Wellbeing Supports

Whilst we prioritise academic growth and learning outcomes, students sometimes require extra support with their wellbeing to help make the most of their education and achieve their full potential.

At Kurnai College, we support our students, teachers and families in a number of different ways with access too:

• Advocates

• Welfare Support

• Mental Health Practitioner

• School Nurse

• Doctors in School Program

• Koorie Support 

Advocates

Our Advocate teams are located on each campus across the college and comprise of teaching staff and education support staff to provide a supervised space to support students and remove barriers to learning including providing food, uniform support, and facilitate positive relationships around the school.  

Times when students may want to speak to the student advocates:

• If students are struggling with one or more classes and want to discuss strategies to catch up / other supports available.

• If students are having issues with another student / group of students that they feel theyneed assistance to resolve.

• If students are having issues with a teacher / staff member that they feel needs assistance to resolve.

• If students feel that factors from outside their school life is affecting their ability to achieve success at school.

• Any time students just feel they have something to say and need a space and a friendly face where they can be heard.

What the advocates can do for students:

• Listen.

• Communicate.

• Support. 

Welfare Supports

Each campus has a Student Welfare Officer who works closely with students and teachers to form strong relationships and offer specialised support. Through welfare support, they assist students and their families with a range of needs, including mental and physical health, emotional well-being, relationships, stress and behaviour management, organisation, communication, and social and interpersonal skills. They often make referrals and link with appropriate external agencies for physical and mental health, housing, finances, transport, food, emergency relief, parenting and family support, pathways, alternative programs, and provide advocacy when required.

Mental Health Practitioners (MHP)

The college Mental Health Practitioners (MHP) provide specialist support work, working with students, parents, teachers, and the wider community to improve mental health outcomes for our young people. MHPs provide direct counselling and other early interventions for students experiencing mild to moderate mental health concerns and coordinate supports for students with complex needs, including proactively working with other school supports and external health professionals as required.

Koorie Education Support

Our Koori Education Support staff are located across the campuses of the school and are dedicated to closing the gap and supporting key initiatives including the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and the Marrung Education Plan. Koori Support staff provide additional classroom support, cultural activities and advice to teaching staff to ensure inclusive classrooms and incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in curriculum. The Koori Support team provide advice in the development of Individual Education Plans (IEP) and participate in Student Support Groups (SSGs) to facilitate the learning needs of all Koori students within the college.  

School Nurse

 The Secondary School Nursing Program aims to reduce risk and promote better health. The key role of the secondary school nurse is to support health promotion, education and primary prevention. Our school nurse does this through delivering health initiatives, school community development activities, small group work focusing on health-related discussionsand information, individual student health counselling, providing advice and referrals to assist young people in making healthy lifestyle choices.

Doctors in Secondary Schools’ program (DISS) – Option 1

 The Doctors in Secondary Schools (DISS) program operates from our Morwell campus. We have a GP and a nurse on site to assist students fortnightly.

Students across the college, on all campuses, can access the GP and Nurse via scheduled appointments.

Confidential services they can provide include:

– Prescriptions

– General Health

– Medical Questions

– Specialist Referrals including Mental Health Care Plans and Paediatrician referrals.

 DISS complements existing student wellbeing programs aimed at improving health literacy and focusing on preventative health.

Relationships and Resilience (RandR)

The Relationships and Resilience (RandR) program at Kurnai College is dedicated classroom time to develop students’ mental health and resilience through the delivery of theory-based teaching programs. RandR uses the School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) principles to explicitly teach expected behaviours, and problem-solving skills. The RandR program  incorporates the Berry Street Education Model use of check ins and morning circles to support students to get ready to learn and teaches students to use the Resilience Project (TRP) GEM principles: Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness as well as Emotional Literacy to support student resilience. The Department of Education’s mandatory Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) and Building Respectful Relationships (BRR) is taught through both the Resilience Project journal and lessons, as well as, separate curriculum-based lessons.