Guidance Officers - Alison McFarlane and Anna Clarke
Guidance Officers are experienced registered teachers who hold additional qualifications in guidance and counselling and/or psychology, enabling them to provide a wide range of high-quality support to schools. Guidance Officers also undergo training in other areas such as behaviour management, grief counselling, mental health issues, psychoeducational assessment, student learning, career development and, at Aviation High School, liaising with the Australian Defence Force – recruiting and work experience.
Guidance Officers work as part of the school support team including the School-Based Youth Health Nurse, Social Worker and Behaviour Support Teacher. Guidance Officers also work closely with Wellbeing Leaders, the Head of Department Senior Schooling, Inclusion Support Teacher, the administration team and school staff to ensure the wellbeing of students is supported. Furthermore, Guidance Officers work directly with students and all relevant external stakeholders (parents/carers, teaching staff, administration, outside agencies (eg Child Youth Mental Health Service, Headspace), psychologists, therapists, Department of Child Safety and much more) to ensure that a co-ordinated and evidence-based approach is used to support student needs.
Guidance Officers offer a confidential service to all students, where information is kept confidential except when there is a significant risk of harm. This is a requirement of the Department of Education as well as relevant legislation.
If students wish to speak to an agency outside of the school, the Guidance Officer is able to support a referral to the most appropriate services.
The Guidance Officer is available to help with many issues such as personal problems, concerns about school, friendships and conflict resolution, study plans, subject selection, assessment adjustments, career planning and QTAC applications. If you would prefer to speak to someone outside of the school, the Guidance Officer is able to refer you to the most appropriate resource.
Services offered by the Guidance Officer include, but are not limited to:
- Counselling support for mental health concerns including anxiety and depression
- Consulting with families and students around mental health concerns, referring to appropriate services, and continued liaison with agencies to support students at school
- Support with family issues
- Supporting independent students
- Short term counselling and case management
- Support for accessing community services
- Individual student support
- Support for behaviour problems
- Support for building social skills
- Support for managing relationships and friendships
- Career advice
- Guidance and support in the SET-Plan process
- Support for learning engagement and academic performance
- Support for developing study skills to optimise access and engagement in education
- QTAC applications, liaising with universities
- Support for Australian Defence Force applications and enquiries
Aviation High School has two Guidance Officers: Alison McFarlane (amcfa9@eq.edu.au) who is on campus Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and Anna Clarke (axcla8@eq.edu.au) who is on campus Tuesday and Wednesday . The Guidance Officer is located in C Block in the Student Support Centre.
Students are able to make appointments to access the guidance service via the school office, directly with the Guidance Officer in C Block, requesting an appointment via the appointment request box on the veranda outside of the GO room or emailing studentsupport@aviationhigh.eq.edu.au.
Parents/carers are welcome to make appointments via the school office or directly with the Guidance Officer.
The Guidance Officer can be contacted through the school office (3637 0111) or studentsupport@aviationhigh.eq.edu.au.