Position: Guidance Counsellor/Psychologist 
Commencing Date:  Monday 20 January, 2025
Salary Range: $107,470- $132,763 per annum pending experience
Tenure: Full Time, Fixed Term (12 months)
Closing Date: Monday, 6 January 2025

Townsville Catholic Education supports a diverse region extending from Townsville to the Burdekin and Whitsunday regions in the south, and north to Ingham and Halifax, south-west to Winton, and west to the border with the Northern Territory, encompassing Mount Isa and several small, isolated western towns and east to Palm Island.

Townsville Catholic Education provides a supportive, flexible working environment where care for the individual is an important part of our ethos.  We employ motivated people who want to work together to produce excellent outcomes for our students. Our staff are recognised as being central to achieving our mission. 

Townsville Catholic Education is currently seeking a experienced and dedicated Guidance Counsellor/Psychologist. The role is full time, fixed term (12 months) position commencing 20 January 2025 for the duration of the 2025 school year. The role will support St Michael's Catholic School, Palm Island.

About the Role

The position of Guidance Counsellor/Psychologist will provide professional expertise, leadership and support to the school community in the development, implementation and evaluation of plans and programs to assist students in achieving positive educational, developmental and lifelong learning outcomes.

The position will collaboratively negotiate, develop and implement programs for student that have a focus on preventative and early intervention strategies; are responsive to identified personal, social, emotional and educational needs; and aim to foster resilience and personal skills development.

Guidance Counsellors are guided by a specific theoretical orientation influenced by their global view of the school and the services available to it.  Any intervention with Primary and Secondary school students has to take particular notice of the student within the context of the family.  The focus is on the student within this and other contexts, realising that the responsibility for each student’s welfare and progress remains within the family and local school.  A particular emphasis will be to empower school communities to assist students in crisis or with diverse learning needs.

Key Accountabilities

• Facilitate proactive, preventative and evidence-based practices and initiatives that promote student social, emotional, and educational development and the mental health and wellbeing of students.
• Facilitate effective working relationships and partnerships with parents, school staff and external support agencies, involving a multidisciplinary approach, to provide a comprehensive support, case management and referral service that optimises students’ access and engagement in educational programs. Undertaking necessary prioritisation and triage of referrals and service requests within each school context.
• Assess presenting issues and conduct activities such as intakes, student observation and psychoeducational assessment to determine the nature of student learning difficulties, disability, developmental levels, or psychological and emotional status to make recommendations for educational adjustments and interventions.
• Provide recommendations and support to teachers and leadership, as part of tier one and two levels of a multi-tiered system of support, regarding supporting whole-school wellbeing planning, classroom support and behaviour management that indirectly contribute to student wellbeing and learning at school.
• Manage the provision of counselling and consulting services for students (with personal, social, emotional, and educational needs) with a focus on prevention, intervention, and student learning.
• Ensure policy and procedures for student protection, educating students with disabilities, behaviour support, the containment of critical incidents and mandatory record keeping are implemented. This may involve the development, monitoring and review of individual student plans with teachers, staff, and families.
• Balance the ethical issues of consent, privacy, and confidentiality for each student with the appropriateness of sharing information with others and maintain a comprehensive and professional record-keeping system that complies with policy and the legal requirements for access to these official records.
• Prepare and implement professional and personal skill development programs and in-services for teachers, school officers and parents. Participate in regular professional supervision sessions and relevant professional development.
• Provide leadership and specialised support in response to student protection issues, critical incidents, and emergencies, including the development and implementation of responsive programs for school and student needs. For example: anxiety and stress management, grief and loss incident responding, risk management and behaviour support planning for students.
• Maintain standards of practice that are consistent with registration boards and membership of professional associations.
• Complete other duties that are directed as service needs change or grow, if the duties are consistent with the purpose of this position and any relevant legal and/or industrial obligations.

About You

• Proven capacity to develop and implement counselling programs and associated strategies and services to support the needs of students with personal, social and emotional needs
• Demonstrated capacity to effectively respond to sensitive and complex student issues within an ethical framework.
• Capacity for effective counselling and individual case management involving a multidisciplinary approach, within an environment of competing priorities
• Capacity to develop and implement student support programs and services for students with high support needs that reflect best practice and that align with relevant policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills and the capacity to develop and sustain productive relationships within and beyond the school community.
• Capacity to work as a key contributor to a multi-tiered system of support within the school community to effectively engage students and staff.

Mandatory Criteria

• Current Working with Children Suitability Card - The successful candidate will require a paid Blue Card before commencement as per the No Card, No Start policy developed by Queensland Government – exemption for AHPRA or OCT Registration
• Current full registration or current provisional registration with eligibility for full registration, as a teacher in Queensland, and one year (minimum) full-time (or part-time equivalent coursework Masters, majoring in guidance and counselling
  OR
• Full registration as a psychologist through the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) Psychology Board of Australia or a fourth year qualification in psychology/or a fifth-year qualification in Psychology that will enable general registration as a psychologist through AHPRA Psychology Board of Australia following completion of the board approved internship or accredited sequence of study
• Current Driver’s Licence
• Ability to travel from time to time within the Catholic Diocese of Townsville
• Ability to perform the physical requirements of the role in a safe manner
• Understanding of, and sensitivity to, the ethos of the Catholic School

Desirable Criteria

• Professional membership with the Queensland Guidance and Counselling Association (QGCA) or the Australian Psychological Society (APS).

What we offer

• Competitive Salary range
• Annual Leave at 17.5% leave loading
• Salary packaging options 
• Modern facilities, equipment and resources
• Superannuation up to 12.75% employer contribution (in a  co-contribution arrangement)
• Access to long service leave after 7 years of continuous service
• 14 Weeks’ paid parental leave
• Deferred Salary Scheme
• Corporate health insurance 
• Induction, professional development and learning opportunities
• Wellbeing programs and initiatives.

How to apply

 Click on the link to apply via the Careers page.