STUDENT WELL BEING

Trish Guy,  Georgie Hunter and Tina Doyle

Wellbeing support for NGSC 

 

The NGSC Student Health and Wellbeing web page 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.

 

The Student Health and Wellbeing Team wishes you all a safe and happy term break.


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Local Support Services


Student Wellbeing Services

During School Closure

In the event of school closure, students will be able to access support from Student Wellbeing staff via email as needed. 

 

Staff can be contacted at:

Students can speak to a Student Wellbeing staff member by phone and should email staff to request a call and provide their contact number. A Google Meet can also be arranged.

 

Support Contact Numbers and Service for Young People

 

 

Youth Beyond Blue -www.youthbeyondblue.com is a dedicated site for youth, providing information, resources and support.

 

Reachout – visit their website for information, tools and support for young people with mental health issueshttps://au.reachout.com

 

eHeadspace - https://headspace.org.au/eheadspace/ 

 

Alcohol and drug foundation – free health advice for young people on alcohol and drug use, including mental health. https://adf.org.au 

 

Suicide Call Back Service – call 1300 659 467 for this free service for people having suicidal thoughts, family or friends affected by suicide and healthcare professionals treating suicidal patients.

 

 

 

 

Tips for looking after yourself during a school closure

  • Remember to exercise and go outside for fresh air every day.
  • Try relaxation activities such as meditation, colouring mandalas or mindfulness. The “Smiling Mind” app is good for this.
  • Continue to do the activities you enjoy such as listening to music, reading a book, art and talking to friends.
  • Consider drawing up a schedule for home with study time factored in.
  • Keep things as normal as possible, this includes sleep routines, keeping up personal hygiene and limiting screen time.
  • Contribute to the chores at home to help everyone out.
  • Keep a positive frame of mind by identifying one thing you’re grateful for each day.
  • Be informed by updates but remain calm.
  • Take care of your mental health and seek support from family, friends, community services or you doctor if needed.
  • Remember this change is temporary and all students/schools are in similar situations.

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:

 

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/youth-allowance-students-and-australian-apprentices

 

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.