The Seasons for Life Initiative

Provided at no cost to schools, Seasons for Life supports secondary school communities across Australia with evidence-based loss and grief education following a suicide or other loss event

How does Seasons for Life work?

The Seasons for Life initiative supports secondary school communities across Australia with evidence-based loss and grief education following a suicide or other loss event. Seasons for Life strengthens the capacity of young people, and the adults supporting them, to understand and respond well to change, loss and grief.

Funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care (2022-25), Seasons for Life is overseen by a national Advisory Group and will be evaluated by the Professor Myfanwy Maple and Associate Sarah Wayland at the University of New England. Schools that engage in the Seasons for Life initiative will be invited to participate in this evaluation.

What are the Seasons for Life offerings?

  • Nominated school staff are trained to deliver the Seasons for Growth program for young people. Training includes supplementary learning that highlights considerations specific to implementing the program following a suicide loss
  • Nominated school staff are trained to deliver the accompanying parent session
  • Support to implement the Seasons for Growth program, including coaching support from a Seasons for Life Coordinator, access to a Community of Practice and a step-by-step school guide
  • An all-staff professional learning session about change, loss and grief and responding to the needs of young people, including following a suicide related loss
  • Access to the Seasons for Life: Keeping Spirit Strong Resources which assist schools to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families following loss, particularly a loss by suicide. These materials offer staff opportunities to develop cultural knowledge and understandings, build confidence, skills and attitudes, to offer culturally safe and appropriate support through relationships, hard-copy/digital resources and through links to external existing supports and resources

How is Seasons for Life delivered?

This initiative is a strategically targeted intervention that builds on the established 25-year evidence base of the Seasons for Growth loss and grief education program. We work closely with school communities, education and health partners, community organisations and Headspace Schools and Communities to identify and support schools who may benefit from the Seasons for Life initiative.

Training for nominated school staff is delivered online or in person when possible. The all-staff professional learning session is delivered by a Seasons for Life Coordinator in person in consultation with the school principal or leadership team.

The coaching and implementation support for school staff is delivered online or in person by Seasons for Life Coordinators as well as via an online Community of Practice forum.

How does my school become involved in the Seasons for Life initiative?

Secondary school communities interested in participating in the Seasons for Life initiative must first engage with a Seasons for Life Coordinator. Your Coordinator will provide further details on the initiative and will guide you in implementing and embedding the initiative in your school.

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Seasons for Life Coordinators can discuss with you the needs of your school in relation to our Seasons for Life offerings. Please register your interest by completing the form below and you will be put into contact with the Seasons for Life Coordinator for your state  or territory.
 
The timeline for each school community will be unique.  We encourage you to contact the Seasons for Life Coordinator in your state or territory to discuss implementing the Seasons for Life initiative. You can contact us by completing the form below. 

Whilst the training for the Seasons for Growth program allows for Companions to deliver the program in primary and secondary schools, access to the Seasons for Life is for secondary schools only. 

The Seasons for Life supplementary learning session highlights considerations specific to implementing the program following a suicide loss and is appropriate for secondary schools only. 

As a trained Companion, you are supported with a comprehensive set of materials including manuals and participant journals and access to an online community , implementation planning, communities of practice and professional development.  All Companions are encouraged to seek formal program accreditation which requires them to not only train but also to implement the program, attend a supplementary learning session and submit participant and self-evaluations.
The Seasons for Life State Coordinator will provide you with coaching support to assist in all stages of the implementation process.
 

The Seasons for Growth training workshop will equip you to run the small group program (supporting 4-7 participants) for children and young people from the ages of 6-18 years.  

As a Seasons for Life trained Companion, you are supported with a comprehensive set of secondary school materials and access to an online community  which offers a wide range of additional resources, networking opportunities and support.  

Working in close partnership with Professor Anne Graham AO from the Centre for Children and Young People at Southern Cross University and specialist agencies, Seasons for Growth has been adapted to support children and young people around identified needs including:
  1. Suicide postvention (the adaptation was supported by Headspace Schools, 2015)
  2. Forced migration (in partnership with the National Association for Loss and Grief and STARTTS - NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors, 2011)
  3. Out-of-home care (with MacKillop Family Services, 2020)
  4. Natural disasters (Stormbirds program, 2009, 2020)
  5. COVID-19 (2020).
     
Yes, the Seasons for Growth Children and Young Peoples has been evaluated extensively by Australian universities since 1996.  Please visit our Program Evaluation page to learn more.
 

The Children and Young Peoples program is recognised in evidence-based program directories with the Australian Government’s Australian Institute of Family Studies – Communities for Children Facilitating Partners Evidence-based programme profiles.

In 2019, the program was recognised with a ‘high impact’ rating in the in Australian Research Council’s Engagement and Impact Assessment 2018–19 National Report and in Research Impact NSW report by the NSW Education Department.

Yes. Stormbirds and the Seasons for Growth Children and Young Peoples programs are recognised as evidence-based programs in the state education wellbeing directories in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
Please contact your Seasons for Life State Coordinator or send an expression of interest via the form below. 
 

Stories and Outcomes

Seasons for Life will build the capacity of high school leaders, staff and parents across Australia in understanding the impacts of change loss and grief more broadly, as well as following suicide and other traumatic loss events.

Professor Anne Graham AO

Our People

Eliza Munro

Eliza Munro

MacKillop Seasons Cultural Specialist

Renae Pettit

Renae Pettit

Seasons for Life Coordinator, NSW & ACT

Klara Jaeger

Klara Jaeger

Seasons for Life Coordinator, WA & NT

Heidi Yelland

Heidi Yelland

Seasons for Life Coordinator, SA

Hannah Jamieson

Hannah Jamieson

Seasons for Life Coordinator VIC & TAS

Get in touch with us to find out more

Keeva Mostyn

Keeva Mostyn

National Lead - Seasons for Life

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