Zero2hero delivers youth mental health workshops as suicide remains leading cause of death for Kimberley kids

As suicide continues to be the leading cause of death for children in the Kimberley, one organisation, zero2hero, is delivering desperately needed mental health workshops for young people in the region. According to statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare in 2020, the Kimberley has the highest rates of hospitalisations for self harm in people aged between 0 to 24 years in WA — 611 self harm hospitalisations per 100,000 people, compared to the state-wide rate of 224 per 100,000 people. Zero2hero Partnerships and Fundraising manager Oscar Wharton said access to mental health education in the North West was more critical than ever. “We know the Kimberley is one of the most vulnerable regions in WA, due to its remote location that limits access to specialist health services,” he said. “Nothing is hurting young people more in the region than poor mental health. “They are struggling to access basic mental health support despite suicide being the leading cause of death for young people.” To tackle the enduring crisis, zero2hero is delivering mental health workshops at schools across the region with plans to engage 1600 Kimberley kids before the end of the year. The program has already delivered workshops to 446 primary and high school students from Broome and Kununurra with two more school roadshows planned for the year. Mr Wharton said the school roadshows will include outreach to remote Aboriginal communities and will be culturally responsive, engaging with Aboriginal engagement officers in schools as well as other mentors. “Through our work so far, we have been focused on engaging with local service providers and those that support young people, to learn about current programs and how we can contribute to a collective impact approach and find ways we can fill the gaps,” he said. “Youth education is so critical. 80 per cent of young people will reach out to a friend first before they go to their school counsellor, before they go to their parents, before they call Lifeline or Beyond Blue. “And if that friend isn’t equipped to handle that conversation, then the outcome is critical.” Zero2hero’s 12 month strategy also includes sponsorships for young people to attend Camp Hero LEADERSHIP, a life-changing program for young leaders where they learn practical skills on how to help others who may be struggling with their wellbeing or showing signs of taking their own life. In early April, nine students attended the camp program, including Scarlett Boon-Shillinglaw, 15, from the Kimberley who said she felt empowered to return to her community as a life-saving connector. “I learnt so many valuable skills during the camp, including how to start conversations with those who struggle with poor mental health and how to guide them in directions of support,” she said. “This will remain with me for life. They’re skills I wish everyone would learn early on in their life.” “Eliminating the distraction of external responsibilities - especially our phones - brought us all together and helped us connect in deeper ways than in normal, everyday life.” It comes after a 10-year-old boy from the Kimberley committed suicide while in State care on April 12, highlighting the mental health crisis of Kimberley kids and the feckless response to the crisis from the State. Earlier this year while speaking to the Broome Advertiser about youth suicides in the region, WA Commissioner for Children and Young People Jacqueline McGowan-Jones said “we’re losing this generation” to crime, suicide and addiction if immediate action isn’t taken. Lifeline 13 11 14 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800