The Man Cave statement on mental health funding for schools

The Man Cave CEO, Hunter Johnson, says: “We welcome the Victorian Government’s announcement of additional funding into mental health support for our schools. Following the 2020 Royal Commission into the mental health system, this announcement indicates the state’s ongoing commitment to addressing concerns that plague young Victorians more holistically. 

"This in turn will empower our young men to better connect with their emotional intelligence, while reducing the future burden of mental health crisis support which currently stifles the overworked system.

“The Man Cave works with schools to deliver workshop based education to build the emotional intelligence of young men with regards to mental health, overall wellbeing, healthy relationships and contributing to the community. 

“Establishing the School Mental Health Fund is a positive first step in addressing the mental health concerns of our young people, and we look forward to continuing to work with Victorian schools in delivering preventative interventions which minimise the mental health crisis young people are experiencing.

"During our school workshops, we work through an early intervention and strengths-based framework. We take the time to build rapport with boys, create spaces where they feel comfortable to open up and also listen to others experiences. This provides greater self awareness, empathy and understanding of their own mental health. Going this extra mile to be in their space, use language they understand with role models they are inspired by, means they are more comfortable to open up, realise their own needs and find out their experiences are often widely shared.”

"We have an opportunity to deliver real change and undermine the manageable causes of the mental health struggles for all school aged boys."

The Man Cave Head of Programs, and Organisational Psychologist, Matthew Defina (he/him) says: “The previous lack of funding or support for services driving preventative mental health support was a key factor that limited the Australian mental health system and the people it serves. As humans, we often don’t fix things until they are at crisis point, but our system and habits need to evolve. 

"This is particularly relevant for The Man Cave as we have now worked with over 20,000 boys and a recent survey of 500 boys indicated that half of them feel they can’t talk about their mental health. 

“We need to empower people to recognise when their mental health is in decline and offer them opportunities to engage in healthy preventative practices, such as mindfulness, physical activity or emotional support from their networks before it becomes a crisis. This not only leads to improved wellbeing overall but also reduces the pressure on mental health systems.”