NMHS Innovation students win silver at Youth Think Tank Final

We recently took part in the annual WA Health Youth Innovation Think Tank which invites high school students to team up with WA Health to understand a health problem and investigate solutions.

This year our North Metropolitan Health Service team from St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls were awarded second place for their ideas to create new ways for young people to access mental health services.

NMHS Innovation Director Susan Powe said the Youth Innovation Think Tank was an opportunity to empower young minds to take an active role in shaping the future of healthcare.

“The event not just finds innovative solutions for today, it also equips the next generation to lead positive change in the years to come,” she said.

St Hilda’s Anglican Girls School worked in teams and in partnership with NMHS clinical mentors and the Innovation Team to address the rising suicide rates among Indigenous youth in the Karratha region.

Their campaign named ‘it’s Ok to reach out’ was designed to reduce stigma around mental health through sports, and was developed in consultation with local elders.

Since 2019 the Youth Innovation Think Tank has been led by Innovation teams at health service providers in collaboration with high schools across Western Australia to inform practical solutions for health service.