The Safe Space project aims to develop and pilot a new approach to supporting young people to overcome their mental health issues and to develop healthier habits and behaviours.
Through a peer leadership programme, the project team will support local youth leaders to become advocates of positive mental health among their peers. The chances of success for any proposed intervention can be significantly increased if the positive mental health message is delivered by a credible voice from within the youth community. The aim of the Safe Space project is to design and produce a full suite of educational resources that will support prevention and early intervention activities on a local level. These resources will focus on understanding what causes and affects ill mental health, what protective and risk factors can determine a young person’s mental health and how young people can support their
peers with the local mental health promotion campaign.
The Safe Space project is divided into three sections that contribute to its overall objective:
- Peer Leadership Programme
This programme will comprise 4 modules that will support young people to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to become leaders in tackling poor mental health among their peers.
- Self-help Cartoons and Resources
This suite of positive mental health cartoons and self-help resources will support young people who are cut off from service providers and counsellors, to access resources that can help them to develop positive mental health habits. They will also be used by newly-trained peer youth leaders in their local mental health promotion activities aimed at their peers.
- Safe Space Stories Video Library
This library of Safe Space success stories will act as inspiration and motivation for young people who are currently experiencing mental health problems, but who are looking for support and guidance to overcome these issues. Producing the video case studies will also empower the young people engaged in their production to tell their story of overcoming negative mental health and developing positive behaviours and habits.