06 SepWellbeing in your service: where to get support?
While you are focusing your efforts on building a healthy mental health environment for children and young people, it is equally crucial to consider your own and your staff’s well-being.
In this article, we will look at available resources to support the wellbeing and mental health of your educators, teachers, and community.
Be you offers a variety of resources, such as webinars, plans and tools to promote and protect educators’ wellbeing at and outside work as well as addressing the unique challenges they may experience.
Victorian Department of Education Wellbeing Support Program
The Department of Education (DE) has engaged Benestar Group to deliver the Wellbeing Support Program (Best You by Benestar), which includes confidential and free counselling for eligible teachers and educators, mediation, and critical incident response services.
Wellbeing Support Program eligibility criteria:
- teachers and educators, including Advisors and Activity Group Leaders that deliver a funded kindergarten program in early childhood services under the Victorian Early Childhood Teachers and Educators Agreement 2020 (VECTEA), are eligible for four free, confidential counselling sessions each year
- casual Relief Teachers and educators employed by an early childhood service under the VECTEA are eligible if employed directly by the service provider. However, staff employed through an employment agency, external contractors and volunteers, parents and children are not eligible to access the counselling services.
How to access counselling services:
- teachers and educators can meet with clinicians face-to-face, via telephone, video or online LiveChat.
How to book an appointment:
- teachers and educators can book an appointment with a clinician by calling Best You by Benestar general line: 1300 360 364.
Other resources: a variety of contacts, resources and links is available HERE
