Adolescence is a time of great change, when young people take on new roles and responsibilities, renegotiate relationships with adults, peers, and the community, and experiment with things symbolic of adult life. These developmental tasks are often accompanied by the adoption of risk-taking behaviours that compromise health. Healthy risk-taking is a positive tool in an adolescent's life for discovering, developing, and consolidating his or her identity. However, the challenge for anyone responsible for student well-being is how to identify those adolescents at risk.

The mental health of teenagers in Asia is at an all-time low with nearly 1 in 4 teenagers meeting the criteria for probable serious mental illness. Given that Singapore is currently experiencing a ten year high in serious youth mental health illnesses and that early assessment, prompt diagnosis and treatment is associated with a much better outcome, this workshop is an essential component for any worker with young people in education, health and welfare.

Workshop outcomes

• shares the latest research on the health and well-being of young people
• shares the signs and symptoms of the high prevalence disorders in young people describes how to give immediate emergency mental health first aid
• explores and demonstrates 5 evidence based paradigms that facilitate the comprehensive evaluation and assessment of young people
• incorporates a discussion of the latest apps and web based programs currently in use for assessing young people
• addresses prevention and how to build wellbeing, taking into account the current environment and its impact on young people

Who is this for?

Identifying and Supporting Children and Adolescents at Risk is an essential workshop for anyone who works in an adolescent wellbeing capacity across Singapore/Asia: teachers, teaching assistants, doctors, enrolled nurses, clinicians, psychologists, counsellors, pastoral care staff, student welfare coordinators, school nurses, crisis centre staff and more.

Who are the speakers?

Alliance Counselling is pleased to bring you these talented speakers:

Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg is one of Australia's highest profile adolescent and child psychologists working in all form of media. He has worked as an academic, researcher and political lobbyist, and is the author of 15 books. He has worked in the area of health psychology, bullying, parenting adolescents and adolescent mental health. He works at Corporate and Personal Consulting in Melbourne as well as at Innowell - a collaboration between PWC and the University of Sydney. He is a columnist for Huffington Post Australia, Pacific Publications' Girlfriend Magazine, as well as a regular columnist for Lights Out. In 2003 he was one of the founding members of the Australian National Coalition Against Bullying and be-came one of their national spokespersons. He currently chairs the NCAB Digital Literacy Sub-committee. He also served on the advisory committee for the Federal Government's Boys' Education Lighthouse School Programme. In 2006 he conducted Australia’s largest survey on internet bullying, with over 13,000 respondents and he designed and conducted a study with the AFL Players Association on depression in elite AFL players. He currently sits on the Federal Government’s internet safety Consultative Working Group.

Michael has been the recipient of a number of awards including the Australian Jaycees Outstanding Young Australian of the Year (1987), the New Zealand Commemoration Med-al for Services to the Community (1990), and named Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International in recognition of his work in the prevention of youth suicide (1997). He is married with two sons.

Dr. Natalie Games began her career in Education, working as a teacher in the classroom and then as a Head teacher, before pursuing her interest in psychology. While continuing to work in schools, Natalie earned her Doctorate of Clinical Psychology where she now works across the lifespan with children, adolescents, adults and families in private practice at Alliance Counselling in Singapore. Natalie has subsequently completed postgraduate studies with the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Youth Mental Health in collaboration with Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Australia to draw upon the latest theory, research and evidence-based approaches in the youth mental health field to inform her practice. Natalie has contributed to two book chapters in the title “Anxiety in Preschool Children: Assessment, Treatment and Prevention”, numerous magazine, newspaper and journal articles about children and adolescent well-being. Natalie also works in academia and psychological research. Natalie is registered with the Singapore Register of Psychologists (SRP) and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). She is married with two daughters.

Event organised by Alliance Counselling - 501 Bukit Timah Road, #04-03, Cluny Court, Singapore 259760 - event@alliancecounselling.com.sg