Guidance Officer
Young people are especially vulnerable to the indirect effects via third parties, whether that be through stories of family and friends affected, or by exposure to media of natural disasters.
There is no right or wrong way to react to a traumatic event.
Encourage your young person to engage in activities that promote a healthy headspace. As much as possible, support young people to maintain regular routines and stay connected to regular activities such as sport, school, and spending time with friends.
People who experience traumatic events are often able to recover, and do not experience ongoing symptoms or difficulties. For some it is important to access professional support to navigate these challenges. It can be hard to know when it’s time to seek professional support. Commonly, it’s when someone experiences difficulties for longer than a couple of months after an event, and it’s having an impact on the way they want to live their lives.
When to get help?
You should think about getting help if the young person is having difficulties more than about six weeks after the disaster, or is not functioning well in normal activities. Services such as your local general practitioner, community health centre, school counsellor or local mental health service can provide advice and assistance.
Seek immediate help if you think the young person is at risk, for example of self harm. Call your local hospital, emergency services, Lifeline (13 43 57) or Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800).
What is the Harding Miller Education Foundation?
The Harding Miller Education Foundations mission is to bridge the long-term societal gap of opportunity for girls in year 9-12 within the public-school system who have high academic potential and are experiencing challenging socio-economic circumstances.
Each scholarship is valued at $20,000 and is the most generous scholarship available to public high school students across Australia! Details can be found on our website:
www.hardingmillereducationfoundation.org.au/apply-for-a-scholarship/
The scholarship program and funds are all managed by the Foundation and the student (and family).
Janet Ingram
Guidance Officer