Tasmanian LiFE Awards – 2025 Nominee
Communities in Action for Suicide Prevention LiFE Award
The Communities in Action for Suicide Prevention LiFE Award acknowledges the crucial role that communities play in identifying and taking action towards suicide prevention. This award recognises any group or community, whether it’s a sports club, community group, or a hobby group, that works together to prevent suicide. This may involve developing a local plan for mental wellbeing and suicide prevention or organising activities that bring the community together to facilitate social connection and provide opportunities to discuss mental health and suicide prevention.
Giovanna Padas & The Hutchins School
The Hutchins School has made mental health and suicide prevention a key part of its values and curriculum. While students are encouraged to prioritise mental health awareness and mateship, Hutchins goes beyond this to empower students to actively lead changes to improve mental health programs within the school.
As Head of Stephens House, Giovanna does amazing work raising awareness of adolescent mental health and wellbeing and suicide prevention. She has developed the House Wellbeing program to the point where students actively and intentionally engage with activities, including the weekly ‘Feelgood Friday’ breakfast and mental health awareness days. These activities boost their sense of self, happiness and wellbeing, and help them develop resilience and improve their outlook on life.
The House activities are all led by students. Giovanna oversees meetings where Stephens students propose ideas, and she pulls together relevant staff and stakeholders to explore the ideas, coordinate and report back. If the students think of it, Giovanna helps them make it happen.
The Hutchins School recognises that students do not live in a bubble. Many have first-hand experiences of the impacts of suicide and suicide attempts or ideation. Through The Hutchins School’s Wellbeing Committees, available Mental Health First Aid training for staff and students, formal suicide prevention lessons and hearing from people with lived experience, students are taught that you’re never too young to check in with yourself or on your friends.
