Wellbeing

Wellbeing services are available to all students across each year level at Lakeview Senior College to support them in achieving academic, social and personal growth. Lakeview Senior College focuses on the holistic promotion of student wellbeing and has a strong emphasis on taking a collaborative approach that involves not only the young person, but also their wider support systems to improve and sustain positive change.

We have a wide range of support structures available that are tailored to help our students realise their full potential and become a well-rounded individual. The Student Wellbeing Team is led by an Assistant Principal who works alongside the Wellbeing Team Leader to collaboratively support the following staff:

Student Wellbeing Coordinators

The school’s wellbeing team are located on the second level of the GP building. Counsellors available to students in each year level. Students can access wellbeing support through their Year Level Coordinator, via a member of the principal team, or by going directly to the wellbeing office themselves. Our team is able to support students and their families by offering a range of services that include: counselling, support with uniform and books, breakfast club and a range of programs delivered at the school.

Psychologist

The school psychologist is an expert in mental health and learning in schools. Some of the services our psychologist provides include:

• Counselling and cognitive behavior therapy
• Providing links and referrals to programs for students and school communities
• Consultation and collaboration with schools, staff, parents and other professionals and organisations
• Promotion of the Department’s values of Equity and Excellence through building capacity in our schools through providing and facilitating professional learning and information in our schools
• Leadership, advice and support in response to crises and critical incidents that impact upon students, families and school communities

Mental Health Practitioner

The Mental Health Practitioner initiative is a recent addition to the services offered across Government schools in Victoria. At Lakeview Senior College the Mental Health Practitioner supports the wellbeing team through providing:

• Direct counselling support to students
• Contributing to and leading whole-school approaches to health prevention and promotion
• Liaising with Department and Regional support and disseminating this information to the team, staff and broader Lakeview community

Additional supports:

The team also works with families and individuals experiencing financial difficulties by supporting them to access government initiatives such as not-for-profit organisations such as States schools Relief (SSR) who aid in purchasing uniforms, accessing various scholarships and Foodbank who support schools in providing students the opportunity to eat a wholesome, nutritious breakfast on a regular basis alongside providing access to lunchtime food items and family food hampers. Donations of books and uniforms are also collected by the wellbeing team.

Programs offered through wellbeing:

Building Resilience through Advocacy, Counselling and Education (BRACE) program

• • BRACE is an evidence-based, wrap-around school-based program where skilled Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) clinicians are embedded within secondary schools to provide early intervention, drug education, prosocial skills, counselling and referral for at-risk young people. Delivered in partnership with Odyssey House Victoria

Safe Schools

• • The Safe Schools program helps schools foster a safe environment that is supportive and inclusive of LGBTIQ+ students. It recognises that creating a safe and inclusive environment is key to tackling bullying and harassment and preventing suicide and self-harm.

BETTERMAN

• • The BETTERMAN Program is an evidence based, personal development and mental health promotion program for young men. Developed by the BETTERMAN Foundation, specifically for young men aged 15-17 years of age, this program allows young men to explore topics important and relevant to them.

Mpower

• • The Mpower program explores the varied nature of girls aggression and the relationships girls have with each other. The program deals with issues of bullying, cliques and how girls relate to one another. Mpower seeks to encourage students to talk about what it means to be a girl and to discuss what happens in their friendship groups and how this affects them. The activities provide a basis for girls to work together, within small groups or larger class size groups, to identify and discuss problems or issues and develop strategies to safely manage them.

Respectful Relationships

• • The Respectful Relationships program supports Lakeview Senior College to promote and model respect, positive attitudes and behaviours. It teaches our young people how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence.

Link

Respectful Relationships