Wellbeing
Wellbeing is at the heart of what we do in Lavers Hill K-12 College. We care greatly about the wellbeing of our students. We have a team of highly skilled allied health professionals and dedicated staff members to provide quality wellbeing and health support for our students.
Mental Health Practitioner/Psychologist
We have a mental health practitioner at our Lavers HIll campus every Wednesday. She is a registered psychologist and is qualified to deal with a variety of mental health issues in a safe and confidential environment . She is currently able to attend to any students across Years 7-12. A parent/guardian/carer consent is needed in order for the student to access this service. This is a department initiative to address the growing needs of our young people.
In addition to the DET initiative, we have established a connection to a local visiting psychologist that our students and their families may choose to access with their Mental Health Care Plan or NDIS. Specific requests can be made to accommodate the individual needs of our students.
Speech Pathologist and Occupational Therapist
From 2022, we welcome an Occupational Therapist, Joel Wickman and a Speech pathologist, Melissa Dodson that visits our Lavers Hill campus one day a week. Students with NDIS funding are most encouraged to access this service as it provides better integration of their treatment plan and the school environment. It also provides the perfect opportunity for them to directly observe the student and work closely with the teachers to promote better outcomes. In instances where funding and access may be limited, the school may contribute the cost of this service. Please contact our Secondary Wellbeing Coordinator to discuss how you can access this service with your child’s existing NDIS.
Doctors in Secondary School program
The Doctors in Secondary Schools program provides funding for 100 Victorian Government secondary schools to have an adolescent health-trained GP attend up to once a week to provide medical advice and health care to its students. All secondary school students will be able to access the GP, subject to providing the requisite consent for the services. Participating schools, students and their parents/guardians/carers will not incur any out-of-pocket expenses for consultations with the GP.
This service is available to all of our secondary school students at our Lavers Hill Campus on Fridays where the GP and the registered nurse will be on-site on alternating weeks.
In addition to allied health professionals, the majority of our staff members have completed the 4-day Berry Street Education Model training, which equipped them with the necessary skills to implement trauma-informed practices across our college. At the start of a given academic year, we devise a Staff-Student Mentor Program by linking our students with their preferred staff member as their mentor. This encourages our students to have a safe outlet to express any concerns they may have.
Wellbeing Coordinator
Each of our campuses has a dedicated Wellbeing Coordinator. They work closely with members of staff and families to identify students that are needing additional support. They will do a private check-in with the student and in most cases, devise useful strategies to assist them to overcome their own challenges. Where relevant, they will refer the student to the most appropriate services for further support.
School Wide Positive Support Initiative
To complement our effort to promote a positive school climate, we also participate in the Respectful Relationships program.