Positive education can be broadly defined as the integration of traditional academics with building student character and well-being (Seligman, Ernst, Gillham, Reivich, & Linkins, 2009). More specifically, positive education examines the impact of interventions and programs on student well-being (White & Murray, 2015). Biennially, the…

Attendance at overnight school camp is an integral component of the Australian educational landscape. However, some students are reluctant to attend camp, while others refuse to attend at all. School psychologists play an important part in supporting these students and their families, and teachers. While much is published about general school…

Middle and high school students interact via powerful social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Social media platforms are sometimes misused, resulting in cyberbullying and sexting that could adversely affect many in the school community. School counsellors, school psychologists, and educators are uniquely positioned to…

A core component of applied educational and child psychology practice is the skilfulness with which practitioners are able to rigorously structure and conceptualise complex real world human problems. This is done in such a way that when they (with others) jointly work on them, there is an increased likelihood of positive outcomes being achieved…

Students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit chronic behavior difficulties that deleteriously impact their academic and social functioning in school settings. These difficulties not only impair student performance, but also present significant challenges to teachers, school psychologists, and other school professionals…

MindMatters Plus is a mental health promotion initiative in Australia which aims to improve the capacity of secondary schools to cater for students who have high support needs in the area of mental health. The development of effective school case management was one of the projects associated with this initiative. The aim of this project was to…

Forty years since the seminal Swampscott Conference, the principles of community psychology transcend multiple areas of action and research, as well as international boundaries. The extensive development of community psychology offers an opportunity to examine from where the field has come and where it is going. Yet, a systematic approach to…

School psychologists who contribute to the assessment of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are required by various Australian state government authorities to use standardised testing of cognitive skills, adaptive behaviour and some autism-based symptomatology to demonstrate the eligibility of those children for support funding in the…

This paper provides a background to the mental health policy changes introduced by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) in 2006. It then considers a major Australian Government COAG reform, the revision of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS), by analysing the month-by-month utilisation of the available time-series data for the 17-month…

Reports a personal experience in a counseling-exchange program. Concludes that one aspect of the Australian system that was most impressive and extremely progressive was the availability of intensive support for parents of children with learning and behavior problems. (Author/JDM)

Mental and substance use disorders are leading contributors to the burden of disease among young people in Australia, but young people experience a range of barriers to accessing appropriate treatment for their mental health concerns. The development of early intervention services that provide accessible and effective mental health care has the…

In the past, educators have been reluctant to deal openly with the issue of school violence. This paper examines feedback from workshops on bullying and refers to the results of a survey of school psychologists regarding school violence. It is argued that the causes of violence at school are multifaceted and interactive. Bullying is a world-wide…

Schools are becoming increasingly violent places. This workshop presentation examines ways to improve counselor facilities and to enhance work safety. Client populations for school counselors have changed significantly in recent times as school administrators refer more welfare related problems for help. Although violent attacks on counselors may…