Guidance Officers
Naomi Dowden
Available 5 days a week
Our Guidance Officer Naomi is a fully qualified counsellor who provides confidential counselling on vocational, educational and personal issues.
Guidance counsellors help empower students to meet the challenges they face, as well as help them cope with complex decision making that comes with adolescence. This service is provided to all students and their parents or carers on an individual or family basis.
Throughout the year our guidance counsellor helps students with career decisions, subject selections and with the applications for universities and TAFE colleges through the QTAC application process. Our Guidance Counsellor also supports students to apply for Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments (AARA) in their senior years, to ensure that students are supported to overcome barriers to their ability to complete assessment.
Please also find below links to external agencies which are there to support our community:
Lifeline text: when life gets too much and you find it hard to talk, text 0477 13 11 44. Lifeline text is available 6pm - midnight (AEST), 7 days a week.
Parentline: 1300 301 300. We're listening. 8am-10pm, 7 days a week
DV Connect: 24 hours domestic violence phoneline 1800 811 811
Chaplain / Youth Support Coordinator
Ben Archbold
Available - 5 days a week
The chaplaincy service provides physical, emotional, social and spiritual support to the students and families of Sunnybank State High School. The service is available as a safe environment for students to "get things off their chest". The service is available for all students, regardless of background or beliefs.
The service also offers a number of programs and events to enhance students' lives, develop lives, develop skills, or expand students' views of the world and help others.
As our Youth Support Coordinator, Chappy Ben is also a qualified Youth Worker who provides holistic support to students. This includes emotional and wellbeing support, assistance with transitioning into external educational pathways, links to support providers, LGBTQI+ support, grief and loss programs, and more.
The Youth Support Coordinator also case manages students at risk and implements targeted intervention programs.
Chappy Ben has put together a list of shops and agencies to assist our Sunnybank SHS families in times of need.
He can be reached in his office in block 2.
School Psychologist
Ms Kasey Shearman
Available - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
School Psychologists are registered health practitioners who work with student support teams to identify and support the mental health and wellbeing needs of students.
Students are referred to the school psychologist through the Guidance Officers
The student or their parent/carer must provide their consent for the student to receive a service from the school psychologist.
The main focus in schools is providing one-to-one therapeutic counselling for students' mild to moderate mental health difficulties.
We can provide support for a range of issues including anxiety, eating disorders, depression, personal relationships, stress and trauma.
First Nations Support
Ms Tracey Bray
Tracey helps to engage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. She provides educational counselling and support services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to equip them for the development of learning and participation at school.
This involves connecting with students, school staff, community and family of students with a range of opportunities including access to university days.
She coordinates external agencies and promotes Indigenous culture at Sunnybank State High School.
The First Nations Coordinator will also run various programs and events for our First Nations Students.
Community Liaison Officer
Samiro Nuur Hussein
Available Wednesday
The Community Liaison Officer provides cultural and social support to students through student's meetings and forums. Samira also provides assistance to students and their families/care givers in their transition from school to further education and/or employment. She supports refugee students in settling in to the school environment in Australia, and identifies and provides appropriate assistance to students experiencing any issues at school or at home which may put them at risk. Samira particularly specialises in African, Middle Eastern, Afghan, and Desi cultures, and has access to other CLOs when required.
Samiro also helps with:
- Support for students and their families to provide strategies for a more positive educational experience
- Case management, offering culturally competent advice, and
- Contributing to a positive, caring and supportive school image in the community.
Head of Special Education Services
Tess Wise
Available 5 days a week
The HOSES helps to facilitate change and build the capacity of teachers to provide effective and differentiated instruction for all students. The goal is school-wide teacher collaboration and professional learning to improve staff knowledge of the pedagogical strategies that promotes student engagement.
Within the CREW, the HOSES investigates the student that has been referred to the CREW. Tess supports in reviewing reports, collecting data, and report key recommendations to staff, so the teachers are able to more effectively support each individual student in their classes.
If you would like to make an appointment with any of our support team please contact us.