Helping children better manage their wellbeing
If you’re noticing that your child is anxious, angry, often upset or sad – or has had a change in their usual behaviour and well-being – Family Life is here to support. Our SHINE program supports vulnerable children aged 0-18 and their families, who live in the Casey and Greater Dandenong (Victoria) regions.
SHINE, an early intervention program, assists children and their families who are feeling the effects of challenging situations or experiences. It aims to reduce the risk of a child developing a mental health problem by helping them to strengthen their resilience and coping skills. SHINE is available to support children in the following circumstances:
- Children showing early signs of developing mental health concerns
- Children who need support regaining confidence or requires support to improve their well-being.
- Children who have a parent experiencing mental health concerns.
How do I know if my child needs a helping hand?
If your child has experienced difficult circumstances, is acting out or you’re struggling to manage your child, SHINE could assist your child to get back on track. SHINE is equipped to provide a multitude of strategies that could assist your child to better manage their emotions or possible referral to other more specialised services.
Here are a few ways you can tell if your child is at-risk of developing mental health concerns:
- Regularly anxious or distressed
- Struggling to overcome recurring problems
- Unable to sleep, eat or concentrate
- Avoiding regular social or family activities
- Demonstrating/experiencing challenging behaviours at home/school/community
- Finding it challenging adapting to their new cultural environment as newly arrived migrants and refugees.
If you’re concerned and believe your child needs some outside support, we can help.
What is the SHINE Program?
SHINE aims to help children, and their families, who need support in leading the way towards happy and healthy lives.
Our specialist case managers work with young people (with the support of their families or carers too) to address key issues and strengthen their resilience and well-being.
Depending on your child’s situation, we’ll work with you and your child either on a short-term (up to 6 weeks) or longer term basis (up to 6 months). Both pathways will involve your child:
- Working closely with a case worker
- Talking about issues in their lives
- Identifying areas they would like to improve
- Learning about mental health and well-being
- Taking part in small group work.
Additionally, we’ll also work closely with you and the rest of the family to support you better and manage your child’s well-being. We can assist you to gain a better understanding of mental health and connect you with other supports services where necessary.
How much does it cost to access the SHINE program?
SHINE is funded by the Federal Department of Social Services to deliver support for children and their families in Casey and Greater Dandenong regions. There is no cost to access SHINE services.
How can my child benefit?
SHINE helps children develop strategies to better manage stressful situations, while improving self-confidence and self-awareness. Participants and their parents have told us they:
- Have a better understanding of mental health and well-being
- Have experienced improvements in their emotional well-being
- Are able to communicate more effectively with their family members
- Have developed coping strategies to manage anxiety and behaviour
- Have a better understanding of what other support services are available in the community.
Early intervention is crucial to successful well-being outcomes. SHINE is an effective well-being service for all children.
How can I get in contact?
If you have concerns about your child’s well-being, and need some support, we’re here to support you.
If you struggle to communicate in English, we have bilingual case managers and have access to interpreters to communicate with you in your native language.
We’ll do a quick assessment to see if SHINE fits your situation. If it does, we’ll assign a case manager who’ll work with you to identify areas where SHINE can make a difference.
If you would like to know more about this service or check your eligibility, contact Family Life on (03) 8599 5433 or submit a request through our Contact Us page. To request support from this service, please complete this form.
