‘Growing Happy, Healthy Young Minds’ and ‘Nurturing Young Minds’ contain chapters designed to be read in separate bites. When you are concerned about a certain issue, look up the relevant chapter and read it. Each chapter is self-contained and does not assume that you have read any other section of the book. At the end of each chapter the authors have included useful resources for you to access if you want more in-depth information, including resources, websites, articles and books, along with listing other chapters within this book that cover related issues to your main concern.

‘Growing Happy, Healthy Young Minds’ and ‘Nurturing Young Minds’ also has an excellent supporting website which you can access via www.generationnext.com.au – click on the book icon. Click on a chapter title and you will be taken to a page that will contain:
• Author photos, bios and books and articles written by them.

• Where available the author’s own website, in case you want to get in touch directly with them.

• Further reading, websites and resources with hyperlinks wherever possible.

• Where provided, the references used by the authors to write their chapters.

• Links to relevant lectures, interviews and short education clips from the Generation Next YouTube channel.

• Updates to chapters as new developments and advances occur.
To continue to stay up to date on information and developments in this important field, you can also:

• Subscribe to the free weekly Generation Next newsletter, which provides a range of interesting news and information curated from around the world concerning the mental health and wellbeing of young people.

• Read the Generation Next blog, join our Facebook community and follow us on Twitter.

• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to receive a new video in your inbox each week. • Attend one of our one-day seminars that are listed on our website.
USE THIS BOOK TO HELP OTHERS!

Are you a parent?

• Give a copy of these books to your child’s grandparents, aunties and uncles.

• Buy a copy for your child’s school or teacher.

• Encourage your school’s P&C to host an event for fellow parents, focusing on youth mental health using resources and content from the books.

• Provide relevant sections of the book to your teen (recommended fourteen+) to increase mental health  literacy.

• Use strategies and tips from the books to start conversations about tricky topics with your child/teen about issues affecting them.

• Use the resources directly to create a support services index to raise awareness of help-seeking avenues that you can post on your fridge – this can help your child/teen and can be used by them to help their friends.

• Recommend the books to others in your parent or community groups. • Share the books with other parents or anyone who is concerned about a young person.

Are you a teacher or teacher-in-training?

• Recommend these books to parents in your school community.

• Read chapters as part of your ongoing professional development and learning.

• Host professional development sessions for colleagues at school using content from the books to improve individual and organisational professional practice.

• Use some of the content for a mental-health-themed parent– teacher event, e.g. recognising common mental health concerns.

• Use relevant chapters in your lesson plans to meet relevant curriculum requirements (e.g. in PDHPE).

• Pick an issue covered in the books and encourage your students to do a project or a peer-education initiative around it.

• Get the SRC or school to pick an issue(s) from the books and run a peer-education program or an awareness day around it.

• Use the resources directly to create a support services index for your class or school to raise awareness of help-seeking avenues and so that students and staff know where they can go for help.

• Share warning signs/red flags about particular issues with parents of students who you are concerned about.

• Use content to shape school wellbeing programs, including induction programs for new students and year levels.

• Use content from the book’s supporting website for further professional development and learning (videos and podcasts).

• Order copies for your school library.

Are you a professional working with young people?

• Read chapters as part of your ongoing professional development and learning.

• Use some of the content for in-house professional development sessions for colleagues to improve individual and organisational professional practice.

• Share relevant content when working with young people or their parents, in particular relating to warning signs and red flags.

• Use the resources directly to create a support services index to raise awareness of help-seeking avenues that can be shared at work and put up in common areas.

• Use content from the supporting website (videos and podcasts) for further professional development and learning.

• Pick an issue and use the book’s recommended resources to undertake further professional learning.

• Pick an issue and use the book’s content as a springboard for undertaking research to improve the impact of your work with young people.

• Use content of the book to help inform your organisation’s mental health policy/plan.

• Order copies for your organisation’s library.

Advocate for a greater focus on mental health and help create environments that are supportive of young people’s wellbeing.
Dr Ramesh Manocha & Gyongyi Horvath