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Student Wellbeing Services

As part of its commitment to student wellbeing, McKinnon Secondary College employs a Student Wellbeing Team to provide comprehensive support for a range of issues. This is a multidisciplinary team consisting of a counsellor, psychologist and social worker. The members of the Student Wellbeing Team are experienced in a range of modalities and are passionate about helping students navigate their way through the various social and emotional challenges they may face.

These challenges may include:
• Social difficulties
• Emotional challenges
• Behavioural difficulties
• Learning needs
• Family challenges, including family break-up
• Grief and loss
• School refusal
• Risk taking behaviours
• Mental health
• Child safety concerns

Services available through the Student Wellbeing Team include:
• Individual counselling for students
• Therapeutic groups targeting stress management, anxiety and academic pressure
• Mindfulness meditation
• Consultation with parents regarding the learning, behavioural, social or emotional concerns of their child
• Referral to external support services and specialist assessment/treatment services
• Positive mental health promotion and liaison with school-wide programs relevant to student wellbeing
• Financial support for families in need

Referral to the Student Wellbeing Team for counselling can be made in one of three ways:
• Students can self-refer to the Student Wellbeing Team via email or by visiting the Wellbeing Office located in S Block at Main Campus and Level 3 at East Campus. Parental permission is generally required however some senior students over the age of 18 are considered to have the maturity and ability to give informed consent to receive counselling. There are exceptions, please discuss this with the team if parental consent is a barrier for you accessing this service. 
• The Principal Class, Student Managers, School Nurse or Heads of Senior/Junior School can arrange a referral to the Student Wellbeing Team if they have concerns about a student’s wellbeing
• Parents can also request an appointment for their child with the Student Wellbeing Team by contacting the team via phone or email

In some instances, a student may be referred to an external support service. We also respect the fact that some students and parents may prefer to seek professional support independent from the school setting. In such cases, the Student Wellbeing Team values working collaboratively with external services. In all cases, we encourage parents to communicate with the school if there is a significant issue affecting their child’s health or wellbeing.

Child Safety 
The College takes seriously its commitment to child safety; for further information, see the Child Safety Policy and Code of Conduct on this website.

Confidentiality
The McKinnon Secondary College Student Wellbeing Team ensures that information discussed during counselling is kept confidential and is not disclosed to other people without the consent of the student or parent/guardian. However, there may be circumstances, for example if a student is assessed to be at risk to themselves or others, in which a student’s right to confidentiality cannot be maintained. The Student Wellbeing Team works within a family-sensitive framework and will endeavour to involve parents and carers in the student’s intervention and support plan where applicable. The services available and the counselling process – including limits to confidentiality – are discussed with the student prior to commencing counselling.

Resources and Helpful Links
For more information on adolescent health and wellbeing, Headspace offers a variety of valuable resources, links, contacts and fact sheets for students and parents, which can be found at the following link: http://www.headspace.org.au

For immediate support and counselling, please contact the following organisations:
Lifeline
13 11 14
Kids Help Line
1800 55 1800
Headspace
1800 650 890
Beyond Blue
1300 224 636
Parent Line
132 289
Alfred CHYMS
Alfred Child and Youth Mental Health Service
8552 0555
http://www.alfredhealth.org.au/CYMHS/


These websites may also be of interest:

www.blackdoginstitute.org.au
www.druginfo.adf.org.au
www.eatingdisorders.org.au
www.mindhealthconnect.org.au
www.sane.org
www.smilingmind.com.au
http://au.reachout.com