STUDENT WELLBEING
Tina Doyle
Social Worker/Student Wellbeing Coordinator (SWC), Team Leader
Rachel Tonu
Social Worker/Student Wellbeing Coordinator (SWC)
Trish Guy
Mental Health Practitioner (MHP)
Bridgette Van Der Zee
Wellbeing Assistant
Welcome
A very warm welcome to Bridgette Van Der Zee who has joined the team as the Wellbeing Assistant. It’s great to have Bridgette onboard, please feel free to introduce yourself when you see her.
The Geelong Project- Whole School Survey
With the return to onsite learning, The Geelong Project will be conducting a whole school survey soon during school hours. If you do not want your child to participate in the survey, please contact the Administration Office to speak to Tina or Rachel in Student Wellbeing.
The Geelong Project focuses on early intervention for young people at risk of disengaging from or leaving school, becoming homeless or entering the justice system.
Support may include:
- Case work support around a range of issues
- Support in managing family issues
- Support in managing school issues.
Remote Learning:
This can be a challenging time for many people and it’s important to take care of your health and wellbeing. During each day of remote learning, our team is available to offer supports to students and their families. We can support your child via phone call, Google Meet or email. We can also suggest possible services and supports as needed. If you have any concerns or would like further support, please call NGSC and ask to speak with Student Wellbeing. Alternatively, you can email Tina or Rachel at:
Tina: doyle.christina@ngsc.com.au
Rachel: tonu.rachel@ngsc.com.au
Other support contacts include:
Youth Beyond Blue 1300 224 636
Kids Helpline 1800 551 800
Family Violence 1800 015 188
Lifeline 13 11 14
eHeadspace: headspace.org.au/eheadspace
Student Wellbeing Hub Services
The Student Wellbeing Hub is located in A Block next to the Junior Sub School Office.
The Student Wellbeing Team provides support and referrals to external services for students and their families. As well as individual support, the team offers lunch time activities, small group work and participates in whole school events.
The SW Hub hosts a ‘Doctors in Schools’ (DiSS) medical clinic, which is open to students only, every Thursday. Dr Bianca Forrester is our resident GP, supported by clinic nurse, Kate Malone. Appointments can be made by students/families by emailing or talking to Tina or Rachel in the Student Wellbeing Office. Students can also drop into the clinic at lunch time if they prefer to book their own appointment.
Every Monday, a visiting Psychologist from Bellarine Community Health, is on-site. Referrals are via a Mental Health Care Plan from a GP.
Every Tuesday and Wednesday ‘CatholicCare’ Youth Refugee Case Manager, Nestor Estampa, is in the SW Hub supporting EAL students with pathways and facilitating the CALD Women’s Group, in partnership with Student Wellbeing.
On Fridays, ‘The Geelong Project’ (TGP) Early Intervention Support Worker, Chris Singh, supports NGSC students. Chris will be joined by another TGP support worker in the near future.
Breakfast Club
Breakfast Club is supported by volunteers and is held in B Wing each morning from 8:00 am. All students are welcome to attend for a social breakfast with their friends. There is no cost involved.
Lunch Time Social Groups
Lunch time groups offer a variety of activities for students, free of charge. Please check the Student Wellbeing noticeboard and Compass for what’s on. Students are invited to make suggestions for lunch time activities that they would like.
Student Health and Wellbeing
We invite you to visit the Student Health and Wellbeing webpage, on the NGSC Website, to look around and explore its contents. Go to https://ngsc.vic.edu.au, from the main menu select 'about us' and then select 'Student Health and Wellbeing'.
Information within the Student Health and Wellbeing portal outlines services we provide here at NGSC to support student Health and Wellbeing. There are also 'Resource Rooms', for parents and students. Within these rooms, there is a host of links to relevant websites, supportive services and popular free Apps to try.
The NGSC Student Health and Wellbeing webpage includes Barwon Health's 24/7 support line for young people and families. This triage service is for mental health crises and can be accessed by calling 1300 094 187. The Barwon Health Triage Team is equipped to deal with emergencies and to facilitate referrals to appropriate services for ongoing support.
Of course, our site also lists online supports, phone numbers and recommended apps to further support students and families during times of difficulty.
Accessing Centrelink
Accessing Centrelink can be difficult. Below are a couple of links that will help.
The first link is to information about Youth Allowance for students:
The links below provides information for those who have been affected by Covid-19:
https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/subjects/affected-coronavirus-covid-19
https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/mental-health-resources-coronavirus-covid-19
Centrelink can be very difficult for people to navigate, particularly if English is not your first language. Students who would like to access the Centrelink Interpreter Service can call 131 202 and will need to state their preferred language twice. They will then be transferred to an interpreter who will assist them with their inquiry. This service can also provide students with their CRN (customer reference number) over the phone which will enable them to apply for payments.
This service is available from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday.
Due to high demand, it is also available on weekends from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm.
Food Assistance
The Student Wellbeing Team can be contacted if you need urgent food assistance or to talk about other support options.
