Youth mental health promotion in the Hunter region

OBJECTIVE: To describe the work of the Hunter Institute of Mental Health, with special emphasis on its role in mental health promotion and prevention with adolescents. METHOD AND RESULTS: The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion is used as a framework to describe the varied functions of this organisation. Four youth mental health promotion programs are given as examples of the Institute's work. Results of preliminary evaluation of the Youth Suicide Prevention - National University Curriculum Project are provided. CONCLUSION: The Hunter Institute of Mental Health, a self-funding unit of the Hunter Area Health Service, provides innovative health promotion programs as part of its role as a provider of mental health education and training. The model may be particularly applicable to mental health services in regional Australia.