Wellbeing Matters

For Semester 1 the Wellbeing Team consists of: 

Courtney (she/her), Wellbeing Coordinator  (fulltime). Courtney is a former teacher and year 10 coordinator who has worked at PHSC since 2015. She is now employed as a social worker and has stepped in to the Student Wellbeing Coordinator role while Felicity is on secondment. Completing placements at Child Protection and the Office of Public Prosecution, Courtney has a particular interest in the impacts of trauma on the mind and body, and thus the ability for young people to learn. Courtney is able to work with students on an informal basis and support referrals to our mental health practitioners, as well as external support services. 

Jessica (she/her), Mental Health Practitioner (Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays).  Jessica is employed by the Department of Education as part of a state wide initiative to put a MHP in every government school. Jessica is a counsellor and social worker with further training in child and adolescent psychotherapy and has worked in the mental health and family violence sectors for over a decade. She has been a local all her life and is a former PHSC student with strong connections to and care for this community.  Jessica provides support for students via individual counselling, school wide health and wellbeing promotion, and mental health programs to support the varied experiences of school life, and to help maintain the foundations that are needed to show up every day to learn and be yourself with friends.  

Kelly (she/her), School Psychologist (Mondays, Thursdays and every second Friday).  Kelly is a registered Educational and Developmental Psychologist. She draws upon a range of different approaches to suit each individual. Kelly can work with you through difficulties with relationships, anxiety, depression, school, to name a few. Kelly may also refer you to services that can benefit you, whether that may be external counselling or specialised support. Kelly values your privacy. If you make an appointment to talk to Kelly, conversations with her are strictly confidential unless you or someone else is unsafe. If there were concerns about your safety, she will talk to you first about who they would like to talk to and what kinds of things would be said. 

We have had very busy start to 2023 and are seeing a lot of young people needing support to engage and thrive at school.  We work closely with parents/carers, staff and external services.  We will be staying in regular contact with the school community via a weekly Wellbeing Wednesday Newsfeed on Compass, and through various events and programs.  And of course we see individual students and work closely with parents/carers and families as well as staff to provide scaffolding and support or students who are struggling with difficult times and circumstances. 

This year we are excited to have started the Student Wellbeing Committee who will meet regularly to support their peers and organise events that bring us all together, dispel stigma around mental ill health and challenges, and provide stronger community connections.  (Contact Wellbeing if you are a student and want to be involved!) 

The first event of the year will be to mark International Women’s Day at lunchtime on Wednesday 8th March with a chance to dance anyway you want in some atmospheric lighting to some fierce women and non-binary musical artists.