The Wellbeing Page 

Family Support Worker onsite at SMPS every Monday

We are excited to announce that Jenna Berto (Family Worker at Port Phillip) will be onsite every Monday from next week (21st October). 

She will be sharing the consulting rooms in the maternal child health space next to the School Office. 

Feel free to pop in for a quick chat with Jenna - you do not need a referral or to commit to a longer service. 

Jenna is also available for any quick parenting questions you may have. 

If you are keen on receiving support over a longer period, Jenna can provide up to 5 sessions of support. She can also guide you as to other community services if further support was requested by yourself. 

FREE Allied Health Services for families - 2025 SHINE January Program

The SHINE Program is a renowned intervention program run for 28 years by the Andrew Dean Fildes Foundation (SHINE).

In 2025, the January SHINE Program will be delivered at St Kilda Primary School in St Kilda Monday-Friday over 2 weeks, between the 6th - 17th of January. Successful applicants will be invited to attend for one full week (Monday-Friday) 9am-3pm each day (except on the last Friday when the program finishes at 1pm).

This year the January Program will be targeting social and emotional skill development. Any children in primary school with this challenge will be considered. SHINE will prioritise applications of children without external services for therapy. e.g. NDIS funding. The program would be suitable for children with ADHD and a diagnosed or undiagnosed social skill challenge. Children must be able to participate in a group setting. 

Find an information sheet and the Expression of Interest Form here:

 SHINE January ‘Rehearsal for Real-life’ Social and Well-being Support Program

This year the January Program will be targeting social and emotional skill development and will be overseen and facilitated by SHINE’s Dramatherapist, Dr Amanda Musicka Williams, who has twenty years’ experience delivering creative arts therapies programs in school settings. Amanda will be supported by a team of Creative Arts Therapists. The ‘Rehearsal for Real-life’ program covers a wide variety of topics broadly aimed at developing social, emotional and life skills that support student’s self-awareness, resilience, and overall well-being. Students will engage in experiential learning delivered through Dramatherapy, Dance-Movement and Art Therapy techniques.

Specific goals of the program address the following topics:

• Emotional Intelligence & Self-Regulation
• Social Skill Development & Social Problem Solving
• Personal Boundaries and Consent
• Exploring Personal strengths and positive self-talk
• Life skills: Resilience, Adaptability & Self-Reflection
• Teamwork 

The program is free for families and funded through philanthropy. SHINE employs highly qualified and experienced professionals from a variety of disciplines who use evidence-based practices and work together to support children. Children are involved in fun and engaging activities that target their learning/intervention goals. The SHINE staff work with university students studying health degrees to assist in program delivery. 

In order to be eligible to attend a program, a child must:

• Be of school age 
• Have an IQ of 70 or above, hearing and vision in the typical range (or have glasses or hearing aids that allow this)
• Be able to independently move and care for self (toileting, eating)
• Be able to participate in individual and group activities 

Selection for the program is based on factors including understanding of child’s needs based on application information and suitability for programs/groups relating to child needs and age. 

Priority may be given to those who:

1. Supply more information to support their application 

2. Return application earlier 

3. Have limited access to assessment and intervention services 

4. Vulnerable families and children experiencing disadvantage in relation to their diagnosis and family/social/economic situation 

More information about SHINE is available at the SHINE website: www.shine.org.au

Dr Amanda-Musicka-Williams chrysalisdramatherapy@gmail.com  Ph: 0405514136

Dr Jessica Matov  Jessica.matov@shine.org.au