From pilot to practice: MHiPS in Mount Isa

The Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) team recently joined school staff, First Nations leaders, and government, community and philanthropic partners for a reflection on the implementation and early learnings from the MHiPS Mount Isa feasibility evaluation.  

In 2024, a pilot initiative used a participatory action research approach to adapt the MHiPs model to the needs of the Mount Isa community. After implementation of the adapted model, an evaluation was completed to assess how the MHiPS model could be adapted for regional and remote communities in Queensland.  

The hybrid forum was held at the Mount Isa Educational Precinct on the lands of the Kalkadoon people. It brought together more than 50 key stakeholders committed to improving children's mental health and wellbeing through school-based approaches. 

Following an Acknowledgement of Country by Rowena Rankine (School-Community Partnership Facilitator), David Hillhouse (Regional Director for the Queensland Department of Education’s North Queensland region) opened the forum. A key focus of the event was the presentation of feasibility evaluation findings from the pilot led by the MHiPS evaluation team. This provided an opportunity to reflect on how the model has been implemented in the unique context of Mount Isa and to consider enabling and challenging factors.  

‘There’s a lot of healing that needs to be done. Not a lot of teachers have done mental health training. When we do it, we get an understanding of the kids.’ – Evaluation participant 
 
‘MHiPS is the perfect bridge between the teaching staff and the Guidance Officer* [role].’ – Evaluation participant 

MHiPS in practice 

The forum also featured a guided discussion on ‘MHiPS in practice’, bringing together perspectives from schools, community and First Nations partners. These conversations highlighted the value of collaborative partnerships at school to bring together local knowledge, professional expertise and lived experience to inform approaches to student wellbeing and mental health support. 

A key insight from the discussion was how the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders from each of the participating Mount Isa schools have started to undertake a monthly MHiPS training program. Together, they identify priorities and shared needs and contribute learnings from the wellbeing projects and initiatives they facilitate in their schools.  

The hybrid forum brought together more than 50 key stakeholders.

Importantly, the event was designed not only to share findings, but also to foster ongoing collaboration and to contribute to a cycle of continuous improvement. By bringing together educators, researchers, decision makers and community representatives, the forum created an opportunity to discuss successful elements of the pilot. They discussed how these elements can inform future work and strengthen support for children and families in regional and remote communities. 

The MHiPS team would like to acknowledge and thank the Queensland Department of Education for their support of the MHiPS initiative and the sharing forum. We would also like to acknowledge and thank the significant support of the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, without which the Mount Isa pilot would not be possible.  

Read more about MHiPS in Queensland  

*Guidance Officers are specialist teachers with an additional counselling or psychology qualification. They are employed by the Department of Education to provide leadership, support and case management to schools for students experiencing complex and challenging circumstances.