Current projects
If you would like further information on any of the projects below, please contact us at [email protected].
International Student Mental Health COVID-19 Response Project
The Victorian State Government funded Orygen to deliver an International Student Mental Health and Wellbeing COVID-19 Response Project offering the following components:
- Support to counselling and wellbeing staff working in the education sector across Victoria through a mental health advice line.
- Group peer work supervision to international student peer workers employed by education providers across Victoria.
- Moderated online clinical support to international students accessing clinical youth mental health support services throughout Victoria via the MOST digital platform.
International Student Peer Work training program
Orygen received funding from Study Melbourne to develop and deliver introductory peer work training designed specifically for international students. Orygen will pilot the introductory peer work training package with 40 international students who identify as having lived experience of mental ill health to develop the basic skills and understanding needed to support other international students.
Students completing peer work training will develop an understanding of how to share their lived experience of mental ill health with other international student’s while developing employability skills for the emerging peer workforce.
VTAC Education Transition Project
Orygen have partnered with the Victoria Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) to explore the impact of mental ill-health on the completion of secondary school and admission to post-secondary education. Researchers will examine issues such as the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of Victorian school leavers applying for university or higher education.
Orygen will use the findings from the project to understand the proportion and distribution of mental ill-health among Victorian students and its impact on their educational outcomes. This understanding will inform the design and development of future programs and support.
YOTES in Schools
Orygen's Youth Online Training and Support System (YOTES) combines evidence-based career content with the latest innovation in digital solutions to deliver interactive career information and support to users.
YOTES in Schools is designed to increase the capacity of school-based career teams to support students by providing information on a range of career opportunities in both the local area and further afield.
YOTES in Schools will be adapted and tailored especially for a secondary school setting.
Individual Placement and Support at Barwon Health Jigsaw Youth Mental Health Service
Orygen is collaborating with Barwon Health’s Jigsaw Youth Mental Health Service to implement a 12-month youth individual placement and support (IPS) program in the Corio-based service from early 2021, through the generous support of RACV.
IPS is an evidence-based model of employment support for individuals experiencing mental ill-health and integrates vocational support services with clinical mental health services.
Orygen will provide implementation support, workforce training, IPS resources and fidelity reviews throughout the program.
Youth Peer Work
Orygen is building capacity to provide training, supervision and support to youth peer workers and their organisations across Australia. Orygen has introduced a wide range of peer work programs across our organisation including vocational peer workers, digital peer moderators, peer workers, peer educators, peer researchers, in-patient peer workers and family peer workers.
If you would like further information on any of the projects above, please contact us at [email protected].
International student wellbeing project
Study Melbourne, a Victorian Government initiative, has provided funding for Orygen to introduce international student mental health peer workers to the education sector. This project seeks to implement international student mental health peer work into education settings, bringing their unique experience of moving to Australia to study combined with lived experience of mental ill health to enhance education provider support for international students.