Victorian Schools
Mental Health
Menu
We are proud to be listed as an evidence-based program on the Victorian Department of Education’s ‘Schools Mental Health Menu’. Victorian government schools can now use their mental health funding to purchase our program.
The Schools Mental Health Menu
The Victorian government has invested $217.8 million over four years to support student mental health and wellbeing, including $200 million over four years and $87 million ongoing to create a Schools Mental Health Fund. Underpinning the Fund is the evidence-based Schools Mental Health Menu.
The Schools Mental Health Menu is a list of endorsed programs that can support Victorian schools to improve the mental health and wellbeing of their students in line with their established priorities. The Menu helps schools to make informed choices on how to spend their funding.
The Menu provides Victorian schools with opportunities to purchase evidence-based programs and initiatives across the three tiers of intervention, with a strong focus on programs that promote student mental health and wellbeing.
Brainstorm Productions is listed on the Schools Mental Health Menu in the Bullying Prevention category under Tier 1: Positive Mental Health Promotion.
Providers included on the menu meet a range of criteria, including:
- Evidence of program effectiveness in supporting student mental health and wellbeing outcomes
- Alignment with department priorities
- Ease of implementation by schools
- Availability to eligible Victorian schools
- Cost-effectiveness
The Menu is designed to give Victorian schools confidence to identify programs that improve the mental health and wellbeing outcomes of their students. Menu items have been externally assessed for how well they support student mental health and wellbeing.
To learn more about the Schools Mental Health Fund and Menu
About our programs
Brainstorm Productions uses live theatre to engage, motivate and foster connections with students. The program stimulates discussion and learning around three key issues: bullying, cyber safety and wellbeing.
Each 50-minute performance is supported by a Q&A and Teacher Resource pack including discussion points, lesson plans mapped to the Australian and Victorian Curriculum and links to related resources.
Performances are offered for Years P-6 and Years 7-11, and the program is designed to allow students to see a different performance each year. Our programs are designed to be simple and cost-effective for schools, and no staff backfill or pre-requisite trainings are required.
Programs are developed by teachers, creative professionals and a clinical psychologist, in consultation with staff and students. Brainstorm Productions is also endorsed by the eSafety Commissioner as a Trusted eSafety Provider.
Intended outcomes for students include:
- Improved ability to recognise and regulate emotions
- The ability to identify personal strengths and use these to achieve prosocial outcomes
- Improvements in help-seeking intentions and behaviours
- Improved ability to recognise and understand the perspectives, emotions and needs of others
- Greater engagement in behaviours that show respect for the perspectives, emotions and needs of others
- Improvements in prosocial skills, such as assertive communication, cooperation, conflict resolution and helping behaviours