Santa Maria College
‘Mental health’ is problematic because it means different things to different parties. There is incomplete, or contradictory, knowledge around cause and response and this is complicated by the associated problems that may stem from countless social, genetic and environmental factors. The innovation demonstrated by Santa Maria College was not in approaching mental health, but rather the way they coordinated the development of their strategy. It demonstrated rigorous attention to process and the inclusion of parties often left behind in this sort of initiative. In order to create a strategy based on insight and understanding, the College chose a co-design process that engaged students, parents and staff in a range of conversations and data-gathering opportunities. The goal was to understand the context of mental health at Santa Maria before considering solutions, thus, avoiding the age-old trap of operating from a base of assumptions. Santa Maria College now faces 2020 with a clear, strategic roadmap for addressing mental health in a way that is intelligent and reflective of the community it serves.
