Translating Clinical Frameworks into Behavioural Change

The Challenge:To support their new Supporting Children program, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) Australia needed to bring best-practice mental health conversations to life in an authentic and relatable way. The objective was to move beyond theoretical guidelines and visually demonstrate the real-world effectiveness of the MHFA approach, showing adults exactly how to safely and effectively support children experiencing psychological distress.

The Solution: We partnered with MHFA to translate their academic and clinical expertise into compelling screen stories. For the two scripted dramas (Wet Day Timetable and Charlie), we collaborated closely with their team to shape their scenarios into engaging, emotionally resonant narratives for learners. For the four factual documentaries, we co-designed the narrative structures to ensure critical learning outcomes and behavioural models were seamlessly embedded into the storytelling.

The Impact: This project builds on a trusted, decade-long partnership with MHFA, driven by the enduring value of the 2012 youth film we produced called Mates. Feedback (below) from researchers indicates that this early narrative intervention successfully drove the long-term retention of life-saving skills. Building on this legacy of emotionally impactful storytelling, the new suite of films is currently undergoing rigorous academic evaluation by the University of Melbourne prior to its national rollout.

"Without fail, when I have run into kids years later they will mention Mates as being the highlight of the course. If all they remember from the course is the plot of the film, they remember all the steps to helping a friend who is having thoughts of suicide. It’s a powerful memory for them. Some of them recount having used the skills in the years since... It’s opened my eyes to the importance of an emotionally impactful story for teaching difficult topics."

— Dr. Claire Kelly, Mental Health First Aid Australia (reflecting on Venn’s 2012 youth intervention film, Mates)