Chaplains and student welfare workers
Chaplaincy/student welfare services are optional and provide students and staff with social, emotional and spiritual support, provide an additional adult role model in the school and enhance engagement with the broader community including parents.
The Chaplaincy and student welfare services policy statement and supporting documents provide assistance for schools implementing a chaplaincy/student welfare service (paid or voluntary).
Community education counsellors
Counsellors work closely with guidance officers and their local communities, and provide a significant service to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. More than 100 community education counsellors are located generally in schools with significant numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, as well as in clusters of schools throughout the state.
District community education counsellors advocate on behalf of students where a community education counsellor is not available. Parents can contact the school or local district office for further information.
Guidance officers
The department's focus on creating opportunities for every learner to be successful is supported through the provision of a comprehensive guidance and counselling service provided directly to students and their families in all primary, secondary and special schools and other departmental facilities across the state by guidance officers.
School-based police
School-based police officers form partnerships within the school community to identify and develop appropriate community safety and crime prevention strategies that address local issues and are aimed at ensuring Queensland school communities are safe and secure.
School-based youth health nurses
The Department of Health funds the School Based Youth Health Nurse program, which operates in state secondary schools across Queensland, including Schools of Distance Education. The program, which focuses on whole of school preventative health and health promotion, is coordinated locally through the Hospital and Health Services.
State schools registered nurses
The Department of Education provides a nursing service to state schools to support reasonable adjustments for students with specific health needs to attend and safely participate in all aspects of schooling. Nursing services may include support with risk assessment, development of individual (daily routine) and/or emergency school health plans, provision of training in managing student health needs and performing health procedures, supervision and ongoing support (including refresher training) as required.
Youth support coordinators
The purpose of the Youth Support Coordinator Initiative (YSCI) is to support retention and attainment of young people in Years 10 to 12 who have disengaged, or who are at risk of disengaging from education. The initiative enhances opportunities for further education and sustainable future employment.
Further information about the YSCI is available from the YSCI program guidelines (PDF, 616KB), YSCI role fact sheet (PDF, 164KB), the YSCI student information document and consent form (PDF, 118KB) or by contacting the Regional Youth Support Coordinator (DOC, 120KB) in your region.
If a school decides to access the services of an Accredited Employing Authority (AEA) for the provision of a YSC, further information is available from the list of Youth Support Coordinator Initiative (DOC, 138KB).