University of Tasmania, Australia

UTAS Home | UTAS Staff | UTAS Contacts

Services for Staff

UTAS Home ›  › Current Students › Counselling  › Services for Staff

For personal counselling go to the Work Health and Safety web page.

Counsellors can provide the following services to help in meeting some of the diverse needs of your students, as well as your own as a University staff member:

Workshops/seminars on offer

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA)  

The 12 hour MHFA training program will be run during May in Hobart and June in Launceston. Mental Health First Aid is the help provided to a person developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. The first aid is given until appropriate professional treatment is received or until the crisis is resolved. The aims of MHFA are to:

  • preserve life where a person may be a danger to themselves or others
  • provide help to prevent the mental health problem developing into a more serious state
  • promote recovery of good mental health
  • provide comfort to a person suffering a mental health illness

MHFA does not teach people how to be therapists but how to provide initial help and how to go about guiding a person towards appropriate professional help. The program teaches participants how to use an action plan to assess risk and provide support in the first instance. It is appropriate for all staff who want to develop knowledge and practical skills in situations where either staff or students may be experiencing a mental health crisis.

The course will be conducted by Donna Harriss, a registered psychologist working within the Student Centre, and is designed to be interactive. All participants are encouraged to bring their own professional experiences to discuss within the sessions.

Program dates, times and venues
Hobart Friday 3 May 9am - 1pm (morning tea will be provided)
 All sessions will be held in Friday 10 May 9am - 1pm (morning tea will be provided)
 Pepperz Restaurant, Friday 17 May 9am - 1pm (morning tea will be provided)
 Accommodation Services Friday 24 May 9am - 1pm (morning tea will be provided)
 * Please note: participants must attend all 4 sessions to complete the program and be given a certificate. 
Launceston Wednesday 5 June 1pm - 5pm (afternoon tea will be provided)
 All sessions will be held in Thursday 6 June 9am - 5pm (morning/afternoon tea & lunch will be provided)
 Tutorial Room A 121 Friday 7 June 9am - 1pm (morning tea will be provided)
 * Please note: participants must attend all 3 sessions to complete the program and be given a certificate
Registrations and Cost

To register, please email CounsellingConsultancy indicating your name, position, school/section, email address and the campus you will be attending. All registrations should be in one week prior to the first day of the program. Numbers are limited and you will be notified if you are placed on a waitlist. The program is funded by the Student Centre and therefore there is no cost to participants.

Mental Health Awareness 

This short two hour session is designed to raise awareness and increase knowledge about mental health conditions. The content includes:

  • the prevalence of mental health conditions within Australia
  • the impact of mental health conditions on students and staff
  • signs and symptoms of specific mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, psychosis and substance misuse
  • what to do if you notice a change in behaviour of a student or staff member
  • referral options and procedures
  • self care strategies when dealing with students or a staff member with a mental health condition.

This program is appropriate for any staff member (professional or academic) who wants to have a basic understanding of mental health conditions.

Workshop dates, times and venues
Launceston: Room A060 Thursday 9 May 10am - 12noon
Cradle Coast: Room D203 Monday 13 May 10am - 12noon
Hobart: Room Hum477A Tuesday 4 June 10am - 12noon
Registrations and Cost

To register, please email CounsellingConsultancy indicating your name, position, school/section, email address and the campus you will be attending. All registrations should be in one week prior to the first day of the program. Numbers are limited and you will be notified if you are placed on a waitlist. The program is funded by the Student Centre and therefore there is no cost to participants.

Difficult Behaviours 

This 2 hour introductory workshop is designed for staff who would like to develop some understanding about why we find some behaviours more difficult to manage than others and to develop some basic strategies for addressing these behaviours within the university setting. Issues covered include:

  • identification of behaviours staff encounter
  • exploring reasons for these behaviours
  • communication and conflict resolution skills
  • introduction to behaviour agreements and the Ordinance of Student Discipline
  • self care

This workshop is suitable for both professional and academic staff.

Workshop dates, times and venues
Launceston: Room A060 Thursday 16 May 10am - 12noon
Cradle Coast: Room D203 Monday 20 May 10am - 12noon
Hobart: Room Hum477A Thursday 6 June 10am - 12noon
Registrations and Cost

To register, please email CounsellingConsultancy indicating your name, position, school/section, email address and the campus you will be attending. All registrations should be in one week prior to the first day of the program. Numbers are limited and you will be notified if you are placed on a waitlist. The program is funded by the Student Centre and therefore there is no cost to participants.

Staff consultation

Counsellors can be a resource to staff in areas such as:  

  • managing difficult behaviours (of students and other staff members)
  • change and transition management skills
  • managing crisis situations and traumatic incidents
  • coping with grief and loss in the workplace
  • developing workshops on a range of human issues for staff and students
  • case management for individual students
  • helping students access personal counselling, see Counselling Information for Staff [PDF]

Fact Sheets

The Student Centre produce a range of fact sheets on a variety of topics relevant to students and staff including:  

  • careers and employment
  • disability and health
  • personal development
  • tertiary study
  • Fact sheets are available in hard copy on all campuses at strategic locations or at Staff Resources or Fact Sheets.

Audio resources

Resources are continually being developed as audio downloads. These include:  

  • stress recognition and management series
  • progressive muscle relaxation
  • an introduction to mindfulness
  • Links to these and a range of other web-based resources can be found at Resources.