From the Wellness Centre
Greetings from the Wellness Centre.
You’ll find this week’s column to be a list of some ripe-for-the-picking opportunities to participate in adult learning and some forthcoming training courses. Please don’t hesitate to contact me for further clarification and information.
Thriving Boys
WEBINAR: Helping Boys Thrive at School – Overcoming Setbacks, Building Confidence and Cultivating Resilience
As per last week’s column, I am excited to offer this worthwhile opportunity. I have unlimited access to this webinar and would really like to share it with GSG community. Both Maggie Dent and Susan Stiffelman are beacons in the world of child and adolescent well-being and parenting.
If you'd like to participate in an afternoon of camaraderie and a little learning, please email me to register your interest and for catering and seating purposes. I will send each participant and email closer to the date with details of venue and also asking for any dietary requirements.
Maggie Dent - Home | Resources for those who live and work with children
When: Friday 31 May 2024 from1.00pm to 3.15pm
Where: GSG room TBA
Why: Adult learning is fantastic
Youth MHFA Training
Later this term, on two consecutive Fridays (see flyers) GSG is hosting and sponsoring, with Palmerston, this essential training.
Please let me know via email if you have any questions and/or wish to register your attendance.
When: Friday 7 June 2024 and 14 June 2024 from 9.15am to 4.00pm
Where: TBA
Why: To learn about adolescent age/stage phases; mental challenges of youth; and to build personal confidence in having a wellbeing conversation
Cost: Free
How to register: sheryl.moncur@gsg.wa.edu.au by 31 May 2024
Conversations about Non Suicidal Self-Injury
Again, in partnership with Palmerston, this four-hour course is being offered again this term.
When: Tuesday 28 May 2024 from 9.30am to 2.00pm
Where: TBA
Why: To learn why young people self-injure and to understand up-to-date support options
Cost: Free
See the flyer for details.
Grief and Loss Meetings
Amity Health is hosting this initiative for people to explore the journey through grief and loss in a safe space, in the company of those who have walked a similar path. This will be occurring every Thursday 10.00am to11.30am from 9 May 2024 to 11 July 2024.
To register your interest:
Please call Amity Health 9842 2797
Time: 10.00am to 11.30am
When: Every Thursday from 9 May 2024 to 11 July 2024
Where: CWA Hall Serpentine Road, Albany
Resilient Kids Perth Conference
When: 20 July 2024
Speaking Luminaries: Maggie Dent, Michelle Mitchell, Karen Young, Dr Justin Coulson
See the link below for this much vaunted gathering of gurus in the mental health and parenting domains of young people. If you haven’t been to a Resilient Kids Conference you simply must! It’s much more than a conference. It’s a community of people, redefining resilience together.
MAIN Resilient Kids Conference | Michelle Mitchell
4Families - Relationships WA
Do you need support for your family?
If you live in Albany, Bunbury, Busselton, Cockburn, Kwinana, Mandurah, Manjimup, Margaret River or Rockingham you can get free support through our 4families service.
All families go through life's ups and downs. The downs can create worry, stress and tension within the family. You might be concerned about your children's mental emotional and social wellbeing.
You are not alone. Often families need support to get through the tough times.
How can we help?
Refer to link 4Families - Relationships WA
4Families is a free service that provides whatever support families and carers need, linking them to a variety of services to reduce family stress and enable children and young people to reach their full potential.
We can provide:
- Counselling and emotional support
- Information and referrals
- Psychosocial support and case work
- Workshops, seminars and groups
- Community development activities
- Support for grandparents and carers
We focus on prevention and early intervention by addressing issues that affect the mental and emotional well-being of children and young people.
Where families and carers need more assistance, we will actively work with other services including schools, community organisations, Centrelink and mental health services.
Headspace Albany
Our local headspace offers a really broad set of clubs and supports for young people 12 to 25 years old. A quick google will reveal loads of helpful and practical information. While headspace provides counselling support, it’s timely to remember that this excellent agency provides many other services.
Here are two below:
Wise Minds is a six week program for young people that gives young people, aged 12 to15, skills to cope with emotions, deal with other people, and practice some mindfulness activities.
Wise Minds starts in Week Three of each Term and runs on Tuesday afternoons from 3.45pm to 4.30pm.
We meet in the same room each time, set up with comfy bean bags, swivel stools, chairs and fidgets so we can all be comfortable and ready to participate. Snacks are always provided!
Each week we focus on different ways of regulating emotions and learn how to use our ‘Wise Mind’ (combination of our emotional & thinking minds). This can be helpful in managing day-to-day emotions so that it's easier to deal with, and understand our anxieties, frustrations and low moods.
There are usually four to six people in the group with two headspace team members. Having a smaller group of people makes it less intimidating for us to share in a respectful and comfortable environment. You only have to share if you feel comfortable and safe. Remember your sharing needs to be appropriate in a group environment!
Our headspace team members are there to have a chat afterwards if you feel like you need some support about a topic that comes up in group discussions.
To make sure you get the best outcome from Wise Minds, it is important to commit to coming to each of the six sessions. If you can’t make it to a session, you can let the staff at headspace know to keep you in the loop of what you may miss!
If you are interested in coming to Wise Minds, please let a team member at headspace know, or get a family member to let us know. This can be done by giving us a call on 9842 9871, or when you come into headspace Albany.
Mental Health Benefits of Work and Study | Headspace
This neat infographic reminds us that working and studying can play a really positive role in our lives and we can feel more empowered and confident – which can give our mental health status a strong boost. The headspace Work and Study programs are tailored to the needs of each young person and can support them in developing the skills and confidence to reach their work or study goals.
It's totally free and there are many options for young people to participate online via web chat video chat or phone, as well as face-to-face. One young person who’s participated in the Work and Study programme says “Don't hesitate in waiting to be at a specific stage of readiness. The team started with me from what I felt was rock bottom for me and within three months I made progress I never thought I would. I went on to continue doing these things because I had a team that did and still does believe in me and what I want to do.”
Why not give this a go?
Yours in maintaining self-care around mental health.
Ms Sheryl Moncur | School Counsellor/Teacher