St Clare’s College provides a counselling service for all students using two qualified counsellors who are employed by Centacare. (see Centacare info below.)

Our counsellors assist students in exploring options for change and discovering resources to improve their personal well being. The role of the counsellor is to focus on the emotional, social and educational well being of students. As well as conducting individual sessions with students, counsellors provide assistance and give support to families. The counsellors may also work in consultation with staff on policy development and preventative programs.

Referrals to the service can be made:

• by the students themselves
• by a teacher who may have concerns about a student
• by parents requesting their child be seen individually or as part of the family unit.

Helpful Links

1. The Centacare Student and Family Counselling Unit provides counselling to students in all Catholic schools in the Canberra-Goulburn Archdiocese. This program is jointly funded by the Catholic Education Office and the ACT Government.

www.centacare-canberra.org/

2. Kids Help Line is Australia's only free, confidential and anonymous, 24-hour telephone and online counselling service specifically for young people aged between five and 18.

www.kidshelp.com.au/

3. The Bullying. No way! website aims to:

• Provide a nation-wide resource of State and Territory approaches to minimising bullying, harassment and violence in schools.
• Develop a framework for sharing Australian school community solutions that work
• Use technology and networks to make this information as accessible as possible to school communities
• Make sure that all students can learn in a safe and supportive school environment.

www.bullyingnoway.com.au/

4. Reach Out! is a web-based service that inspires young people to help themselves through tough times. The aim of the service is to improve young people’s mental health and well being by providing support information and referrals in a format that appeals to young people.

www.reachout.com.au/

5. Youth InterACT is a participation initiative launched by the ACT Government in 2002. It aims to encourage 12-25 year olds from a range of backgrounds and experiences to have their say about youth issues in Canberra. The initiative encompasses six mechanisms.

www.youth.act.gov.au/

6. LawStuff, the National Children's and Youth Law Centre's website, tries to improve the conditions and opportunities of Australian children and young people by:

• providing advice and information about their legal rights and responsibilities
• advocating for them when their rights or interests are threatened
• taking on test cases to clarify or advance children's legal rights
• pressing for changes in the law, procedures and practices to better protect children from abuse and oppression
• promoting the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child
• arguing for greater opportunities for children and young people to participate in decision-making

www.lawstuff.org.au/

7. MoodGYM is a free, fun, interactive website with a variety of interactive modules. MoodGYM's aim is to help young people identify and overcome problem emotions, and will show them how to develop good coping skills for the future so they can enjoy good mental health.

www.moodgym.anu.edu.au/