Mobile mental health support hits the road for young people in the regions

“KIT has supported me to be more confident in myself, more confident in my community and more confident in voicing my community’s views” Lilli-Rose, KIT Youth Champion

Recognising the urgent need for mental health support for young people in regional and remote areas, mining company Kirkland Lake Gold (KLG) has invested in its local community in Central Victoria.

Keep in Touch, or KIT, is a mobile mental health toolkit available to young people between the ages of 12 and 25 in the Loddon Campaspe area. Acknowledging that Victoria may not have yet reached the peak in demand for mental health support after 18 months of the pandemic, KLG has committed $630,000 over three years to keep the KIT program on the road.

“We are absolutely ecstatic that KLG has chosen to support KIT over the next three years, we couldn’t be more grateful.

While most of us have found it tough during Covid-19, young people have been disproportionately impacted – the move to remote learning at times, the reduction in hospitality and retail work, and increasing costs of rental properties are just a few things young people have come up against,” says Jasmine Price, Team Leader of Youth and Community Services at AV North Central.

“Thanks to KLG, the KIT project has successfully recruited a full-time youth worker who will coordinate the operation of KIT and work to increase the project’s community presence across the Loddon Campaspe region. So much collaboration and dedication has gone into the KIT project – it was originally created by local young people who have a passion for youth wellbeing, in order to reach other people like themselves. With ongoing support from our partners, the Victorian Government and the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVic), it’s really wonderful to know that mental health support is available to young people in Central Victoria who need it.”

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