SCPA NSW Quarterly: Term 3 2022

From the Communications Coordinator

Welcome to the SCPA NSW Quarterly newsletter for Term 3, 2022. As this term draws to a close, we hope that you can look back on the term and feel a sense of fulfilment.

On 18th August, SCPA NSW had its first AGM under our new name. It was exciting for the committee to look back at the achievements of the last twelve months and plan ahead for the next twelve months. There’s lots to look forward to as members of SCPA NSW.

On a personal level, looking back at the last twelve months has reminded me that last year’s Term 3 was spent at home, supporting students and schools remotely. I remember thinking/reading/learning a lot about loneliness and the concept of ‘belonging’. I also remember thinking/reading/learning a lot about the concept of ‘coping’ and what inner resources could be talked about with young people when counselling sessions resumed. 

We hope you enjoy this edition of the Quarterly, which contains (among other things):

• an announcement about Memory Mates 
• info about next term’s webinar 
• info about School Counsellor and School Psychologist Recognition Day

Shirley Lu

‘Memory Mates’ for teachers working with students with a disability

Memory Mates provides primary school teachers and students with a framework for teaching and learning. The focus of Memory Mates is on attention and working memory, supported by targeted strategies to allow students to approach their learning independently.

The third booklet in the Memory Mates series has been completed and will be available on the Memory Mates website: www.memorymates.education. This booklet, specifically aimed at teachers and other personnel who work closely with students with a disability in school contexts, serves as a supplement to the booklet written for teachers entitled Memory Mates: A Classroom-based Intervention to Improve Attention and Working Memory in Primary-aged Students. 

Although focussed on classroom settings, parents of a child with a disability may find aspects of the content of this new booklet helpful, in conjunction with the Parents’ Guide: Memory Mates for Working with your Child at Home.

Teachers might work in support classes in regular schools or teach a student with a disability and/or attention and working memory difficulties in their inclusive class. Teachers in Special Schools can also use this booklet, with appropriate adaptations depending on the needs of the student groups or individuals they teach. Importantly, although Memory Mates is focussed on attention and working memory, all the strategies are relevant and appropriate for most aspects of learning in classroom contexts. School counsellors and psychologists are in an excellent position to share these materials within schools with the students, teachers, and parents they work with, noting that every person must separately accept the terms and conditions before downloading the materials.

Importantly all the Memory Mates booklets and resources are available free to persons accepting the terms and conditions as the work is trademarked and copyrighted.

If you require any further information or are interested in presentations by the Memory Mates team, please contact Dr Susan Colmar: susanhcolmar@gmail.com

Susan Colmar

2022 Webinar series

Our final free member webinar for the year is titled 'Working with young people who self-injure in a brief intervention context'. It will be presented by Garry King, and will take place on Thurs 3rd November 6:30pm-8:00pm. 

In the webinar, the following will be covered:

• Understand differences and links between self-injury and suicidal behaviour.
• What to look for and what to say.
• Reasons why young people self-injure.
• Identifying those most at risk of self-injury.
• Risk & protective factors for self-injury behaviour.
• When is treatment needed?
• What counselling therapies are most effective?
• What therapies should not be utilised?
• Practical examples and easy to implement strategies

Garry King has extensive experience with working with young people encountering difficult issues including self-harm and suicidal behaviour. This experience is the result of having worked as a teacher, youth worker and counsellor; and is complimented by degrees in welfare and education as well as Masters degrees in counselling and suicidology. He has worked as the youth welfare consultant for the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention. He was appointed an adjunct lecturer, youth welfare at the Central Qld University and is the recipient of a Churchill Fellowship to the USA. Garry has written several books on youth welfare and is a speaker at national conferences. His latest book “School Crisis Prevention & Intervention” is a best seller in the USA. He presently is an adjunct senior lecturer at the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, a part-time school counsellor, professional supervisor and a workshop presenter.

2022 Fellowships

Applications are open for our annual fellowships. We are looking for members willing to share their knowledge and skills with other members by preparing a recorded presentation (45-60 mins in length) on a school counselling and psychology topic of their choice. You could present a therapeutic model or activity that works well in schools, considerations for a particular presenting problem or diagnosis, an assessment, ethical decision-making, collaboration or supervision approach, or something else entirely! Applications are due by 21st October 2022. Successful applicants will have until 17th Feb 2023 to produce their presentation and be awarded $800 in recognition of their efforts. We would love you to apply and encourage colleagues whose insights you think should be shared to apply too! We are looking forward to seeing the diverse interests of our membership.

For more information, please visit our website. You could also contact iburchett@scpansw.org.au

School Counsellor and School Psychologist Recognition Day

SCPA NSW will again be presenting School Counsellor and School Psychologist Recognition Day, a day to recognise and celebrate the unique role we play in supporting students, families and schools. This year's Recognition Day will take place on Thursday 10th November and will have the theme ‘Contribution, collaboration, and care’. For more information, please visit our website. 

As part of the lead up to School Counsellor and School Psychologist Recognition Day, there will be an online chat held on Thursdays from 1:00pm-1:30pm for the first four weeks of Term 4 to connect with other school counsellors and psychologists. The chats will be linked to the theme this year of Contribution, Collaboration and Care. The chat will be hosted by committee member Melissa Moss and will feature past Annual Award winners as well as SCPA members to celebrate the work that we do. For more information, refer to the flyer below.

2022 Annual Awards

As the year draws to a close it is time to reflect on what has been achieved this year for School Counsellors and Psychologist working in schools in NSW. This year we plan to announce award winners on School Counsellor and School Psychologist Recognition Day (Thurs 10th November). The awards are designed to recognise some of the many outstanding practitioners of the NSW school counselling and school psychology service.

Candidates can nominate for one of the following:

• Practitioner of the Year
• New Practitioner of the Year
• Innovator of the Year

For more information, please visit our website.

Professional Readings via EBSCO

This term's selection of journal articles are listed below. As a member of SCPA NSW, you can access all of these articles for free through our EBSCO subscription. To do this, visit the Members Area of the website. Happy reading!

1. Stefanopoulou, E., Hogarth, H., Taylor, M., Russell-Haines, K., Lewis, D., & Larkin, J. (2020). Are digital interventions effective in reducing suicidal ideation and self-harm? A systematic review. Journal of Mental Health, 29(2), 207-216. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638237.2020.1714009
2. Evans, R., Parker, R., Russell, A. E., Mathews, F., Ford, T., Hewitt, G., Scourfield, J., & Janssens, A. (2019). Adolescent self‐harm prevention and intervention in secondary schools: a survey of staff in England and Wales. Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 24(3), 230-238. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12308
3. Robinson, J., & Clarke, A. (2019). Commentary: Adolescent self‐harm prevention and intervention in secondary schools: a survey of staff in England and Wales – a reflection on Evans et al. (2019). Child & Adolescent Mental Health, 24(3), 239-241. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12335