More Barwon electorate students will have access to wellbeing support at school thanks to the NSW government committing $60 million over four years to continue the successful Wellbeing and Health In-reach Nurse (WHIN) Coordinator program.
Schools and parents and carers in our region benefiting from the new placings are:
- Ivanhoe Central School
- Tibooburra Outback Public School
- White Cliffs Public School
Since the program started in 2018, more than 10,000 students have been supported by wellbeing nurses. Around 100 wellbeing nurses working in 400 public schools are spread across metro, rural and regional NSW, potentially giving 150,000 students access to this important service.
The WHIN Coordinator program is a joint initiative of NSW Health and the NSW Department of Education, which establishes wellbeing nurses in public primary and secondary schools to coordinate appropriate early intervention, assessments and referral to health and social services. The number of counsellors in schools will increase, with an additional 250 counsellors being recruited.
Duty MLC for Barwon Stephen Lawrence says, “I’m really pleased the NSW government is continuing our investment into this incredibly successful wellbeing program. Participating schools are carefully chosen to make sure that wellbeing nurses are available to the communities who need them most.”
Minister for Health Ryan Park says, “These wellbeing nurses play a vital role in our schools, helping students and their families to access mental health support and high quality, compassionate healthcare. We know wellbeing nurses are effective in assisting students and their families to access care for health and wellbeing needs they otherwise would not receive, so I’m proud thousands of children and young people across NSW will continue to benefit from this important service.”
