The Department of Health has launched a mental health innovation challenge to coincide with Mental Health Week.
The inaugural Innovation Challenge 2021: Child and Youth Mental Health is planned to involve the brightest minds locally, nationally and internationally competing for up to $1.5 million to develop and implement an innovative solution to address a significant child and youth mental health issue in Western Australia.
Minister for Health, Roger Cook said early childhood was a critical time for brain development and functioning.
“Childhood experiences build the foundations of life-long resilience, social and emotional wellbeing, and self-esteem,” Mr Cook said.
“These are keys for children to develop into compassionate, confident people,” he said.
“The need for this initiative was identified by the Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund Advisory Council, which was established in 2020.”
In the first stage, up to 10 applicants will be awarded up to $50,000 to undertake feasibility studies and/or build prototypes, with the winning innovation receiving up to $1.5 million to develop and implement its solution.
“I am delighted to see the Future Health Research and Innovation Fund delivering a program that, in itself, is innovative,” Mr Cook said.
“I look forward to seeing solutions that are both transformative and disruptive to address areas of concern for the Western Australian community in the area of child and youth mental health.”
Minister for Mental Health, Stephen Dawson said investing in the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people meant working with leading researchers to develop new pathways that delivered better outcomes for some of the most vulnerable people in the community.
“Importantly, it also means working with young people with lived experience of mental health, alcohol or other drug issues because what we are hearing from young people is the need for their involvement at all stages,” Mr Dawson said.
