Wellbeing

If you were at the beach and were suddenly caught in a rip would you raise your hand for help from a lifeguard? If you were at the beach and witnessing someone caught in a rip and drowning, would you watch on in silence and do nothing?

I think we know how most people would respond.

So why is it when someone is battling poor mental health they suffer in silence? And people around them avoid the topic and avoid getting involved? I am putting the call out to all of our carers, families and students to please, please make some noise if you or someone you know is drowning.

I may only be one person in my colourful little wellbeing department at HHS, but I have a whole network of supports that I can recommend within our local community. 

My role has been impacted very much by remote learning and I am now more reliant than ever on students and parents popping their hand up and asking for help.

Mental health services across the state are in high demand and I plead with all of you to please act now and not wait till things reach crisis point. 

Current wait times for many services are 2-3 weeks; 2-3 weeks is a really long time if you have reached crisis point and even longer if you are living with or caring for someone who is in poor mental health.

While I are more than happy to check in with students and provide guidance to families, I also strongly recommend establishing a link with a mental health professional for a 

two-pronged approach. Local GP’s are some of the best placed professionals to provide referrals for services in our community, they are a great starting point.

I wish all of our students and families the very best over the coming weeks, I know it is going to be challenging and I remind you again to please make some noise if you are drowning.

Support for Anxious Kids

Support for Parents