118,000 impressions.

Future actions: The shift to an ‘always on’ digital marketing approach fosters continuous engagement with the campaign and its message. Digital strategies increase marketing flexibility and enable targeted messaging to specific population segments. Strengthening digital engagement and capability is the focus of future campaign strategies. Challenges include managing costs and developing evaluation approaches suited to multiple creative executions and channels.