Student Counsellor

Location: Melbourne | Eastern Metropolitan

Job type: Part time / From 17/10/2024

Organisation: Schools (Government)

**Salary**: Salary not specified

Occupation: Health and Allied Health

Reference: 1439343

**Selection Criteria**:
1. Highly developed counselling skills and experience in counselling adolescents presenting with a range of issues who may be self-referred, teacher or parent referred.

2. Knowledge of case management and student support strategies, with a demonstrated capacity to deliver a comprehensive wellbeing service to students and families in an educational setting.

3. Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work collaboratively and network with the wide range of people within the education and wider community.

4. Demonstrated ability to manage a range of complex wellbeing-related incidents and ensure that all relevant processes are followed (school-based, Department of Education and other legislative requirements).

5. Demonstrated ability to actively promote the safety and wellbeing of all students in line with the Child Safe Standards. Knowledge of case management and student support strategies, with a demonstrated capacity to deliver a comprehensive wellbeing service to students and families in an educational setting.

**Role**:
Required days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday onsite.

Range 3 is distinguished by the introduction of management responsibility and accountability for the delivery of professional support services. The role will usually impact beyond the work area or professional field. It seeks to gain cooperation of other staff members or members of the school community to achieve specific objectives, such as in school administration, operations or educational programs.

Direction on targets and goals is provided but the position will have some degree of latitude in determining how they are achieved. This latitude will generally be limited by standard procedures and school policy. Deviation from standard procedures and school policy will require guidance and direction from senior management.

The provision of business management responsibilities becomes a feature at range 3. Management of staff to achieve the expected outcomes is a key responsibility. Staff management issues will be resolved with mínimal reference to senior management, although guidance will be required in more complex cases. Senior management will be provided with timely reports and advice, although this will generally be confined to matters relating to the immediate work area, service provision or educational program and is unlikely to impact substantially on whole of school operations.

This is the minimum range for positions that carry a mandatory qualification requirement of not less than four years. Professional student support positions become a feature at range 3 (e.g. therapists, psychologists) where standard professional services are delivered. Professional support and guidance will be close at hand and deviation from standard procedures and school policy will require guidance and direction from senior management.

An education support class position supports the educational services being provided to students, but must not include duties of teaching as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) or its successor. Supervision of students cannot be required except where it is an integral part of the employee's position or involves supervision of students individually or in small groups, in controlled circumstances, where the responsibility for students remains clearly with a teacher.

**Responsibilities**:
**Key Responsibilities**:
**Counselling of Complex Needs Students**
- Provide one on one counselling for high risk and/or complex needs students
- Risk assessments and safety planning of students is crisis
- Ensure mandatory reporting processes are followed in regard to student disclosures.

**Case Management**
- Refer students and families to external mental health service providers
- Collaborate with external mental health service providers
- Develop, implement and review case management plans for complex needs students
- Communicate case management plans and building partnerships with SubSchool Leaders, Assistant Principals, and other relevant stakeholders
- Attend SSGs and case review meetings
- Attend Year Level/SubSchool Wellbeing Meetings

**Early Intervention**
- Plan, develop, implement and facilitate targeted group interventions to students at risk students.
- Promote and facilitate proactive social activities and services, both within the school and in partnership with the wider community agencies and support services.
- Contribute to the planning and promotion of school wide wellbeing initiatives and promotion days.

**Administrative tasks**
- Collate relevant data and statistics of Wellbeing activities
- Record and review case notes
- Ongoing communication with parents, SubSchool Leaders, and teaching