The Women’s Department is a service on campus for women identified and women socialised students. The Women’s Department can be a great resource and referral service, it can be a wonderful place to meet new friends and our Women’s Room is a perfect place to relax. The Women’s Officers are always available to help students by providing support, resources, and can help students deal with issues they may have with the university.
We can help with a range of issues. However, there are some times you might need to see a doctor, counsellor or use the security services on campus. This is a quick guide to help you out when you have to deal with these services.
In a new renovation, Monash University has consolidated all health providers on Clayton Campus into one location. This move has also seen the addition of some new services. These services are collectively termed ‘Monash Health Services’.
Doctors
The doctors are open 8.30- 5pm weekdays. You can make appointments in advance, or on the day, in person or over the phone. You can often get an appointment on the day if you call in the morning on 9905 3175.
The service is free for domestic students who are an Australian citizen or permanent resident and hold a current Medicare card.
For International students who hold a current OSHC Worldcare or Medibank Private card they can direct-bill the cost to your health care provider. Other OSCH insurance holders will have to pay upfront and claim the money back from their insurer.
Dentist
Scheduled to open on the 24th of February 2014 the dentist on campus will offer all services that any other dentist offers, at discounted rates for students.
Counselling
The counselling service is now in the same location as the doctors and dentist, on the ground floor of the campus center. You can make an appointment with a counsellor by calling 9905 3175 and if you call before 10am you can often get a same day appointment. This phone number is the same as the one you call for Doctors appointments, just specify that you wish to make a counselling appointment.
The counselling service at Monash is free, with your initial appointment running up to 30 minutes. This is an informal discussion so the counsellor can understand what’s going on. At the end of the session the counsellor will either suggest further appointments or refer you on to another service. Counsellors can help work out the cause of the problem you’re having and work with you to develop ways to cope. The service is available to all students, no matter how big or small you feel the issue is. You can also speak to counsellors about getting help for a friend.
There is also a counsellor from SECASA (South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault) who provides specialist counselling to victims of sexual assault and/or family violence. This counsellor is available at Clayton on Mondays and at Caulfield on Tuesdays. If you wish to make an appointment to speak with the SECASA counsellor, contact the Monash Health Services on 9905 3175 and ask for an appointment with Joanne Ronalds. Students can also contact SECASA directly on 9928 8741 to request counselling and/or support.
For general after-hours counselling help (5pm-9am weekdays, 24 hours weekends) you can call the free help number on 1800 350 359.
You can find links to other 24 hour help lines, and online mental health resources on the Monash counselling webpage .
Security
Another free service you can make use of is Security at Clayton campus. By calling the general enquiries line on 9905 3059 you can request a security escort to your car, bus, or any location at Monash. If you don’t have a phone there are also emergency help points located around the campus – these points are orange circular objects mounted on on long yellow poles. To use the point, press the button and wait for a response. You will find the emergency points located in front of the admin building, the Matheson Library, the multi-level car park, and at the bus loop.
There is also a security bus that runs from 5:30pm- 12am weekdays which leaves every 30 minutes. This bus operates in a loop around campus, and is a perfect way to travel between MRS, and the bus loop or library, late at night. You can download the bus route from the security services webpage.
For emergencies on campus, call 9905 3333. For urgent police, fire or ambulance help, call 000.
Safer Communities Unit
The Safer Communities Unit focuses on personal safety, and aims to prevent threatening behaviours on campus. Safer Communities provides advice and support for dealing with inappropriate, concerning, or threatening behaviours. Contact Safer Communities if you feel attacked, harassed, intimidated, stalked, bullied or threatened. You can also contact them if you are concerned about someone else’s behaviour or wellbeing, or you are worried about someone harming themselves or someone else. The Safer Communities Unit works hand in hand with both the security and counselling services on all Monash campuses and can be contacted on 9905 1599 or at safercommunity@monash.edu.
If you are still unsure about how to utilise any of the services at Monash don’t hesitate to contact the Monash Health Services, Security, the Safer Communities Unit, or the Women’s Department.
The Women’s Department strives to ensure the safety of women students on campus. We are running multiple campaigns this year focusing on issues such as consent and reproductive rights. If you have any questions, or suggestions for the Women’s Department please send as an e-mail on msa-womens@monash.edu, and don’t forget to ‘like’ us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/msawomensdepartment!
Internet Resources
Monash Counselling:
http://www.monash.edu.au/counselling/24-hour-emergency-contacts.html
http://monash.edu.au/counselling/online-mental-health-resources.html
Monash Security:
http://www.monash.edu.au/about/who/safety-security/services/
