Guidance officer's role
Guidance Officers are teachers with specialist training and qualifications in guidance, counselling and psychoeducational assessment. They work to assist students achieve to their potential in the most appropriate educational setting. This involves working with students and their parents/caregivers, often in conjunction with teachers, specialist support personnel and other community agencies.
Guidance Officers identify factors that can be barriers to learning and development and plan or assist in planning interventions or programs that can help students achieve positive outcomes.
Activities may include the following:
Assessing a students’ development levels and abilities and make recommendations to assisting with interventions to help identify students’ individual needs
Counselling:
Educational counselling: time management, motivation, helping students manage relationships and behavioural and adjustment difficulties
Career counselling: providing assistance with study skills, subject and course selection, including the tertiary admissions process, and career planning and decision-making
Personal counselling: family concerns, peer pressures, grief and loss, stress management, interagency and community links, assessing individual safety needs, mental health and crisis management
Advocating for student welfare and social justice issues
Secondary students are able to self-refer and can make an appointment through the school office. If parents wish to discuss issues with the Guidance Officer, they are requested to make appointments through the school office also. All discussions with the Guidance Officer are confidential. However, if the young person is at risk of harm or it is better for them to see another professional, the Guidance Officer may discuss the information with another service or agency. Wherever possible, this will be discussed explaining the reasons why with the young person.
Contact details
Brooke Roza
Email: broza0@eq.edu.au
Jesse Harris-Loader
Email: jphar5@eq.edu.au
Postal Address: The Guidance Officer
Bracken Ridge State High School
PO Box 204
Sandgate Qld 4017