Joscelyn provides key support service
ALICIA NALLY dents, staff and parents and providing personal and grief counselling and advice on separation and divorce for parents and kids.
“It is very hectic, I work a nine-day fortnight. It is a very reactive job, although I do run some programs set into the curriculum on self esteem, and grief and loss programs,” Ms Hanlon said.
“On any given day I could be talking about loss of a parent, helping anxious kids, dealing with friendship issues and typical teenage problems like sexual relations and drugs and alcohol.
“I also have a chaplain who works a few days and a school nurse, and they support me as well.”
Ms Hanlon said her job’s fulfilment came from helping students have everything they needed to succeed at school and making their day brighter.
“I’m a classroom teacher, but I’ve done counselling courses, suicide training. I sometimes feel I’m a jack of all trades and master of none,” she said. “I have four children and I think they’ve been fairly spoiled with time so it’s nice to help out with other kids who might not get that.
“We have senior teacher roles and I took on the extra responsibilities of wellbeing part-time to start with.
“But it got so big when the school grew, the management made it a full-time role. When I started teaching I was always interested in helping kids who had a genuine need.”