WELLBEING SUPPORT & RESOURCES

At Mentone Grammar, your child’s wellbeing is at the very centre of their education experience. Our Wellbeing Program offers support, specialist counselling and resources your child can use whenever they need.

Wellbeing Program
Every staff member plays a role in supporting your child, and they can always turn to their Mentor or Year Level/House Coordinator as a first step. Our specialist team, including counsellors, nurses, chaplains, careers counsellors and learning enhancement staff, are available to help with a wide range of challenges.

Talking to our Counsellors
If your child would like to meet with a School Counsellor, you can arrange a confidential appointment by email during term time. Our registered psychologists support students with academic pressures, anxiety, grief, social or emotional concerns, family issues, online safety and more.

Contacts

SchoolTV
SchoolTV is an Australian, empirically based online resource which provides useful information and strategies on topics which as mental health, cybersafety, school survival, healthy body, positive parenting and other specialist topics. Visit the dedicated Mentone Grammar SchoolTV site for a wealth of wellbeing information.

SchoolTV

Where to Access Support
The Wellbeing Centre, located opposite the Gregory Fish Library on the Frogmore Campus, offers counselling rooms, a Health Centre, Careers Centre, learning spaces, a chaplaincy office, a chill‑out area, and lots of helpful resources, all designed to support your child’s wellbeing.

My child is struggling with maths and science. Is it a learning issue?

Start by talking with your child’s subject teacher or, if further assistance is required, the Faculty Coordinator to obtain clear feedback about how they are going. Our teaching staff have extensive experience in assisting students with a range of learning styles, so reach out if you feel assistance is required. Most subjects run extra help classes before and after school as well as lunchtime sessions.

I'm worried about my child's social and emotional wellbeing. Who can help?

Your child can get in touch with their Mentor, Year Level Coordinator or House Coordinator for advice. You can also speak with the Head of Campus or one of our School counsellors.

Is counselling at School confidential?

The counselling team at School consists of registered psychologists who are bound by privacy and confidentiality standards set by the Australian Health Practitioner and Regulation Agency (AHPRA).

Counselling at School is confidential except in situations where there may be concerns about a person’s safety (either your child’s own safety or someone else’s). You can always ask the counsellors more about this.

Are counselling appointments kept private?

Absolutely. Once your child’s appointment is arranged, they can simply arrive at the Wellbeing Centre at the appointment time and the campus PA will be informed that they are absent from class (the reason is marked as ‘student services’, to maintain your child’s privacy).

What does my child need to prepare for the first counselling session?

It’s a good idea for your child to have a think about what they would like to talk about and get out of counselling (perhaps a goal they would like to achieve), but we will guide your child through this in the first session.

​ How many sessions of counselling can my child have?

There are no strict rules about the amount of counselling sessions your child can have. The purpose of School counselling is to help our students work through any challenges they may be experiencing that are negatively impacting their schooling.

Our counsellors don’t provide ongoing therapy to students. If your child needs more ongoing or intensive therapy, our counsellors can refer them to an external psychologist.

External Community Contacts

Kids Helpline – Call 1800 551 800
Free confidential phone counselling for children and adolescents, 24/7 

Kingston Youth Services – Call 1300 36 94 36
Free counselling, information, referrals and groups in Cheltenham

Bayside City Council Youth Services – Call 9599 4622
Support, programs and events for 10-25 year olds and their families 

headspace – Call 9526 1600
Free counselling in Highett

Family Life – Call 8599 5433 (Sandringham) 9770 0341 (Frankston)
Family and youth counselling and family support 

Connect Health and Community – Call 9575 5322
Youth and family counselling 

External Wellbeing Support

Beyond Blue – Youth and mental health
This site is designed to provide information about anxiety and depression to young people in Australia aged 12–25.

Beyond Blue – The Brave Program
If you are a young person who would like support managing worry and anxiety, The BRAVE Program is an interactive, online program for the prevention and treatment of anxiety. The program provides ways for young people to better cope with their worries. There are also programs for parents.

Youth Mental Fitness Hub
Free tools, tips and resources to help you stay emotionally strong, handle stress, and support your friends.

headspace
headspace provides tailored and holistic mental health support, information and services to 12 – 25 year olds, and their family and friends across Australia.

eheadspace
A national online and phone support service, staffed by experienced youth mental health professionals. It provides young people and carers with a safe, secure and anonymous place to talk to a professional – wherever they are.

Kids Helpline
Free, private and confidential (and anonymous) phone and online 24/7 counselling service specifically for young people aged 5 – 25 years.

Parentline
Parentline is a phone service for parents and carers of children from birth to 18 years old. They offer confidential and anonymous counselling and support on parenting issues).

Raising Children
An Australian parenting website that provides parents with up-to-date information and advice from Australian experts. Find parenting videos, articles and apps for parents with newborns to teenagers

ReachOut
Australian online mental health service for young people and their parents. ReachOut provides self-help information, support, tools and tips to help young people get through everyday issues to tough times. ReachOut’s self-help information, peer-support program and referral tools save lives by helping young people be well and stay well.

Smiling Mind and Thrive Inside
Smiling Mind is a non-for-profit web and app-based meditation program developed by psychologists and educators to help bring mindfulness into your life.
Thrive Inside helps you stay calm and healthy in the physical constraints of your home, while remaining calm and healthy inside your mind.