Associate Professor and educational and developmental psychologist at Monash University, Dr Kelly-Ann Allen has more than 10 years experience as a school psychologist—having started her career in early learning. She currently combines her expertise as a practitioner with her academic research interest in the field of belonging and social inclusion. In this podcast, Dr Allen discusses the importance of belonging in schools and how it can help to prevent bullying.
This podcast is produced on behalf of Bullying No Way: National week of action—an initiative of the Australian Schools Anti-Bullying Collective.
Professor James Scott is a clinical child and youth psychiatrist and the head of the Child and Youth Research Group at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Queensland. He is the recipient of a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Practitioner Fellowship (2016–2020), awarded for his research into prevention and intervention strategies to improve the mental health of adolescents.
Professor Scott established a programme of research developing preventative strategies and cost-effective real-world interventions for mental illness in children and youth. His research incorporates studies in epidemiology, clinical trials, bullying and psychiatric neuro-immunology. He is the elected chair of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists Section for Youth Mental Health and an editor of the Journal Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. In 2018, he was awarded the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ Senior Research Award, conferred on the 'Fellow who has made the most significant contribution to psychiatric research in Australia and New Zealand over the preceding five years'.
This podcast supports the National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. This is a bullying prevention initiative, connecting schools and communities to find workable solutions to bullying and violence. Each year, schools around Australia mark the day to raise awareness and to stand against bullying and violence.
Mountain Creek State School guidance officer Louise Blanch is an advocate for student, staff and community wellbeing. She is an advanced practitioner in the Wheel of Wellbeing program and has worked with her school community and a range of schools in the North Coast region to spread the wellbeing message. She believes gratitude, empathy, mindfulness and emotional literacy help promote wellbeing and happiness.
Leigh Tankey is Head of Curriculum at Agnes Water State School. She has trained in the Smiling Minds regional and rural program and the Wheel of Wellbeing intensive program. The school has been implementing the meditation and mindfulness program for more than 2 years. Leigh believes the social and emotional wellbeing of teachers, students and families can be enhanced with these mindfulness practices.