Collaborative Practices Among Australian School Psychologists, Guidance Officers and School Counsellors: Important Lessons for School Psychological Practice

Monica Thielking, Jason Skues, Vi-An Le
2018 The Educational and Developmental Psychologist  
In Australia, policies such as the Better Outcomes in Mental Health Care initiative have been the impetus for improved collaboration between medical practitioners and psychologists in general. However, policies that promote collaboration between school psychologists and community mental health, health, justice and/or human services professionals are yet to occur. This is despite known benefits arising from integrated service delivery to people with complex needs, including young people. School
more » ... sychologists are an integral part of the service mix and are in an excellent position to promote collaborative practices and to assist students and families to navigate and access school-based and community-based support. This study, conducted in Queensland, Australia, investigated school psychologists', guidance officers' and school counsellors' current and preferred levels of collaboration, their perceptions of the drivers and barriers to collaborative practices, and their views on how collaborative practices affect students. Results revealed that participants engaged more fully in within-school collaboration than collaboration with professionals and agencies outside of the school; they had a desire to collaborate more fully both internally and externally; and that concerns regarding confidentiality, time restrictions, and lack of access to appropriate services can sometimes make collaboration and information sharing difficult. Implications for school psychological practice are discussed.
doi:10.1017/edp.2018.4 fatcat:5kw34bh7vng4xbwz3lu4gowsbm