Amber Flag Achievement Steps

Transcription

1 The Amber Flag Initiative Amber Flag Achievement Steps 1. The school must establish an Amber Flag project team. The names of the members of the team shall be recorded on Form 1 at the commencement of each schoolyear. This team should comprise a cross-section of the school community but the majority must be students. One staff member shall be named as the Co-ordinator of the Amber Flag initiative. The terms of reference of the team should be to promote Positive Mental Health in the school and should take cognisance of roles already in existence in the school that may already have an involvement in this area. Professionals such as Guidance Counsellors and SPHE teachers have an invaluable role to play in such matters and should be consulted prior to the formation of the committee. It is up to each school to decide how the team shall operate. Records of meetings shall be kept for evidence of the work of the team. 1. Once constituted the team shall prepare an Audit of the activities and services in the school that promote an ethos of Positive Mental Health. These are recorded on Form The team should then identify 3 goals/tasks to enhance the existing educational provision and support structures in the area of mental health promotion in the school. These should be achievable in the duration of one school year. A Mental Health Awareness Day must be included as one of the 3 goals. This could be a fixed day each year. These should be recorded on Form Once the goals have been agreed an Application for the Amber Flag may be made using Form 4. There may be a small charge towards the cost of producing and delivering the flag. This cost will be waived in instances where a fundraising exercise in aid of the Amber Flag Project is included as one of the awareness goals/tasks. 4. Once the Amber Flag committee is satisfied that you have completed the 3 tasks, the Flag will be presented at the awards event and must be flown outside the school building in a conspicuous place where it will convey the caring ethos of your school and the importance it places on Mental Health. Initially it is planned to hold an annual Amber Flag awards event in May each year. 5. The team must then carry out its 3 goals over the schoolyear in which the flag is to be presented. A number of suggestions to assist teams are available in this guide but this list is not exhaustive and teams are encouraged to develop their own ideas. 1. Schools must elect a new team at the beginning of each schoolyear and outline its 3 goals/tasks for the next schoolyear on a new

2 The Amber Flag Initiative Application. This should be signed by the co-ordinator. Amber Flag Project Ideas The best ideas often emerge from the team itself but the following are some popular ideas. 1. Establish an Amber Flag notice board. This should contain the Amber Flag and IGC logos. 2. Publish newsletter or use part of an existing newsletter to promote Amber Flag activities. 3. Organise a Positive Mental Health Seminar in your school. 4. Organise a fundraiser for the Amber Flag project. 5. Establish a school Mentoring system where 5 th Year students mentor 1 st Year students. 6. Develop a project idea to be carried out in SPHE or Transition Year. 7. Design a Poster Competition promoting the Amber Flag ideals. Slogans might include A Problem Shared is a Problem Halved, Talk is Cheap, Don t Leave Town Alone, and so on.

3 Form 1 Details of the Amber Flag team and Co-ordinator s name School name: Address: Co-ordinator s name: Team member 1: Team member 2: Team member 3: Team member 4: Team member 5: Team member 6: Team member 7: Team member 8: Team member 9: Team member 10:

4 Form 2 Audit of the activities and services in existence in the school that promote an ethos of Positive Mental Health. Activity/service How does this support Positive Mental Health

5 Form 3 List of 3 Goals/tasks for Amber Flag School Name: Schoolyear: Goal 1: Goal 2: Goal 3:

6 Form 4 Application Form for Amber Flag School name: Address: School contact no.: Co-ordinator s name: Co-ordinator s contact no.: I wish to apply for membership of the Amber Flag initiative. I confirm that the school named above has an Amber Flag team and has identified 3 goals/tasks, one of which is a Mental Health Awareness day, to be completed in the current schoolyear. It is our intention to fly the Amber Flag in a prominent place outside the school in order to promote awareness that Mental Health is a priority in your school. Signed (Project co-ordinator): Position in school: