A Fresh Start for Students: New Mental Health and Wellbeing Menu for Schools

05 July 2025

A Dean Winter Labor Government will invest $10 million over two years for new mental health and wellbeing programs to be rolled out across all Tasmanian Government schools.

We will deliver a fresh start for Tasmanian students by providing them with greater access to the mental health tools they need to thrive in school. Mental health of students is a serious and growing issue across Tasmanian school communities.

Schools will be funded to select mental health programs from a list of approved programs, based on what suits their community. The programs will build resilience, emotional wellbeing and confidence in children. The Resilience Project is one of the programs expected to be included, as well as Speak up Stay Chatty.

Thanks to the Albanese Labor Government, from next year Tasmanian schools will be fully funded for the first time. A Dean Winter Labor Government will make sure this funding flows to schools in the manner it was intended, based on student need. This is how we can fund initiatives like this.

Good mental health is fundamental to the overall health and development of children, and that schools play a critical role on the front line of that. Based on a successful model used in Victorian schools, Labor’s policy and is designed to:

Lift educational outcomes by ensuring students are mentally well, emotionally supported, and ready to learn.
Ease pressure on the broader health system by addressing issues earlier and reducing the number of young people needing acute or crisis services down the track.
Support brighter futures for Tasmanian children by equipping them with lifelong mental health and wellbeing skills.

This initiative aims to provide an immediate boost in funding while longer-term action is taken to address the need for more allied health and support staff in schools.

After 11 years of the Liberals, Tasmanians can’t afford more of the same. It’s time for a fresh start under a Labor Government that puts the wellbeing of children at the heart of our future.

Attributable to Ben Waterman, CEO, The Resilience Project

Establishing a menu of evidence-based wellbeing programs to support Tasmanian schools is a fantastic initiative!

It will provide schools with the opportunity to access much needed programs and funding to proactively support the wellbeing of their school communities.

Attributable to Mitch McPherson, Founder, SPEAK UP! Stay ChatTY

We welcome any initiative that delivers support to young Tasmanians.

We have been working in schools for almost a decade now and we know that they have a variety of needs and challenges to meet when it comes to well-being. To have a broad range of options that are evidence informed and approved - is welcomed by us.

Dean Winter MP
Labor Leader

Sarah Lovell MLC
Shadow Minister for Education