In Australia there are hundreds of mental health and wellbeing programs for schools and early learning services, covering topics such as social and emotional learning skills, mental health promotion, prevention and bullying.
The Programs Directory, a searchable database of mental health and wellbeing offered by a wide range of providers, is designed to make it easier for educators to decide which program is right for their learning community.
The directory lists general information about the program, such as the provider’s contact details, and the aims and cost of the program – as well as ratings for the program’s evidence base and effectiveness.
Evidence and implementation ratings
All programs listed on the Programs Directory have been through a rigorous assessment process designed in collaboration with experts at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and the University of Melbourne.
As part of this process, each program is awarded two ratings: one for evidence and one for implementation. Information about the context in which the evidence was established is also published alongside the program details.
- The evidence rating provides an assessment of the research underpinning the program, including its impact and quality.
- The implementation rating provides an assessment of the program’s training, support, and acceptability by participants and instructors.
Each rating is on a scale from 1 to 4.
There’s more information why evidence is important for programs, what the ratings system means and how program ratings are calculated in the Programs Directory FAQs.
The Ratings Glossary describes the terms used in rating the evidence and implementation for programs in the directory.
Interpreting the ratings
All programs awarded a rating have demonstrated a positive impact on mental health outcomes for children or young people.
A program awarded a 4 rating is not necessarily a ‘better’ program compared to programs awarded a 1. The program rated a 4 has established more evidence to support its effectiveness in improving child health outcomes.
The rating systems for the Programs Directory is designed to provide a quick-reference guide to programs offered to schools and early learning services – but it should not be the only source of information you use when making a decision about whether to implement a program.
We encourage you to get in touch with program providers to ask about the suitability and fit of a program for your learning community.
Other programs
All programs listed in Be You’s superseded Programs Directory were invited to reapply to be listed in the current Programs Directory. If a program chose not to reapply or did not meet the minimum entry requirements, it is now listed in the Other programs section of the directory.Program providers are invited to apply
Be You will continue to add to the Programs Directory to offer educators a diverse range of programs suitable for a range of different populations and settings.
If you are a program provider and you think your program meets the minimum requirements for entry, we encourage you to apply.
The scope of the Programs Directory
The Programs Directory does not list every single program on offer in Australia – that is not our aim. Our focus is on providing a list of programs that have been evaluated and rated to help you choose an appropriate program, based on your context and needs, for your learning community.
It’s important to know that a listing in the Programs Directory is not an endorsement, validation, advertisement or recommendation of that program for your learning community.
There is also no guarantee that implementing a program from the Be You Programs Directory will have a positive impact in your learning community.
Choose a program based on the needs of your community. There are many factors which can affect the outcomes of a program or intervention – speak to your chosen program provider about how to get the best out of the program.
Any questions?
Still have questions about the Programs Directory? Learning communities and program providers can find out more in the Programs Directory FAQs, or contact the Be You team.