From the Wellbeing Hub

Teen Mental Health First Aid

Our current Year 8 and Year 10 students have been undertaking the Teen Mental Health First Aid training with Mrs Pam McLeod. This has been very well received and students have learnt and developed skills to recognise when their friends may be starting to show signs of poor mental health and how to assist them. We thank Southern Grampians Live4Life for funding our manuals for this training and to Pam for her expertise in delivering this important program for our students. 

Headspace Youth Reference Group (YRG)

The YRG is a group of volunteers aged 16-25 (Year 9-12) who care about youth mental health and want to have a say in how headspace delivers its services at the new centre in Hamilton. This will include some exciting opportunities in the very near future to contribute to developing the ‘look and feel’ of the Community’s Headspace service, including consultation on aspects of the design of the centre at a design workshop.

If you would like to find out a bit more about becoming a YRG member, you could please visit the website (Mental health service coming to Hamilton - Brophy Family and Youth Services) and complete the form linked under the heading “Youth Reference Group meetings”. That would be fantastic.  The Headspace group will then be in touch about joining the group and organising meeting times etc. 

We encourage students to be involved in this and have a say about mental health support in our region. 

Seasons for Growth: Learning to live with change and loss

Belinda and I attended the MacKillop Seasons for Growth program, a two-day training program in Ballarat to be Companions and to run this beneficial program.

The information below is in regards to the implementation of the program in 2024. 

Everyone is affected by change and loss at some time in our lives. At Monivae College we recognise that when changes occur such as separation, divorce, death, school transitions and natural disasters, young people may benefit from learning the skills to manage these changes effectively. We are therefore offering an education program called Seasons for Growth which will commence in Term 2, 2024. 

This program is facilitated in small groups of up to 7 participants and is based on research which highlights the importance of social support and the need the practice new skills to cope effectively with change and loss. The program focuses on building skills such as how to manage feelings, problem-solving, decision-making, effective communication and develops peer support networks. Participation in the program can promote improved self-esteem and self-confidence as well as giving young people the opportunity to find their own voice amid change.

If you think your child/ children would enjoy joining the Seasons for Growth program, we encourage you to talk to him/her about it. We are pleased to be able to offer this successful program and we are confident that it will be a valuable learning experience for those involved. If you require further information, contact Kate Couchman or Belinda Carroll through the Wellbeing Hub at Monivae on wellbeinghub@monivae.vic.edu.au or 5551 1238. 

Ms Kate Couchman 

Director of Student Wellbeing