Joel’s story – creative approaches to connecting with young people

Having meaningful and productive conversations with young people can be challenging, especially when trying to discuss their mental health and what’s going on in their lives.

Joel Rainford is a Community Engagement Practitioner at Mind Australia’s Northern headspace, which services the Greensborough and Plenty Valley communities in Victoria. In her role, Joel uses her artistic skills and creativity to develop new ways of engaging with young people that foster trust, break down barriers and combat stigma.

One way Joel has been able to successfully engage with young people – while passing on skills and strategies in an interactive and fun way – is by playing a mental health version of Family Feud, the popular television show and boardgame where families compete by trying to guess the most common answers to survey questions.

In Joel’s twist on Family Feud - called “Classroom Feud” because it’s often played in high schools and TAFEs - one round challenges participants to race to the buzzer to answer the question: What do young people worry about? Another round asks players to identify signs that someone may be struggling with their mental health.

“Games and activities like this help reduce young people’s anxiety around talking about mental health. They build trust, raise awareness of support services, and create environments where conversation and sharing come more easily. Plus, the competitive element really engages students,” Joel said.

“I really enjoy my role, not only because of the important work we do with young people, but because I get to be creative in the way I engage with young people and communities through events and activities. I’m constantly trying to find new ways to engage in conversations, as well as impactful learning activities, to help raise mental health awareness and support young people impacted by mental health challenges.”