Initiatives targeting Recommendation 16

South Australia

Primary school counsellor resource

The Primary School Counsellor Resource is allocated to primary and junior primary, area and combined schools with the highest concentration of disadvantage. Principals can use this resource to appoint a Primary School Counsellor to promote student wellbeing through whole-school change by:

providing support to teachers
providing a counselling service for students
identifying and accessing community resources and services
supporting the development and implementation of the school's behaviour code within the School Discipline Policy.

Category 1-3 schools (of the 7 category new Index of Educational Disadvantage ) are targeted Target group: Students in primary and junior primary sites (5-13 years)

Coverage: State wide.

Timeframe: Ongoing

Responsible agency: DETE-Student and Professional Services

Website: www.dete.sa.gov.au

Secondary counselling time

Secondary counsellors assist students with issues of concern including personal, career, subject and future choice counselling.

Target group: Secondary students

Coverage: State wide

Timeframe: Ongoing

Responsible agency: DETE-Student and Professional Services

Website: www.dete.sa.gov.au

Transition Support Networks

Regional networks will, through Transition Support Networks develop approaches to career and transition support which will provide assistance to young people and their families. Driven by local partnerships it will allow regional networks to respond collaboratively to the needs of young people and the local community. The project aims to support transition support networks to :

Set their own locally relevant objectives within the agreed Career and Transition Management Framework
Design their own advisory and planning structures and local action structures
Pool local, state and CW bodies to support local initiatives
Support 13-19 year olds, especially young people who are disconnected from schools or are at risk of leaving school early, by strengthening their abilities to make successful transitions to post school options.

Target group: All young people within each EVE region aged 13 -19 years, especially those who are at risk or disconnected

Coverage: Current trial with four regional groups

Timeframe: Current trials 2001-2002; proposed extension 2002-2003

Responsible agency: DETE - Enterprise and Voc. Ed.

Website: www.dete.sa.gov.au

Drug Strategy

To build the capacity of schools to address student drug issues. Has a strong focus on the development of partnerships with other agencies at both the system and site level (eg SAPOL through Drug Action Teams, Drug and Alcohol Services Council, National Council for Education and Training in Addiction Studies).

Schools are encouraged to recognise the importance of schooling as a protective factor for young people and their role in building resilience and in contributing to reducing 'at risk' behaviours.

Target group: School communities

Coverage: State wide

Timeframe: Ongoing

Responsible agency: DETE-Student and Professional Services

Website: www.dete.sa.gov.au

Career and Transition Management

All young people will be provided with services to enable them to make successful transitions to further education, training and adult life.

Support includes:

General advice and support services
In depth support for those at risk
Integrated specialist support for those facing substantial, multiple disadvantages.

The key elements of the Career and Transition Management Framework include:

Pathway plan
Access to career information, guidance and advice
Placement or referral
Support services eg mentoring, case management
Follow up monitoring and tracking

Target group: All young people in 20 regional groups aged 13 -19 years.

Coverage: Current trials in four regions; proposal to extend to State wide coverage

Timeframe: Current trials 2001-2002; full implementation 2002-2003

Responsible agency: DETE - Enterprise and Vocational Education

Website: www.dete.sa.gov.au

Bullying: Out of Bounds

Project will support schools to address bullying by highlighting best practice anti- bullying methods in schools and developing resources, information and strategies including a training package/document for parents and educators

Target group: DETE sites

Coverage: State wide

Timeframe: 2001-2002

Responsible agency: DETE-Student and Professional Services

Website: www.dete.sa.gov.au

Aboriginal Youth Action Committees

Provides an opportunity for young people to develop their own committee and become involved in the decision making process and planning of activities in their community.

Target group: Aboriginal and Islander young people

Coverage: State wide

Timeframe: Ongoing

Responsible agency: DHS - Aboriginal Services Division

Website: www.dhs.sa.gov.au

Health Promoting Schools Initiative

With CHDF, providing schools with support through grants and a professional development program. Aims to bring about whole school planning that unites health and education outcomes.

Target group: All school students

Coverage: State wide

Timeframe: Ongoing

Responsible agency: DHS- Planning Policy and Corporate

Website: www.dhs.sa.gov.au

Young People Connecting with Wakefield Regional Health Service

An inventory of the available skills and resources will be conducted. A training program will be offered to service providers who work with young people to assist in the establishment of a system young people can access with ease.

Target group: Young People 12 -24 years

Coverage: Wakefield region

Timeframe: 2 years

Responsible agency: DHS - Policy Planning and Corporate

Website: www.dhs.sa.gov.au

Community Health Services:

Adelaide Central Community; Inner Southern Community; Noarlunga Health Services; Northern Metro

All of these services run projects for young people who are at risk of being disconnected from their social networks

Target group: All young people with some projects for specific socio-economic groups

Coverage: Metropolitan

Timeframe: Ongoing

Responsible agency: DHS - Metropolitan Division

Website: www.dhs.sa.gov.au

Kumungka Youth Service

To improve health, safety and welfare of Aboriginal young people whilst in the inner city area
Increase the number of Aboriginal young people diverted from criminal activity
Increase Aboriginal young people's access to appropriate support services, including accommodation, health, education and training
Increase Aboriginal young people's awareness and ability to make appropriate life choices

Target group: 10-25

Coverage: Metropolitan

Timeframe: Ongoing

Responsible agency: DHS-Metropolitan Division

Website: www.dhs.sa.gov.au

Second Story

Youth Health Service (part of Child and Youth Health); Noarlunga, Elizabeth and City

Target group: 12-25

Coverage: Metropolitan

Timeframe: Ongoing

Responsible agency: DHS - Metropolitan Division

Early Intervention in Crime Prevention

Develop, implement and evaluate early intervention or developmental approaches in crime prevention, focussing on key transition points. The risk and protective factors for 'becoming disconnected from family, school and community' are very similar to those factors for developing offending behaviours.

Target group: Yet to be negotiated in local communities

Coverage: Two localities in SA (one rural, one metro); communities with high levels of socio-economic disadvantage.

Timeframe: Three year project 2001-2003; with intent to develop longitudinal evaluation

Responsible agency: AGD

Interagency Student Behaviour Services

Interagency Student Behaviour Services support schools to create safe, productive and successful learning communities through:

professional development for staff to identify and respond to a range of 'at risk' behaviours
support to review school discipline policy
interventions based on needs of individual students
support in design and implementation of student development plans, specific behaviour change plans etc
reintegration of students into school after exclusion

Target group: Students (5-17 years)

Coverage: State wide

Timeframe: Ongoing

Responsible agency: DETE-Student and Professional Services

Website: www.dhs.sa.gov.au