With your help, we can change the lives of young people in our community. Donations are tax-deductible and Summit Health will match every dollar donated. 

Jessie's Story

It’s Sunday night and Jessie has come into the emergency department after self-harming at home. Understandably, Jessie’s parents are concerned.  Jessie seems so distressed and it’s difficult to understand what has happened. School has been a struggle for Jessie lately, experiencing friendship difficulties that include intense friendships that can be all-consuming one minute to distant and isolating the next. Jessie seems to be sensitive to everything at home and the family feels like they are walking on eggshells. The last school report showed grades were slipping. Jessie doesn’t want to go to school anymore and has been lacking the motivation to get to soccer practice. 

Today more than ever, we understand the importance of mental health and well-being. Over 75% of mental health issues occur before the age of 25. In response to this, we are raising funds to start a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT Lite Skills) program in the Hills to support our young people aged 16 – 25. People like Jessie for whom therapy such as DBT Lite can often be out of reach due to cost and inaccessibility due to distance.

DBT Lite is a type of cognitive behaviour therapy or talking therapy designed to help people who have difficulty controlling their emotions by changing the way they think and behave and learning to accept who they are. DBT Lite will equip them with skills and tools to improve their emotional regulation and improve their relationships. 

Emotional dysregulation is linked to relationship breakdowns, self-harm, and suicide risk in teens. In Australia, Suicide is the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 44 (AIHW, 2022a). Kothgassaner et al (2021) found in a meta-study that DBT skills had a large effect on reducing self-harm and suicidal ideation. DBT Lite Skills can be delivered as a community treatment and appears to be a promising treatment for adolescents with severe and persistent deliberate self-harm. 

Through our quick and easy donation process, your contribution, no matter how small, can make an immense difference. Donations are tax-deductible and Summit Health will match every dollar donated.  100% of donations will go towards funding a DBT Lite treatment program locally. 

Thank you for partnering with us to bring DBT Lite to those who need it in the Adelaide Hills.