VEYLDF Alignment
Item uses these practice principles: Partnerships with families, High expectations for every child, Respectful relationships and responsive engagement, Equity and diversity, Integrated teaching and learning approaches, Partnerships with professionals.
Item responds to these sub-outcomes: Children
become strong in their social, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.
Description
Conversations with a Psychologist: Promoting Children’s Mental Health and Wellbeing aims to build the capacity of early childhood professionals to understand factors that support children’s mental health and wellbeing, as well as provides insight into common presentations of children’s emotional struggles. The program identifies practical ways that educational teams can support children’s mental health and wellbeing through their educational practice and environments.
The program is a series of four pre-recorded conversations between an experienced registered teacher and a registered clinical psychologist with extensive experience working with children, discussing key topics in children’s mental health.
These topics include:
- Understanding and supporting separation anxiety in children and parents
- Understanding and supporting children’s emotions
- Understanding and supporting children’s neurodivergence
- Understanding and supporting children’s gender and sexual development
In addition to the webinars, educational teams can participate in four networks facilitated by the teacher and psychologist to explore the topics in greater detail and deepen participants’ understanding of the course at an additional cost.
Detailed Costs
Twelve-month subscription to webinars (4 webinars, 45 minutes each) for all educators in the service (uncapped numbers): $500 (excl. GST)
Four network meetings for 2 teachers plus webinars: $900 (excl. GST)
Network meetings for additional team members: $200 (excl. GST)
Implementation Considerations
Target population: early childhood teachers and educators.
Program/practice descriptions and details: conversations are pre-recorded, self-paced and delivered online, allowing teams to access them whenever most convenient. Participants have the option to participate in four 75-minute network meetings that cover each topic for an additional charge. Network meetings are facilitated by the teacher and psychologist featured in the conversation recordings.
Program adaptability: Access is unlimited across educational teams and the program can be accessed across Victoria.
Staffing: it is recommended that teaching teams be provided with a total of 4 hours of backfill so they can engage in the recorded conversations and reflective activities. If participating in network meetings, it is recommended that a further 5 hours of backfill be provided.
Tools and systems: conversations and networks are delivered online so services require access to web-enabled devices.
Priority Area
Wellbeing (social and emotional)
Strength of Evidence
Level 4 - Emerging research evidence