Background:
In his National Press Club speech of 20 August 2025, Minister Mark Butler name-checked some specific programs that might be scaled up and block-funded under Thriving Kids.
This week, we’re looking at Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS).
Context:
Thriving Kids is intended to replace the NDIS early intervention pathway for most children, including children with mild and moderate autism and developmental delay. Families want to know about the support that might be available for their kids in mainstream settings.
Overview:
MHiPS is a program that upskills experienced teachers to become “Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders” (MHWLs*) within primary schools.
Goals:
MHiPS is designed to help schools promote good mental health and to reduce mental health problems in students.
Why is MHiPS relevant toThriving Kids?
- As a group, children with mild and moderate developmental delay or autism are at greater risk of mental health challenges than the general population.
- MHiPS is an example of a program in which teachers in mainstream settings act as “bridges” between education and allied health services. It may become a model for how other mainstream supports are structured and delivered nationally under Thriving Kids.
Who “owns” MHiPS?
It’s a partnership between the Centre for Community Child Health at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne.
Who funded MHiPS?
The Victorian Government, some prominent family trusts and foundations, and Bupa.
What do MHWLs do?
- Provide support to teaching staff to increase their knowledge, skills and confidence in supporting students’ mental health.
- Improve care pathways between education and health sectors, including to identify and connect students that require mental health assessments and treatments to mental health professionals.
Are MHWLs mental health therapists?
No. They are experienced teachers who:
- understand the realities of delivering support in busy classrooms; and
- have knowledge of their local school, and relationships with school staff members, students and families.
Do MHWLs treat students’ mental health issues?
No: they are coordinators, not clinicians. MHWLs do not provide therapy to students.
How are MHWLs trained?
They must be qualified teachers. They complete three, one-day, online training modules about mental health literacy, supporting needs, and building capacity, and attend ongoing “Communities of Practice sessions” with mental health experts.
Real World challenges:
- Teacher shortages: MHiPS requires an experienced teacher in each school to be trained and appointed as a full-time MHWL. In many parts of the country, we are experiencing a shortage of experienced classroom teachers.
- Mental health professional shortages: The model assumes MHWLs can connect at-risk students to mental health services. But, right now, there are lots of professional service and funding gaps in mental health systems for children.
- Role clarity: Some teachers report confusion about the scope of the MHWL role and how it fits (or overlaps) with existing school wellness programs and the roles of other staff members, such as assistant principals and school counsellors.
- Different views on education priorities: Almost everyone agrees that students’ mental health in schools is important. But some teachers think that educators and primary schools should prioritise teaching kids to read, write, and to be numerate, which can also positively impact students’ mental health.
Evidence:
Recent feasibility research suggests that, despite some of the challenges, the MHWL role is feasible, and has the potential to improve mental health and wellbeing in schools (see citation below).
Roll-out status:
In Victoria, MHiPS is due to reach every government and low-fee non-government primary school in the state by 2026. In Queensland, the MHiPS team is adapting and evaluating the feasibility of a MHiPS in Mount Isa schools. In South Australia, the team is working with the government to run a pilot in South Australian primary schools.
Bottom line:
MHiPS shows promise. But, before it is rolled out nationally, it would be good to see high quality effectiveness studies showing positive downstream effects on student and family outcomes. Families of children with mild or moderate developmental delay or autism will want to understand how, exactly, the program will help connect their kids to evidence-based mental health professionals and services if they need them.
Go deeper:
Johnson, C., Dawson, G., Smith, R. et al. Feasibility and Acceptability of Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinators in Australian Primary Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study. School Mental Health 17, 674–684 (2025).
Read more:
Mental Health in Primary School (MHiPS)
*In the research, MHWLs are sometimes referred to as Mental Health and Wellbeing Coordinators or MHWCs.
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