The philosophy of the Read the Play games evening is based on breaking down the following blockers known to be preventing young people from actively seeking assistance with mental health issues:
- The stigma associated with mental ill health
- The lack of knowledge about mental health/illness
- The lack of a language/literacy to engage in conversation on the topic
- A common reluctance to engage with adults as a part of teenage development
- The concern of confidentiality
- The need for choice when seeking help solutions
The Read the Play program is designed to:
- Equip both the PWO and the young people with basic information about mental health ie. signs & symptoms
- Break down the stigma around mental illness
- Equip young people with a language/literacy around mental health to facilitate help seeking conversations
- Introduce the PWOs as approachable, caring people, who understand the fundamentals of mental illness
- Stress the confidential nature of personal communications on the topic of mental wellbeing
- Offer options of alternative places to seek information and help for mental health issues
- Support the PWO, with a consultant working in the field of youth mental health
- Support the PWO in their role by providing a set of informative resources on a range of mental illnesses via a mental health resource folder, that could be shared with young people. Posters are provided to the club with contact details of where to go for help in their local area
BBQ and light refreshments offered to the boys on the night straight after training.
