Looking for more information?

My Mind Check is available for all year levels of students from Foundation to Year 12.  

Funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, My Mind Check is available to Australian schools at no cost. 

Based on our research across Australia, we typically find about 15% of students will be flagged for follow-up after a check-in—approximately 12% as struggling (red) and 3% as vulnerable (amber). This varies significantly between schools, ranging from as low as 5% to as high as 25% of students in the struggling category. It’s worth noting that about one-third of these students are likely already known to schools or receiving support from mental health services.

Unlike most school-based wellbeing tools, My Mind Check is completely free, measures both mental health challenges and protective factors, covers all year levels, and provides immediate outcomes with comprehensive follow-up resources. This holistic approach empowers educators with practical, actionable insights and ready-to-use materials that integrate seamlessly with existing school frameworks.

My Mind Check is funded and owned by the Australian Government Department of Education and operated by a dedicated team at Macquarie University, led by Dr Lauren McLellan, Director of My Mind Check, with expert guidance from Scientific Advisor, Professor Ron Rapee AM.  

For more information, our website includes helpful guidance tailored to schools, caregivers, and students. You can also explore the full list of FAQs here, and schools can access downloadable guides in the My Mind Check portal. Schools can request a demonstration by submitting an enquiry through our contact form.

Implementation of My Mind Check at your school is straightforward. First, your Principal registers the school, you decide which year levels will participate, and conduct supervised 10-15 minute check-ins during school hours. Afterwards, designated staff review student outcomes through secure dashboards and access tailored follow-up resources for students who may need additional support.

Once schools have collected ‘opt in’ consent from select year levels, they run 30-minute supervised check-in sessions during school hours. Students typically require 10-15 minutes to complete their check-in, with additional time allocated for preparation and pack-up. During a check-in session, students use a computer, laptop or tablet to respond to age-appropriate multiple-choice questions about their mental health and wellbeing. 

We recognise that every school has its own unique set of circumstances and needs. During an online planning meeting, the My Mind Check School Support Team will work with schools to develop a tailored plan for implementing check-ins that best suit their specific context and requirements. Participating school staff will also have access to the Resource Hub that includes guides and templates to help with all aspects of using My Mind Check. If at any point a school requires technical support, they can simply contact the School Support Team via phone or email (details are available in each guide).

After a check-in, designated school staff review student outcomes through a secure dashboard. For students flagged as potentially vulnerable or struggling, the platform provides recommended follow-up actions and resources. Schools can then share appropriate information with students and families, facilitating supportive conversations and connecting them with relevant resources.

My Mind Check provides schools with a streamlined follow-up process including step-by-step guides, customisable templates, and targeted resources. The platform automatically generates recommendations based on student outcomes, with links to relevant information, programs, and services tailored to identified needs. This comprehensive support system makes responding to check-in outcomes efficient while ensuring students receive appropriate follow-up care.

No. Students don’t have to participate. Before conducting a check-in, schools must first collect consent for each student. Even with consent, students have the right to skip questions they do not want to answer or stop at any time. Choosing not to participate is an acceptable decision and should not be met with any pressure, criticism or penalties. 

The consent process (including collecting, tracking, and storing consent) is the responsibility of each school. It is to be managed in line with the school’s usual processes, systems, and privacy regulations (separate from the My Mind Check portal). My Mind Check provides consent templates to support schools with this process. 

The appropriate consent approach is determined by each school, aligned with their existing wellbeing processes and relevant state/territory guidelines. Schools typically obtain consent from caregivers for younger students, while older students may be able to provide their own consent depending on school policies and the student’s capacity to make informed decisions.

Check-ins assess age-appropriate mental health domains including anxiety, attention/activity, mood, and protective factors like family connections, school belonging, and peer acceptance. Optional domains include body image/eating difficulties and peer victimisation. Content varies by age group, with simpler presentation for younger students.

Access to student outcomes is restricted to authorised school staff members only, as determined by each school. Individual responses to specific check-in questions are never visible to staff, only the summarised outcomes are accessible. Authorised staff typically include principals, wellbeing coordinators, and in primary schools, it may be classroom teachers who have direct responsibility for student welfare. For specific information about who at your school has access, please contact your school directly.

We limit the personal information we collect to what is essential for the effective operation of the tool. For students, this includes the school they attend and their preferred name, last name, year level, unique student ID number, age, year of birth, gender or sex*, and living circumstances (that is, the number and type of caregiver(s) they live with most of the time). We also collect mental health and wellbeing information as part of their participation in the check-in process, and feedback about their experience and perception of mental health and wellbeing check-ins at school. Safeguarding student privacy and data has been a central focus in the development of My Mind Check. Personal information is collected in accordance with Australian Privacy Principles and, where relevant, treated as sensitive health information.   

^{*Not included by all schools.}  

My Mind Check uses collected information specifically to support schools to proactively understand student mental health and wellbeing. Our recent research shows these check-ins lead to 20% fewer students experiencing emotional difficulties and 30% higher attendance after just one year. The information helps identify students needing additional support, provides schools with wellbeing insights, tracks mental health indicators over time, and supports school-caregiver communication. All usage complies with our Privacy Collection Notice and applicable privacy laws.

For more information, view our Security and Privacy page and Privacy Collection Notice.

Information collected through My Mind Check is protected by comprehensive safeguards using a “defence-in-depth” strategy with multiple security layers. Our databases have strict role-based access controls, meaning staff can only access specific information needed for their job functions. We follow ISO 27001 standards for Information Security Management. All personal information handling complies with Australian privacy laws and has been independently verified through a Privacy Impact Assessment.

For more information, view our Security and Privacy page.