STUDENT WELL BEING
Trish Guy, Georgie Hunter and Tina Doyle
Wellbeing support for NGSC
The NGSC Student Health and Wellbeing webpage has been updated to include Barwon Health's 24/7 support line for young people and families. This triage service is for mental health crisis 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.
Geelong Headspace in partnership with Headspace National, are hosting a webinar for parents and carers of young people to support their mental health during COVID-19 on Tuesday, 8 December, from 7:00 pm to 8:15 pm.
Online registration required.
THE FORT
DROP IN ACTIVITIES
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Local Support Services
Updated Website
Student Health and Wellbeing
Recently the Student Health and Wellbeing webpage was updated on the NGSC Website. We invite you to visit the site, have a 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.
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
In this stressful time, there are a number of ways to access food assistance if you're experiencing financial difficulty.
You can request a food hamper from the Food Bank by calling the COVID19 assistance line on 1800 675 398 and selecting option 3 when prompted. The Food Bank are able to organise delivery of a hamper directly to your door if you're socially isolated, in urgent need, and have no support network. Hampers are normally delivered within 24-48 hours.
Please see the information below for a list of other community options.
The Student Wellbeing Team can also be contacted if you need more urgent food assistance or to talk about other support options.
