Schools play a significant role in supporting students' wellbeing and mental health enhancing students' positive engagement in learning.
The Department of Education has employed wellbeing professionals, including psychologists, social workers, guidance officers (with a counselling focus) and youth workers to support student’s mild to moderate mental health concerns, including referral for students and families to external agencies where appropriate (wellbeing workforce).
From 1 July 2024, every Queensland state school has access to a wellbeing professional employed through the wellbeing workforce at school, at no cost to students or families. Wellbeing professionals work collaboratively as part of schools' established student support and leadership teams, contributing to schools' whole-school approach to supporting students' wellbeing and mental health. The wellbeing workforce compliments the existing support provided by a range of professionals including guidance officers, Queensland Health school-based youth health nurses, youth support coordinators and other departmental wellbeing support staff.
GPs in State Schools Program
The GPs in State Schools Program places general practitioners (GPs) or an alternate primary healthcare professional such as a nurse practitioner in 50 Queensland state schools with secondary students. The service provides students with free access to a GP or nurse practitioner at school 1 day per week, removing many barriers students may otherwise face in receiving timely, appropriate primary healthcare and referral. Since the launch of the program in 2022, this service has seen significant positive impacts for students' health and wellbeing as well as their readiness and ability to engage at school.
Based on the success of the program, the Queensland Government is providing $21 million in funding across 4 years (until 30 June 2028) to support the 50 participating schools to continue service delivery.
Benefits of the program include:
- removing barriers such as travel, cost and reliance on a parent/carer to access a primary healthcare service
- increasing students' confidence to consult a GP / nurse practitioner.