Additional mental health support at Collingwood College

The Mental Health Practitioners initiative provided through DET will give all Victorian schools the ability to have more mental health support on-site by 2021

Under the new Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) initiative, the Victorian Government has committed to providing every government secondary school campus with funding to recruit an additional Mental Health Practitioner by 2022.

Collingwood College has expanded our existing Wellbeing Team through the recruitment of a psychologist, Michele Waters who will begin working with our team on Tuesday, 18 August. At the moment both Nisa Venerosa and Gareth Rego have been providing this service for the whole school. Our Wellbeing Team recently expanded with the addition of 2 Community Liaison personnel, Hassen Mohamed-Saeed and Hussein Ibrahim. Both Hassen and Hussein have been working with staff and families to increase our students’ and community’s connection with our school.

An extra member of the team means that our secondary school will have additional resources to support student mental health. The allocation of time for Michele to work as part of our team at Collingwood College is three days each fortnight.

Michele will be able to provide individual counselling for students, coordinate external supports for students with complex needs and develop wellbeing promotion and professional learning opportunities for staff.

School staff in other schools where a practitioner has already been appointed are embracing the opportunity to participate in reflective discussions, debrief and enhance their knowledge and skills in order to recognise and respond to the mental health needs of the students, and practise their own self-care. Our staff will also be able to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and expand on the support already provided by our other Wellbeing team members.

More information will be distributed by our Wellbeing team when Michele begins her work here.

Michele will also be in touch with our school community to introduce herself and start to get to know students, families and staff.

SEXTING

Not sure what this is? Here is some information from the governments e-safety site https://www.esafety.gov.au/esafety-information/esafety-issues/sexting

PRIDE CLUB AT COLLINGWOOD COLLEGE

On Monday lunch times, students in Years 5 to 12 are welcome to join Collingwood College's Pride Club. The group discuss and share current events and activities relevant to young LGBTIQ+ people. The group plan for IDAHOBIT day each year and have plans to paint a mural for the school in 2019! All students are welcome.

FREE ASTHMA EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN & THEIR FAMILIES AT COHEALTH

The Community Asthma Program provides free asthma education and support for children (under 18) with asthma and their families. In Melbourne’s inner North and Western suburbs

An asthma educator works with children and their families to:

understand asthma, its signs and severity
identify triggers and learn how to control them
understand their medications and administer them correctly
develop a written asthma action plan
learn asthma first aid

The program is tailored to the individual child and family The Community Asthma educators are able to see children and parents/ carers at one of the many Cohealth sites or at home. The CAP educators are also able to visit schools, kindergartens and child care centres to educate staff to support the child.

To refer, fill out the attached referral or please contacts:

9448 6825 or CAP@cohealth.org.au

CYBERPARENT - INTERNET SAFETY

Australian Multicultural Foundation (AMF) product called CyberParent which is an interactive learning tool that aims to teach parents and families about how to use the internet safely. The app was launched in 17 different languages and AMF has received overwhelmingly positive responses from the community. Since then, AMF has developed a downloadable version of CyberParent, which has just been released on the Apple App Store.

CyberParent is available in 17 different languages, which can be found in different language packs on the App Store. This includes:

Central Asia:

- Dari | دری

- Farsi | فارسی

- Pashto | افغانی

- Urdu | اُردُو

CyberParent is available to download from the App Store today! Click below to download now:

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/cyberparent/id1315897505?mt=8

HEALTH AND WELLBEING LINKS

As Australia’s largest national education-oriented charity, we support disadvantaged Australian children to participate fully in their education, giving them the best chance at breaking the cycle of disadvantage. Our learning support and mentoring programs help children in need to fit in at school, keep up with their peers, and build aspirations for a better future for them. The smith Family can provide financial support for families and children in need to assist them through school and education.

To get in touch with the Smith Family go to: https://www.thesmithfamily.com.au/contact-us

Or call them on; 1300 326 459

Headspace is the National Youth Mental Health Foundation providing early intervention mental health services to 12-25 year olds, along with assistance in promoting young peoples’ wellbeing. This covers four core areas: mental health, physical health, work and study support and alcohol and other drug services.

Information and services for young people, their families and friends as well as health professionals can be accessed through this website; www.headspace.org.au , headspace centres, online counselling service eheadspace, and postvention suicide support program headspace School Support.

Ph: 1800 650 890.

Since 1877, Berry Street has chosen to work with children, young people and families, with the most challenging and complex needs, including those for whom we are often the last resort. Last year, we helped over 18,000 of the most disadvantaged children, young people and families across our community.

We believe all children should have a good childhood, growing up feeling safe, nurtured and with hope for the future.

Services include; Family services (ChildFirst), Education and training, Family violence, Foster and Kinship care, residential care and youth services.

To contact Berry Street go to their website http://www.berrystreet.org.au/ or call them on; 9429 9266

3 million Australians are living with depression or anxiety

Beyondblue provides information and support to help everyone in Australia achieve their best possible mental health, whatever their age and wherever they live.

Beyondblue has a 24hour helpline 1300 22 4636 and their website is https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

The Centre for Multicultural Youth is a Victorian not-for-profit organisation supporting young people from migrant and refugee backgrounds to build better lives in Australia.

Their purpose is to ensure that young people have every opportunity to succeed in Australia. Through a combination of specialist support services, training and consultancy, knowledge sharing and advocacy, we are working to remove the barriers young people face as they make Australia their home

Dates To Remember

Important Dates 2020