B075N Armed for Life

The Objective

Our mission is to equip youth and communities in Western Australia with the knowledge and skills to identify and prevent mental health disorders, and normalise conversations around mental health, enabling our youth to feel confident about seeking help.

 The Issue

Nearly 36% of Australian secondary school students report high levels of anxiety, depression, or both, according to a 2023 survey of roughly 140,000 students in grades 3 to 12. In addition, psychological distress climbs sharply with age, from about 31% at 12–14 to 65% by 18–25. Yet only around a third of young women and 13% of young men with mental health problems seek professional help.

 Our Response

1.     KNOWLEDGE

Prevent mental illness by equipping young Australians with a better understanding of mental health conditions and how they can be identified and addressed. Rather than waiting for crisis, Armed for Life focuses on prevention through evidence-based presentations (single session) and programs (multi-session) designed to equip communities (students, teachers, and schools) with the knowledge to identify mental health conditions, open up conversations about their own challenges, and discover tools and resources to prevent harm before it takes hold.

2.     CONVERSATIONS

Normalise the conversation around mental health for youth, parents and the wider community. Armed for Life also addresses important conversations around unaddressed depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Too often people struggle with these issues without reaching out for help, so the organisation works to make asking for help acceptable and normalised.

3.           RESOURCE

Connect young people with professionals and community resources to address mental health conditions before they become life-controlling or assist in their treatment if already suffering a mental health condition.

 Our Activities & Impact

Equip and empower Western Australian youth by building self-esteem, resilience, as well as personal and social skills that together bring hope and opportunity by:

1. The Resilience Initiative targets high-needs schools and students with single-session presentations (resilience, anxiety and self-esteem, relationships and anti-bullying, addiction and protective behaviours), early intervention programs like the Barbershop Program, Wellbeing Days (large group, all-day activity-based mental health day) and the Road to Resilience regional tours prioritising country students.
2. The Barbershop Program brings together 10 to 15 high-risk boys for a 6- to 8-week training program, using barbering and small business skills to create a cohesive, safe environment for difficult conversations.
3. The Road to Resilience “road trips” take Armed for Life to regional communities.
4. Community Camps are divided into junior and senior cohorts and run twice per year, focusing on healthy relationships (summer camp) and resilience and self-esteem (winter camp).
5. Teacher Training (professional development sessions)
6. Parent Support (training, conversations, consultations)