Wellbeing

Wellbeing Service

The Galen Catholic College Wellbeing Service is a multidisciplinary team of counsellors, a social worker, a registered psychologist, and speech pathologist.

Services are provided to students onsite to both maximise their wellbeing at the college, and their academic potential.

Wellbeing services may include:

• Strategic short-term evidence-based therapeutic intervention;
• Generalist counselling;
• Case management if the student is referred and already working with an external agency;
• Student advocacy;
• Skill development (emotional regulation/sensory regulation)
• Social, emotional and behavioural screeners (where deemed appropriate);
• Consultation with teachers, educational support staff and College leadership;
• Consultation with parents/guardians; and
• Implementing College wide wellbeing programs.

The Wellbeing Service is voluntary and guided by the needs and goals that are identified by the student.

Please note, that while our Wellbeing Service can provide basic counselling, support, intervention, risk assessment and case management, students will be referred to external professional services when the issues are complex or specific. 

The Wellbeing Service is primarily appointment based and all students are sent emails with their appointment times. A clinician is available for “drop in” support/appointments, however these should be reserved for significant distress/risk assessments. 

Students aged 12 years or above and who are considered capable of providing informed consent will be able to self-refer to the Wellbeing Service and while parental consent is not necessary for an initial session, parental involvement and communication will be encouraged.

If a parent would like to refer their child to the Wellbeing Service, it is recommended they speak to their child’s House Leader who can complete a school referral form. We do recommend completing the referral form with either the young person or with their consent. 

Safeguarding personal information of parents and students is fundamental at Galen Catholic College. In dealing with personal and sensitive information about individuals, the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV) is bound by the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). In relation to health records, the CECV is also bound by the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and the Health Privacy Principles in that Act. It is also important to note that any referrals made by a college staff member, student or parent will be taken to a weekly wellbeing allocation and triage meeting to discuss with the appropriate support staff at the school. This typically includes, the Wellbeing Team, and the Deputy Principal, however, if appropriate, information may be shared with House Leaders, Learning Leaders, and Diverse Learning staff. If there are concerns around learning, safety to self and safety to others in the classroom, this information may also be discussed with other staff members. 

Alongside our Wellbeing Service, our House Leaders can assist in the following ways:

• Talk to students about numerous different topics and offer pastoral care and support; 

Some of the areas may include but are not limited to:

• Feeling sad and low;
• Anxiety, worries and fears;
• Grief and loss;
• Anger management;
• Conflict resolution and bullying;
• Self Esteem;
• Difficulties at home or at the College; and
• Transition from primary to secondary school 

Allied Health Assessments 

Our college psychologist and speech pathologist can also conduct assessments (where deemed appropriate). Specifically, our speech pathologist can:

• Diagnose developmental language disorders, speech disorders, and pragmatic communication disorders;
• Identify the possibility of neurological disorders e.g.; Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; and
• Identify the possibility of Specific Learning Disorders.

Our psychologist can conduct Educational Assessments exploring:

• Intellectual Disability;
• Specific Learning Disorders;
• Screen for neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities like Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder;
• Mood Disorders; and
• Anxiety Disorders 

If you would like to discuss the possibility of exploring an assessment for your child, we would encourage you to speak to your child’s House Leader or Learning Leader.