Whilst most young people are doing well in their lives and are generally happy and healthy, it is important to remember that adolescence is a time of rapid development and change. In fact, it's the period of most rapid growth any person will experience in their life.
In the space of a few short years our body makes the transition from child to adult, and our emotions have to catch up in leaps and bounds. For this reason, adolescence is an important time to cement support systems and raise awareness in young people so that they can take care of their mental health and wellbeing.
One in four young people will experience a mental health problem in any given 12 month period and many young people will experiment with alcohol and other drugs. By providing support and education, it's possible to greatly reduce the likelihood of drug and alcohol related emergencies and recurring mental health problems in the future.
What Red Cross does
Red Cross works to support young people through this period of rapid change, and to provide programs and services which inform, educate, support and promote the health, well being and safety of young Australians. This approach enables us to assist young people in most key, current and emerging health issues which research shows will affect them during adolescence, particularly issues related to mental health, alcohol and other drug use.
Through an approach embedded in community development, we aim to build the capacity of young people to take care of themselves and to support their friends. Red Cross provides young people with the knowledge, skills and resources that will increase their ability to stay safe and to seek help when needed.
save-a-mate (SAM)
The save-a-mate program provides education workshops, volunteer opportunities, alcohol and other drug emergency first aid information and health promotion initiatives to young people and those who work with or care for them. Save-a-mate seeks to increase the ability of young people to look after themselves and to provide support to friends in need. Save-a-mate pprovides young people with the skills and knowledge to prevent, recognise and respond to alcohol and other drug related emergencies. Save-a-mate aims to build the resilience of young people and promote early intervention with regards to mental health, safety and wellbeing.
SAM Our Way
The SAM Our Way program supports initiatives by rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities to improve the social and emotional wellbeing of their young people. Run by young people for young people, SAM Our Way has a particular focus on training and mentoring, to support the capacity-building of existing organisations. SAM Our Way targets known risks such as depression, anxiety, violence and problematic substance abuse in young people and utilises preventative, educational and early intervention approaches in our work with communities to build sustainable models of care.