Assessing the Adolescent at Risk

All Educators, Parents & Carers of Adolescents and Young People Adolescence is a time of great change, when young people take on new roles and responsibilities, renegotiate relationships with adults, peers, and the community, and experiment with things symbolic of adult life. These developmental tasks are often accompanied by the adoption of risk-taking behaviours that compromise health. Healthy risk-taking is a positive tool in an adolescent’s life for discovering, developing, and consolidating his or her identity. It is the extent to which an adolescent engages in health-risk behaviours, and the overall impact of these behaviours on health and development, that is of increasing public health concern. The research suggests that young people who participate in multiple risk-taking behaviours not only increase the chance of damaging their health but may be masking serious psychological problems. Given that Australia is currently experiencing a ten year high in youth suicide, suicidal ideation and self-harm and that early assessment, prompt diagnosis and treatment is associated with a much better outcome, this workshop is an essential component for anyone working with young people in education, health and welfare. Using an entertaining and informative mix of didactic teaching, interactive quizzes, group discussion and case studies participants will: learn the most up to date research on the nature and extent of the problems facing teenagers with a focus on high prevalence disorders such as anxiety, depression and substance abuse understand and use key assessment paradigms: * the key developmental tasks of adolescence * a risk and protective factor framework * a key screening tool * a model for building resilience * applying the four world model with adolescents practice applying these paradigms in a group context, giving participants confidence to apply and refresh these vital skills and knowledge. Michael is one of Australia’s highest-profile psychologists, working in private practice at Camberwell Medical Practice in Melbourne and across a wide range of media as an author, speaker, broadcaster, and mental health advocate. He is the presenter for SchoolTV, founder of CanTeen, a Master Trainer for Mental Health First Aid Australia, Patron of Read the Play, a columnist for several publications, and was the resident psychologist on Radio 3AW’s Morning Show with Neil Mitchell for 12 years. His work focuses on parenting, adolescent use of mobile phones and social media, and grandparenting, and he continues to deliver his well-known talks How to Build Happy and Resilient Children, Surviving Year 7, and Surviving Year 12, alongside an Australasian tour on effective grandparenting. Michael has received numerous honours, including an Order of Australia (2026), the New Zealand Commemoration Medal for Services to the Community (1990), Paul Harris Fellow recognition from Rotary International (1997, 2021), and the Australian Jaycees Outstanding Young