Wellbeing

Family Matters

By Anne Way Email this article

It has been lovely to finally have students back on campus, after a very different start to the school year. We welcome all families, especially those who are new to our College community this year, and extend every best wish for a rewarding 2022 school year.

Mercedes College is the only South Australian school employing two full-time Educational and Developmental Psychologists on staff.  In order to ensure that our community flourishes, we work in consultation and collaboration with College staff, students, parents and external providers to:

• ensure our pastoral care and teaching programme planning addresses student need and is informed by evidence based best practice
• identify key findings and recommendations from diagnostic assessment reports for teachers and specialist staff, in order to shape appropriate learning  programmes, adjustments and accommodations
• conduct assessments to identify a range of learning and social-emotional challenges
• participate in the development and review of Personalised Plans for Learning
• design, implement and evaluate programmes of intervention to address identified student wellbeing concerns
• design and deliver staff professional development opportunities relevant to student psychological health and wellbeing
• facilitate parent information and education opportunities
• support students through individual, confidential counselling from Years 4 to 12
• support referrals to external providers and with consent, liaise with providers to ensure that relevant strategies and support are provided at school
• support teachers to implement accommodations to support the learning and wellbeing of each student in the classroom and in the school yard

As Psychologists registered with the Psychology Board of Australia, through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and Members of the Australian Psychological Society (APS), we undertake our work within professional practice regulations and ethical requirements.

We ensure that we confidentially manage sensitive, personal information, as well as counselling contact. As necessary, and with informed consent, this information can be shared with relevant staff and external providers, strictly on a need to know basis.

Written records of our contact with students are kept for our professional use and these are maintained in secure files. We ensure that students understand the confidential nature of the counselling relationship and the circumstances under which information must be shared with parents and relevant others.

Given the size of our community and the diversity of needs at any given time, we can provide time-limited individual student counselling and case management support, determined on a needs-basis. Teachers and parents can request contact, or students may self-refer. Where support that is more intensive may be required, we can assist families with accessing external providers. Please note that there is a wait list for our service, however we utilise a comprehensive process to ensure that requests for support are relevant and seen in a timely manner.

The foundation for wellbeing and flourishing is laid when a sense of belonging and positive relationships are formed, so to that end, we strongly encourage parents to raise relevant student and family information which may impact academic progress, social interactions, health and wellbeing with the Class or Home Group Teacher in the first instance. This can include changed family circumstances, student or family health issues, or emerging psychological health concerns.

Our Family Matters column will continue to feature information about a range of resources, programmes and services that can support the challenging task of parenting, which we will supplement with modules from School TV which are available on the College website. As we commence the new school year, we particularly commend the School Transitions module located at: https://mercedes.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/school-transitions

It is a privilege to work in our unique roles at Mercedes College, and we wish all families a safe, happy and productive 2022.

Anne Way
Director of Wellbeing | College Psychologist (R-12)

Andrea Fairlie
College Psychologist (R-12)