The role of the Mental Health and Well-being Leader is to work across the school to implement a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for students, staff, and families based on a broad knowledge of the needs of the school community. This includes:

• building the capacity of school staff, in particular classroom teachers, to identify and support students with mental health concerns in the classroom
• supporting the school to create clear referral pathways internally (within school) and externally (to community services) for students identified as requiring further assessment and intervention
• coordinating targeted mental health support for students by working with regional staff, school wellbeing and leadership teams, teachers, parents/carers, and external agencies.

The role focuses on mental health and wellbeing promotion, prevention and early intervention, rather than the implementation of clinical or allied health approaches.

Our Wellbeing team consists of the MHWL leader, the Well-being Officer, the Assistant Principal and Principal, with The MHWL and the Wellbeing-Officer working closely together.

The Wellbeing team focusses on supporting the mental and emotional health of students and staff. They assess student needs, develop support programs, liaise with external agencies, and help create positive learning environments. For staff, wellbeing support often includes confidential counselling services and resources to help manage stress and maintain professional boundaries. 

They support students with social and emotional challenges to promote engagement, implement strategies to address barriers to attendance and learning, develop and deliver wellbeing programs for students and maintain links with community and external agencies. 

The Wellbeing team also provide support and resources for staff dealing with mental health issues and workplace stress, offer confidential Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) with counselling services and help staff set professional boundaries and manage workload. 

The Wellbeing Officer’s role is to support students’ social, emotional, and mental health needs so they can engage positively in their learning. The Wellbeing Officer provides one-on-one or small group support to students experiencing social, emotional, or behavioural challenges. They help children develop coping strategies, resilience, and positive relationships and act as a safe, trusted adult for students to talk to.

They Promote Positive Wellbeing by Running programs on topics such as friendship, emotional regulation, mindfulness, bullying prevention, or self-esteem. They encourage a whole-school approach to wellbeing, embedding it into classroom and playground practices.

The Well-being officer identifies students at risk of disengagement, anxiety, or other wellbeing concerns. They work with classroom teachers to implement strategies that support these students early. They connect with parents and carers to share strategies for supporting their child at home and link families to external support services (counsellors, psychologists, community organisations). Our Well-being officer provides advice to teachers on supporting students with wellbeing needs, promote respect, diversity, and inclusion across the school as well as helps to develop policies and practices that prevent bullying and ensure all students feel safe and valued.

Programs like School Wide Positive Behaviour, Positive Education, Respectful Relationships, Bullying prevention, building resilience and Cyber Safety, special celebration days like Mother’s, Fathers & Grandparent’ s Day, Calm youth program, Yarra Ranges youth intervention program- It Takes A Town, School clubs – Lego, STEM, PE, Art, Library, Choir, Perming Arts, Various Sport clubs, Inclusion awareness support, Harmony Day, Naidoc Week, National Storybook Read, Premiers Reading Challenge, Book Week and School production all support our students engagement, attendance and learning.