Understanding Mental Illness links to The Arts

Changing people's minds & attitudes

Survey collation - pages 57-59

Video - changing people's attitudes - pages 59-61

Script your own advertisement - pages 61-62

Exploring attitudes - page 62

The kindness of strangers (handout) - page 63

Key communication messages (handout) - page 64

Teacher Talk

Use local media reports on mental illnesses to illustrate levels of stigma.

Identity

1. Understanding self, group and others

Describes aspects of personal and group identity, eg cultural, behavioural, social, emotional and intellectual.

2. Understanding the social construction of identities

Appreciates that identities are constructed around personal and social values, ethics, systems, policies, practices and economics, eg age, race, ethnicity.

Understands and critiques these social constructs to identify issues of power, justice and injustice, and identifies examples of ways in which groups can consequently be advantaged or disadvantaged

Seeking help, finding support

Identifying the need for support - page 75

Local services - page 75

Care of the seriously mentally ill in Australia - page 76

Something is not quite right - getting help early for mental illness (handout) - pages 77-78

Scenario cards (handouts) - pages 79-82

Care of the seriously mentally ill in Australia (handout) - pages 83-86

Teacher Talk 

Involve student representative councils (SRCs) or other student bodies in making links with local community services.

Thinking

2. Drawing on a thinking from a range of times and cultures

Applies solutions that accommodate diversity and demonstrate holistic thinking and understanding in a range of contexts.

Interdependence

1. Understanding cultural and global connections, patterns and evolutions

Understands the ways in which environments, languages, beliefs and practices can be both culturally cohesive and divisive.

Identity

2. Understanding the social construction of identities

Understands and critiques these social constructs to identify issues of powers, justice and injustice, and identifies examples of ways in which groups can consequently be advantaged or disadvantaged.

3. Relating effectively to others regardless of their identities

Identifies actions taken individually or structurally to address issues around identity, eg harassment, racism, sexism, homophobia, employment/unemployment.

Taking actions, creating options

Getting help - pages 87-88

Sample questions - page 88

Actions & reactions - page 89

Discussion - page 89

Teacher Talk

Ensure staff know who they can contact for support with their own mental health issues. Include this information in induction material.

Interdependence

3. Acting cooperatively to achieve agreed outcomes

Considers ways to achieve preferred social and physical environments, taking into account ethical and equitable principles for living and working cooperatively.