Sometimes it can be confusing to know who to contact for support or assistance at university. You might be familiar with our Safe and Respected at La Trobe Campaign, but aren’t sure who to go to for assistance. Let’s unpack some of the key differences between Safer Community and Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion.
What is Safer Community?
Safer Community is a La Trobe support service designed to protect your safety and wellbeing.
The free and confidential service supports students or staff who experience or witness concerning, threatening, inappropriate or uncomfortable behaviour.
Safer Community works to create a safer campus environment for all students and staff in the La Trobe community.
Contact Safer Community when you:
- Have safety or wellbeing concerns for yourself or someone else or want to report or seek advice.
- Feel like you have experienced unacceptable or concerning behaviour and want to seek support or advice about what to do.
- Have witnessed or have information about unacceptable or concerning behaviour.
Find out what to expect when you contact Safer Community.
What is Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion?
- Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion is the first point of contact for all your health and wellbeing needs, including mental health support.
- Students can talk to Health Wellbeing and Inclusion staff about things like family issues, relationships, stress about uni, lack of motivation, stress at home, homesickness, feeling low or anxious, etc. Whatever you want to talk about!
- They can help you make appointments, learn about services, and access relevant community supports & resources.
- Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion understand that you might have things happening in your life that may affect how you feel and are here to offer support during your time at university. They provide a range of free and confidential services you can access online.
If you are unsure about what help you need, or what services are available, you can drop in or call Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion for more information.
Which service do I go to?
It depends on what your concerns are. It’s OK if you aren’t quite sure what kind of support you may need, both Health Wellbeing and Inclusion and Safer Community work together and can refer you to the correct services if you are unsure.
If you want additional support or want to chat about things happening in your life that may affect how you feel then Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion would be the place to start.
However, if you have experienced or witnessed concerning behaviour online, on or off campus, and want to raise it with a staff member or seek advice, Safer Community would be the place to start.
If you want to make a formal report about concerning behaviour or are interested in what this might entail, speak to Safer Community.
If you would like to better understand the difference between reporting and disclosing to the Safer Community, please read our article about disclosure vs reporting.
The Safe and Respected at La Trobe Campaign
From 26 February to 3 May, a new awareness campaign – Safe and Respected at La Trobe – has been underway, aiming to help prevent and respond to sexual harm.
Sexual harm is an umbrella term for any behaviour of a sexual nature that makes someone feel uncomfortable, frightened, intimidated, threatened, or coerced, or occurs without consent.
You might see campaign posters around our campuses. We want to communicate to students and staff how to access support for sexual harm.
View the Safe and Respected at La Trobe campaign website to learn more.
Contact Safer Community
Call: 03 9479 8988 Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm
Email: safercommunity@latrobe.edu.au
Report online
Please note: Safer Community is not an emergency or critical response service, and reports, emails and voicemails are not reviewed outside of operating hours. For after-hours assistance please contact the La Trobe Crisis Line on 1300 146 307 or text 0488 884 100 or Security on campus at 9479 2222.
Contact Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion
Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion provide free, confidential personal emotional support for students. This includes providing Northern Centre Against Sexual Assault (NCASA) out-post services in both Bendigo and Bundoora.
Fill out this form to make an appointment.
Community Specialist Supports
- 1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732
- NCASA: 03 9496 2369, a sexual assault service located in Heidelberg. An NCASA counsellor also visits the Melbourne (Bundoora) Campus weekly and can be accessed through Health Wellbeing and Inclusion.
- Sexual Assault Services Victoria: to find your local sexual assault service.
- CASACV: For Bendigo students, trauma-informed counselling, advocacy and support for students who have experienced sexual assault, either recently or in the past.
- Rainbow Door: 1800 729 367, specialist helpline service for all LGBTIQA+ people, their friends and family
- 13YARN: 13 92 76, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander crisis support line for mob who are feeling overwhelmed or having difficulty coping.
- Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491, counselling, information and referral for men who are seeking support to change their behaviours.