JFC’s Wellbeing Hub

VICTORIA:

Welcome back to Term 1, 2023!

My name is Victoria Babalis, I’m the Student Wellbeing Leader and it has been great to get to know students and families since I joined the Wellbeing team in August 2022.

If you feel that your young person requires any additional wellbeing support either from myself or our wellbeing team please make a referral using the link below:

JFC General Well-being Referral Form (office.com)

JAZMIN:

Welcome to all our new and existing JFC students and families,

For those who don’t already know me, my name is Jazmin Pursell and I am the Social Worker and Mental Health Practitioner at the school. My working days are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

I provide individual short-term counselling for students, facilitating groups, family support and mental health promotion throughout the school, among other things! I can also help you find mental health and other supports for your young person and your family in the community.

When considering whether your young person may be struggling with their mental health, here are some questions to consider:

Questions to ask yourself

Have you noticed a change in their behaviour?
Is this behaviour occurring frequently?
Has this been going on for more than two weeks?
Are these changes affecting their day to day life (e.g. school, work, relationships)?

These quick questions can give you an indication of how worried you need to be. The more you answer ‘yes’, the more you need to consider discussing these changes with your young person and/or a health professional

(Youth Beyond Blue, 2022)

Some of the apps that I am aware of that may be helpful for students or yourselves as parents/carers and families when supporting your students are.

Beyond Now

Beyond Blue developed the Beyond Now app to help you make your own safety plan to support you through times of sadness or grief. You can make it on your phone and carry it with you to access anywhere and anytime.

Breathe2Relax

Breathe2Relax provides instructions for deep breathing exercises that can help reduce stress. Deep breathing has been shown to improve mood and deal with anger and anxiety.

Calm Harm

Calm Harm provides tasks that help you resist or manage the urge to self harm. You can add your own tasks too and it's completely private and password protected.

Clear Fear

Clear Fear provides you with a range of ways to manage the symptoms of anxiety.

Developed by a clinician co-collaboratively with young people, Clear Fear uses a Cognitive Behavioural framework to help you change anxious thoughts and emotions, alter anxious behaviours and calm fear responses. It also has helpful descriptions of the different ways in which anxiety presents, resources and a 'grit box' to boost resilience.

Smiling Mind

Smiling Mind is a unique tool developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to your life.

Search for these apps in the App Store of your phone or tablet device and you can also find further information on these apps by doing an internet search.

Here is a link for further apps which your students may find useful.

https://youthfocus.com.au/get-help/tools-apps/

Mental health updates:

This year, our wellbeing team are completing training on Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), which is around training us to respond to students with suicidal thoughts. It is a training based on research and we are really looking forward to learn or refresh existing skills to best support our students who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide. This is particularly important after several years of lockdowns in Victoria, that had a significant negative impact on young people’s mental health.

If you have concerns for your young person’s mental health, please make a wellbeing referral or contact one of the services (attached to the newsletter).

Upcoming mental health parent/carers webinars:

Mental Wellbeing for Autistic Young Adults

Thu., 2 March 2023, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

Are you an autistic young adult, or a family member, carer or supporter of one? Are you seeking practical advice, tips and knowledge you can use immediately?

Managing Children’s Anxiety webinar

Tuesday 28 March 2023 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Managing Children’s Anxiety - partnership with Nillumbik Tickets | TryBooking Australia

I wish you all a safe and healthy rest of Term 1.

Jazmin

RHIANNON:

Hello and welcome back John Fawknians, old and new!

My name is Rhiannon, I'm the art therapist on campus. My background is in fine art and counselling. My practice is trauma-informed with a focus on relationships. Talking about our struggles and stresses is hard, so I try to make sessions fun and creative!

At JFC, I am on-site Thursdays and Fridays. I facilitate individual and group art therapy and counselling sessions.

Parents/carers, if you think your child could benefit from art therapy or if you have any questions, please submit a wellbeing referral or contact our wellbeing team through the school.

For students, if you're interested in art therapy, come by the wellbeing office on a Thursday or Friday for a chat. If we haven't already met, come introduce yourself! I'd love to hear from you.

JANAN:

Hello

My name is Janan Allouche and I am an Adolescent Health Nurse. My role is to provide health education through whole school awareness, groups or classes and individuals health sessions.

For individual referrals please use this link. Reasons for individual referrals might include:

Drug and alcohol use such as vaping
Sexual and reproductive health
General health concerns
Body Image
Vaccination queries
Nutrition
Connecting to local health providers or facilitating referrals
Medicare

Upcoming health events:

Vaping and Your Child

Thursday, 02 March 2023 | 07:00 PM to 08:30 PM

Vaping and Your Child - Hume City Council

Art Therapy