North East schools to begin recruiting mental health practitioners

The Victorian government is beginning the roll-out of mental health practitioners at 31 schools in the Ovens Murray.

Wodonga Senior Secondary College principal Vern Hilditch welcomed the program's start.

"That was flagged last year; we put in place some ways of recruiting into that and we know the funding will come through from the beginning of term two," he said.

"All schools are finding that student mental health is probably one of the greatest challenges that we're facing, and we have done for some time."

Mr Hilditch said this added to the doctors in schools program.

"The thought is students will be able to self-refer, and we have social workers and a whole team of people who then work on well-being issues," he said.

The Mental Health Practioners initiative is a $51.2 million program which began in July 2019 and provides funding to schools to recruit a mental health practitioner.

It will see qualified mental health professionals in every government secondary school campus across the state, including psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists and mental health nurses.

Mental health practitioners offer counselling and early intervention services, and coordinate support for students with complex needs, linking them with broader allied and community health services.

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All government secondary schools will receive between one and five days a week of support from a mental health practitioner depending on its size and requirements.

Secondary schools included in the initiative:

Ovens Murray

Beechworth Secondary College

Benalla P-12 College

Blackburn English Language School

Bright P-12 College

Corryong College

Mansfield Secondary College

Mount Beauty Secondary College

Myrtleford P-12 College

Rutherglen High School

Tallangatta Secondary College

Wangaratta High School

Wodonga Middle Years College (3 campuses)

Wodonga Senior Secondary College