What is it?

Student Wellbeing is a service provided by Catholic College Bendigo to help all students with aspects of their lives, personal, educational and family. The Team consists of four counsellors and one home liaison person.

Home Liaison

In caring for students, it is often vital to understand their background and to communicate with others responsible for their wellbeing. The Home-school liaison person works across both sites and provides assistance to families and parents of our students needing practical support.

Contact can be made through messages left at the Front Office of either site.

How could Student Counsellors help?

- Sharing a problem can lighten the load for you.
- Counsellors are trained to help you sort out your problems
- They cannot do it for you
- Counsellors can negotiate or mediate for you

What is negotiation?

Perhaps you have been sick or have had personal or family problems and have fallen behind in your work.
Counsellors can help you to work out the problem with your teachers.

What is mediation?

Mediation can help sort out problems you may be having with friends, teachers or family so that everyone wins.

Issues

What sort of issues and problems do CCB Counsellors deal with? Counsellors are trained to deal with:
- Depression
- Drug and alcohol problems
- Eating disorders
- Anorexia & bulimia
- Learning difficulties
- Pregnancy
- Sexually Transmitted Infections
- Relationship/friendship problems
- Sexual assault - Rape

In fact, anything that makes you feel unhappy can be discussed with trained counsellors, or they can arrange for you to speak to outside people if you prefer. Click on any of the Issues listed in the Index to find out more information and links to other organizations.

Confidentiality

Anything that happens and is discussed with a counsellor is confidential. That means that matter will be discussed with NO ONE without your permission.
Exception: Should the counsellor believe that you are in danger of hurting yourself or someone else, he/she must inform parents for your own protection. This will be done with your knowledge where possible.

Remember! Nothing is so bad that you can not tell someone about it.

Appointments

You can make an appointment to see a member of the Team by leaving you name at the general office on either site. No questions will be asked about your reasons for requesting an appointment.

Urgent Appointments

When you approach the General Office and tell the staff the matter is urgent, they will locate a member of the team who will see you as soon as possible.

It is not always possible to be seen straight away as counsellors may already have appointments or other commitments, but you will be seen as soon as someone is free.

Appointment Slips

Sometimes counsellors may send out an appointment slip for various reasons. If a student receives an appointment slip it does not mean that there is a problem. For example, counsellors see all students who are new to the College to welcome them and then later to check that they have settled in. You do not have to attend appointments if you do not want to. Seeing a counsellor is a voluntary thing. However, if you do not wish to, or are not able to keep an appointment, please let the General Office staff know before the appointment time.