Support shouldn’t stop when the lesson ends: How YourCrew complements existing wellbeing programs
Introduction
Many organisations deliver high-quality mental health and wellbeing initiatives that increase awareness, build knowledge and connect young people with support. These programs play an important role in prevention and early intervention.
Yet life doesn’t happen only in the classroom, during a wellbeing lesson or while sitting with a counsellor.
The moments when young people need support often happen after the school gates have closed, between appointments, at home, on weekends or late at night. These are the moments when a young person may recognise they are struggling, or when a friend notices something isn’t right. Knowing that help is available doesn’t always make it easier to know what to say, what to do or where to go next.
Research consistently shows that young people commonly turn to people they know and trust before seeking professional support (AIHW, 2021; Heerde & Hemphill, 2018). But knowing that help exists doesn’t necessarily mean someone will seek it (Jorm, 2000; Kelly, Jorm & Wright, 2007).
The delays can be significant. Recent Australian research found that, among people who eventually sought treatment, the median delay from onset to first treatment contact was 11 years for anxiety disorders, eight years for substance use disorders and three years for mood disorders (Birrell et al., 2025).
YourCrew helps bridge the gap between recognising the need for support and taking the next step.
How YourCrew supports help-seeking
Available free as an app and WebApp, YourCrew brings practical help-seeking tools together in one place, so young people can access them when they need them.
Reaching out to trusted people
Young people can create their own trusted support network by inviting up to nine friends, family members and trusted adults to join their Crew. They choose who they want in their network, recognising that support looks different for everyone.
Crew members are encouraged to provide support without judgement and respect privacy, while recognising the importance of involving a trusted adult, professional service or emergency service if someone’s safety is at risk or the situation is beyond what they can manage together.
Features such as mood check-ins, private messaging and journalling help young people recognise changes in their wellbeing and make it easier to start conversations that can often feel difficult face-to-face. Check-ins are colour-coded and displayed in a calendar, allowing young people and their Crew to see how they have been feeling over time. When a young person checks in, their Crew can see how they are feeling and respond with a message, creating opportunities for regular communication and support when it may be needed.
Supporting friends safely
Research shows that young people often support peers experiencing mental health problems, but can be uncertain about what to say, what to do or when additional support is needed (Subasinghe et al., 2023). YourCrew helps them navigate these situations with practical guidance about how to respond, when to involve a trusted adult and where to find appropriate support. It reinforces that supporting a friend doesn’t mean taking responsibility for their mental health or trying to be their counsellor.
Pathways to support
Knowing you need help is only part of the journey. Young people also need to know where to go, who to contact and how to take the next step.
YourCrew brings together practical information and pathways in one place:
- A–Z Help Directory provides information across a wide range of wellbeing and mental health topics, including HRF resources and links to reputable third-party information and support services. Live phone numbers and website links allow young people to move directly from finding information to contacting a service when they need to.
- Pathways to Help provides practical guidance about what to say, what to do and where to go, whether a young person is seeking help themselves or supporting someone else.
- Digital Safety Plan provides young people with a private place to create and keep their personal safety plan so it is available when they need it.
Together, these tools are designed to make finding and navigating support easier, helping young people take the next step.
If you know of a service, resource or area of support that you think should be included in YourCrew, we’d like to hear from you at info@harrisonriedelfoundation.com.
Integrating YourCrew into existing wellbeing initiatives
YourCrew can be integrated into existing mental health and wellbeing initiatives in a range of settings.
For schools, YourCrew can complement existing wellbeing education by giving students a practical tool to use beyond the school day. It can sit alongside wellbeing lessons, peer support initiatives and counselling services, helping students apply help-seeking knowledge and skills in everyday situations.
Schools can also access HRF’s curriculum-aligned wellbeing programs, YourCrew Classroom and YourCrew: Transition to High School, which share the same focus on help-seeking, peer support and pathways to help.
For youth and community organisations, YourCrew can provide an ongoing resource young people can return to after a workshop, event or program has finished, helping them identify trusted people and find reliable information and support when challenges arise.
For health professionals and counsellors, YourCrew can support conversations about help-seeking, trusted support networks and safety planning. Tools such as the Digital Safety Plan, private journal and Pathways to Help give young people a practical way to revisit strategies discussed during appointments.
Conclusion
Great wellbeing initiatives don’t end when the lesson ends, the appointment finishes or Mental Health Week is over. Young people continue to navigate challenges, support friends and make decisions about seeking help every day.
By complementing existing wellbeing initiatives, YourCrew extends support into those everyday moments, helping young people strengthen trusted relationships, find the support they need and take the next step.
Support shouldn’t stop when the lesson ends.
If your organisation would like to explore how YourCrew could fit within its existing wellbeing initiatives, we’d welcome the opportunity to talk. Schools can also contact us to learn more about our curriculum-aligned school programs.
Email us: info@harrisonriedelfoundation.com or schools@harrisonriedelfoundation.com
References
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2021). Australia’s youth: Peer relationships and social networks. Australian Government.
https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/children-youth/peer-relationships
Birrell, L., Chapman, C., Teesson, M., Slade, T., & Prior, K. (2025). Treatment rates and delays for mental and substance use disorders: Results from the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 34, e8.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/epidemiology-and-psychiatric-sciences/article/treatment-rates-and-delays-for-mental-and-substance-use-disorders-results-from-the-australian-national-survey-of-mental-health-and-wellbeing/3801140F82C015269462A4BD527CBEB0
Heerde, J. A., & Hemphill, S. A. (2018). Examination of associations between informal help-seeking behavior, social support, and adolescent psychosocial outcomes: A meta-analysis. Developmental Review, 47, 44–62.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2017.10.001
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0273229717301028
Jorm, A. F. (2000). Mental health literacy: Public knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders. The British Journal of Psychiatry, 177, 396–401.
https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.177.5.396
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