What’s in the Budget: YAM in Schools Program
Through our What’s in the Budget series, we unpack the big-ticket announcements to reveal the real-world programs and services behind them. With so many million-dollar headlines, it’s easy to feel disconnected—so we ask, what does it actually mean for our community?
A big announcement included mental health services for young people. Let's find out more about YAM in schools!
In the ACT Government’s 2025–26 Budget, a notable $9.4 million investment has been committed to supporting the mental health of young Canberrans. Within this funding announcement is a program with a somewhat curious name but a deeply important mission—YAM, or Youth Aware of Mental Health.
With mental health concerns among young people on the rise nationally, the ACT’s continued investment in school-based early intervention programs is more than just a budget line item, it’s a lifeline. And YAM is proving to be one of the most promising tools we have.
What is YAM?
Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM) is a school-based program developed in Europe and now adapted for Australian schools delivered by the local mental health education non-profit Mental Illness Education ACT (MIEACT). It targets Year 9 students, an age when mental health vulnerabilities can first appear and uses role-playing, facilitated discussions, and hands-on activities to equip students with the tools to identify, talk about, and seek help for mental health challenges.
The program runs across five interactive sessions over three weeks, delivered by trained facilitators who aren’t teachers but instead act as neutral, trusted guides. Students explore topics like stress, sadness, anger, suicidal thoughts, and helping friends. What makes YAM stand out is its non-clinical, conversational approach. It doesn’t feel like a lecture. It feels real.
As one ACT school participating in YAM described:
“This is not your typical mental health lesson. YAM invites students to speak honestly, role-play real-life challenges, and recognise their own capacity to support others.”
Why Year 9?
Year 9 isn’t just another school year. It’s a pivotal time of transition, socially, emotionally, and academically. Teenagers are beginning to shape their identity, face peer pressure, and confront more complex emotional and societal issues.
Research from international trials (including a landmark European study involving over 11,000 students) found that YAM reduced suicide attempts and severe suicidal ideation by over 50% compared to control groups. The evidence base is compelling, and local results are echoing that.
In the ACT, schools have reported increased student confidence to talk about mental health, stronger peer connections, and even instances where students have used YAM tools to seek help or support friends in distress.
A Conversation-First Model
Unlike many mental health initiatives that focus on individual resilience or awareness campaigns, YAM fosters a collective classroom culture of openness and shared responsibility. Students learn not only how to look after themselves, but also how to notice signs in their friends and how to respond constructively.
This model disrupts the myth that mental health is a “private issue” and instead reinforces the truth: mental wellbeing is a shared responsibility. When delivered consistently across schools, YAM contributes to a community safety net, where more young people are aware, informed, and capable of helping themselves and each other.
Canberra’s Continued Commitment
YAM’s rollout in Canberra began as a pilot but has now expanded across multiple schools with support from the Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing. The 2025–26 Budget announcement ensures its continuation, a move celebrated by educators, parents, and health experts alike.
Canberra’s St Francis Xavier College was one of the early adopters. Their Year 9 students participated in YAM and described it as:
“Interesting, useful and a bit confronting, but in a good way. It made us think about what to do if we or someone else was really struggling.”
While programs like YAM demonstrate significant impact, they often operate under short-term funding arrangements, which can create instability and limit long-term planning. Educators and service providers frequently cite the challenge of building trust and consistency with young people when program contracts are renewed year-to-year. This uncertainty can stall momentum, make it harder to retain experienced facilitators, and leave schools hesitant to fully embed initiatives into their wellbeing strategy. For programs with proven, measurable benefits, longer-term commitments are not just ideal, they’re essential. Sustained investment ensures continuity for students, confidence for schools, and the ability to meet emerging needs. This announcement provides 4 years of funding and seeing a broader shift away from crisis-driven responses toward preventative, school-based wellbeing strategies.
The aim is clear: catch the signs early, equip young people with knowledge and options, and normalise help-seeking before problems escalate.
Impact Beyond the Classroom
The ripple effects of YAM don’t end with the students. Teachers often report that after a YAM program is delivered, the school environment changes, becoming more supportive, aware, and inclusive. Even parents have shared the changes in their own children in building their confidence to talk about mental health, particularly when they are observing challenges in their friendship group. Some schools have reported increased disclosures, better use of pastoral care resources, and improved student-staff trust.
At a system level, YAM complements other mental health support options in schools, including school psychologists and counsellors, by acting as a low-barrier, universal introduction to mental health concepts. It reaches every student, not just those already experiencing difficulties, helping to shift the stigma that still surrounds mental illness.
Winning Recognition
YAM’s effectiveness hasn’t gone unnoticed. The program received the Mental Health Month Community Initiative Award in 2023, recognising its role in suicide prevention and peer support for young people. It was praised for its innovative structure and proven impact, particularly at a time when youth mental health is being described as one of Australia’s most pressing public health concerns.
According to the Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing, the program’s strength lies in its simplicity.
“It’s honest, evidence-based, and allows young people to talk to each other about things that matter. That’s powerful.”
What Students are Saying
In a post-program survey conducted in several ACT schools:
92% of students said they now knew where to go if they or a friend needed mental health support.
87% felt more confident checking in with a friend who might be struggling.
Over two-thirds described the role-play activities as “valuable” or “eye-opening”.
One student shared:
“I used to feel weird talking about mental health stuff. Now I know it’s normal. I’ve even helped my mate get help after YAM.”
Another added:
“We laugh, we share, sometimes we even cry. But mostly we listen, and that’s something we weren’t doing enough before.”
Challenges and What Comes Next
While YAM has been positively received, scaling it sustainably across the ACT’s school system presents challenges. Facilitator training, school scheduling, and integration with other wellbeing programs must be managed carefully. There's also the need to adapt the program for cultural inclusivity and better accessibility for students with neurodiverse needs.
However, the funding over four years gives the ACT a runway to refine, expand, and evaluate YAM and other programs for long-term impact. It reflects a commitment to not just more services, but better services, grounded in evidence, led by young people’s needs, and informed by local experience.
Why It Matters
Canberra, like the rest of Australia, is grappling with rising mental health concerns in youth. Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare shows that 1 in 4 young Australians report experiencing a mental disorder in any given year. The ACT’s approach, investing early, embedding mental health in everyday education, and validating youth voices, could be a national model.
By nurturing mental health literacy and peer-to-peer support before students reach crisis point, programs like YAM represent a paradigm shift, from reactive treatment to proactive care.
In the words of one facilitator:
“We’re not trying to make everyone a counsellor. We’re trying to make sure no one is alone.”
Final Word
In the tapestry of youth mental health support YAM in schools is a critical thread, one that gives voice to young people, builds trust in help-seeking, and fosters a generation more aware of their emotional health and the wellbeing of those around them.
With the ACT Government’s renewed funding and focus, YAM stands ready to continue its reach, spark more life-changing conversations, and strengthen the fabric of youth support across the Territory.
Because when young people are aware of mental health, they’re not just better off as individuals, they’re better equipped to care for each other, too.
📌 Learn more about the YAM program via the ACT Office for Mental Health and Wellbeing:
https://www.act.gov.au/directorates-and-agencies/act-health/our-business-areas/office-for-mental-health-and-wellbeing/mental-health-and-wellbeing-projects
📣 Got a story about YAM in your school? We’d love to hear it.
Email: hello@purposemediacbr.au
