Professor Sharon Goldfeld is a paediatrician, public health physician, Theme Director Population Health and Co-Group Leader of Policy and Equity at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and Director of the Centre for Community Child Health at The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne. Sharon has a decade of experience in state government as a senior policymaker in health and education, including principal medical advisor in the Victorian Department of Education and Training. Her research program focuses on investigating, testing and translating sustainable policy-relevant solutions that eliminate inequities for Australia's children. She is co-director of the Gen V project.
Director | The Centre for Community Child Health
Theme Director Population Health | Co-Group Leader Policy and Equity, Murdoch Children's Research Institute Professor | Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne
Schools as multi-opportunity communities: meeting the mental health needs of children and young people needs the “village”
Pre-pandemic, one in seven 4-17 year-olds was found to have a mental disorder. That’s about 3-4 kids in every class, more in schools located in the poorer areas of Australia, and potentially worse in the states with greatest lockdowns. Mental health is therefore not a marginal issue in schools. Indeed the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the vital role that schools play in the safety and wellbeing of children. Recommendations through the Productivity Commission to deliver a more equal focus on the health and wellbeing of students to align with the focus on their academic achievements suggests something different is possible. How to do this and meet all children’s needs within the current schooling paradigm is increasingly challenging. Is now the moment in time to consider what schools might need to look like if they were to truly be a multi-opportunity community? How can we build on the strengths of educators but consider a more holistic community response to meet the current mental health demand? This presentation will provide some provocations and ideas about how education and health providers might join forces to ensure a flourishing future for our kids.