Posted on by Gareth Furber

Getting off to a good start guide – your support system

Our Getting Off To A Good Start Guide is a collection of tips and advice for new or returning students who want to start the year as best they can. Originally a print guide, it is now a series of interlinked blog posts that you can bookmark and return to at any point and resume reading. Living online, the guide is constantly updated. This section talks about the supports available to you and how to find them. 

You may not realise it, but you are surrounded by services and programs within Flinders, in the community and online that can help with different problems.

 

Because Flinders is such a big community, often the support you need can be found at Flinders.

The starting point for getting support within Flinders is the Student Support Service Directory.

There you will find support services for different needs.

  • health and wellbeing
  • study and learning
  • financial support
  • enrolment and course
  • admin and technology
  • careers and employment
  • security
  • international students
  • indigenous students
  • HDR students

If your needs are health/wellbeing related (which is my area), we have a Quick guide to wellbeing focused services, programs, facilities, resources, topics and social media that might be helpful.

 

If what you need can’t be found at Flinders, you might need to start looking into the broader community.

Navigating community services can be a little daunting but there are a few tools to help you out.

We’ve got an article on getting help in the community. We also keep track of the various phone and chat support services.

There is a great app/website for finding support services in the community called AskIzzy. A similar site focused on those struggling with the costs of living is Affordable SA.

And remember that if you connect with support people within the university (e.g. a counsellor, career advisor, financial counsellor) they can often recommend services in the community as well.

 

When it comes to mental health and wellbeing, Australia has a fantastic selection of online tools and programs.

In fact, we have so many that we need websites to specifically keep track of them.

One of those websites is Head to Health. Head to Health is a government website with the specific goal of connecting you to mental health support, whether that is services, articles, websites or more.

Another great site that I like is eMHprac Mental Health Directory. “The Directory provides a useful overview of various Australian online and teleweb programs, all of which have been developed by credible sources, such as the Australian Government, universities, and national non-government organisations. This includes apps, online programs, online forums, and phone services, as well as a range of digital information resources.”

Lists of digital mental health resources, with specific populations in mind can be found here.

Populations include:

  • Autism
  • Carers
  • Culturally and Linguistically Diverse People
  • International Students
  • LGBTIQA+ people
  • Tertiary Students
  • Young people

 

🟢 We know from research on help-seeking that people can be reluctant to reach out for assistance. This can be due to many factors:

 

Stigma and Shame:

  • Fear of being judged or labeled, particularly for mental health or financial issues.
  • Feeling embarrassed about admitting they need help.

Perceived Self-Reliance:

  • Belief that they should solve problems on their own.
  • Concerns about appearing weak or incapable.

Lack of Awareness:

  • Not knowing what support services are available or how to access them.
  • Uncertainty about whether their issue is “serious enough” to warrant help.

Cultural Factors:

  • Cultural norms or expectations that discourage asking for help.
  • Language barriers or unfamiliarity with the systems in place.

Fear of Consequences:

  • Concerns about privacy or confidentiality (e.g., fear that seeking help might affect their academic or career prospects).
  • Worry about losing autonomy or being pressured into unwanted solutions.

Negative Past Experiences:

  • Previous experiences where help-seeking did not lead to a positive outcome.
  • Fear of being dismissed, misunderstood, or not taken seriously.

Low Perceived Effectiveness:

  • Belief that the available assistance won’t actually address their problem.
  • Doubts about the competency or relevance of the service providers.

Time and Effort:

  • Perception that seeking help is too time-consuming or difficult.
  • Feeling overwhelmed and unable to prioritize reaching out.

Emotional Barriers:

  • Anxiety about initiating contact with support services.
  • Fear of confronting or discussing their problems.

Social and Structural Barriers:

  • Lack of support from friends, family, or peers to encourage help-seeking.
  • Geographic, financial, or logistical obstacles to accessing services.

 

Here’s the thing. Those of us who work in support services know that everyone needs help at some point, so there is no shame in asking for it.

Bookmark this guide in your browser of choice so you can refer back to it if you are going through a tough time. It is a good jumping point to the many supports that are available.

 

Section reflection 🤔

Who are the main support people in your life? What kinds of support do they provide? Who are you a support person for? What generally makes you reluctant to seek help?

 

Sections of the guide 📘

 

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