Kids Helpline Symposium 2016 15 September Help seeking by children and young people: Past, Present & Future

Kids Helpline (KHL) first opened its phone helpline to children and young people 25 years ago. On the first day of opening, 3,200 young people called Kids Helpline.

25 years of providing counselling and support has seen more than 7.5 million contacts responded to nationally. Over the years we have made remarkable achievements and seen changes not only in why kids contact us but also how they do this. In 1991, the internet did not exist the way we think of it today. In today’s world kids no longer go online they live online.

Young people’s help seeking pathways and preferences over the last 25 years have constantly evolved – socially, culturally and technologically. KHL responds to these changes through innovation and service delivery. We believe it’s important to share this knowledge as it can inform ongoing service development, including the Australian mental health reform process.

No other organisation in provides what KHL does with extensive contact with young help seekers. This gives KHL a unique insight into the help seeking behaviour of children and young people.

We have invited topic experts to contribute to discussion about the past, present and future of help seeking by children and young people. We invite you to join us to help Australia continue to provide services that are supportive, child-focused and responsive. Panel Host: Megan Mitchell, National Children’s Commissioner

Megan is Australia’s first National Children’s Commissioner. Her appointment marks a significant step in the protection of children in Australia with the rights and interests of children, and the laws, policies and programs that impact on them being top of the Commission agenda.

Megan has extensive experience in issues facing children and young people having worked with children from all types of backgrounds, including significant work with vulnerable children. She also has practical expertise in child protection, foster and kinship care, juvenile justice, children’s services, child care, disabilities, and early intervention and prevention services.

Her previous roles include NSW Commissioner for Children and Young People, Executive Director of the ACT Office for Children, Youth and Family Support, Executive Director for Out-of-Home Care in the NSW Department of Community Services and CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service.

She holds qualifications in social policy, psychology and education, having completed a Bachelor of Arts from the (1979), a Diploma of Education from the Sydney Teachers College (1980), a Master of Arts (Psychology) from the University of Sydney (1982) and a Master of Arts (Social Policy) from the University of York (1989).

Keynote Speaker: Tracy Adams, CEO yourtown/Kids Helpline

Tracy has more than 25 years’ experience with yourtown and was appointed CEO in 2008. In this role, she is responsible for implementing the organisation’s strategic direction and ensuring its operations are conducted with the highest standards of integrity and accountability.

Since being appointed to her current position, she has directed significant company growth, including an operating budget increase of more than $30 million, a client increase of more than 200% and a greatly enhanced advocacy platform for those experiencing social exclusion. Tracy has frequently addressed Government enquiries into the welfare of Australian children and young people.

Keynote Speaker: Dr Peter Ellyard, Futurist

Dr Ellyard is a futurist, strategist, speaker and author who lives in .

Peter is a graduate of Sydney University (BSc.Agr) and of (MS, PhD). He works to assist individuals, companies, communities and nations to develop pathways to success in the emerging 21st century interdependent global society.

He is currently Chairman of the Preferred Futures institute and the Preferred Futures Group, which he founded in 1991. He also chairs Foundation 2050.

Peter is a former Executive Director for the Australian Commission for the Future. He held CEO positions in a number of public sector organizations over 15 years including two associated with Environment and Planning, and one with Industry and Technology, and was also Chief of Staff of an Environment Minister in for 3 years. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Business School, and is a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators, the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand, and the Australian Institute of Management.

Dr Ellyard has been a Senior Adviser to the system for more than 30 years including to the 1992 Earth Summit where he was a senior advisor on both the climate change and the biodiversity conventions. In this he was the only Australian and one of only 20 globally. At other times he has been a senior consultant to the UNEP, UNDP and UNESCO. He is the author of the best selling book ‘Ideas for the New Millennium ‘(1998, 2001), ‘Designing 2050: Pathways to sustainable prosperity on Spaceship Earth’ (2008) and ‘Destination 2050: Concepts bank and Toolkit ‘(2011). Keynote Speakers

Tracy Adams Past, Present & Future - 25 years of Kids Helpline – How has KHL adapted its responses to the help seeking CEO yourtown/Kids Helpline needs of children and young people?

Dr Peter Ellyard Future – How will help seeking methods change in the future? Futurist

Panel Members

Dr Katherine Boydell How has support and intervention for children and young Blackdog people about mental health been influenced by technology?

Jeremy Donovan Do tele-web providers meet the help seeking needs of GenerationOne Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people?

John Chan Youthful innovations – new solutions by those that use them. Optus

What role does social media play or could play in help-seeking Facebook by young people?

Ernest Wong How does new help seeking technology with children and Kids Helpline young people work in practice?

Leah Hammond Hey, I’m a young person! What do young people really think? yourtown client Program — Thursday, 15 September 2016

Keynote speaker: Tracy Adams, CEO yourtown/Kids Helpline

Guest speaker: Dr Peter Ellyard, Futurist

Panel host: Megan Mitchell, National Children’s Commissioner

Time: 2 pm - 5 pm Panel Discussion with representatives from: • Black Dog • Facebook • Generation One • Kids Helpline / yourtown

5 pm - 7 pm

Networking and canapès

Venue: Australian Human Rights Commission Level 3, 175 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW

RSVP: 07 3867 1250 [email protected] 6 September * RSVP essential — Numbers limited

More about the Symposium: To find out more contact us on 07 3867 1250, email [email protected] or visit www.yourtown.com.au/KHLsymposium

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