Student Support Officer
Hunter River High School has two Student Support Officers; Jarrod Featonby and Phoebe Teal-Spicer. Student Support Officers work within the Wellbeing Learning and Support Team Faculty to improve the wellbeing and mental health of Hunter River High School students. Jarrod and Phoebe aim to support students with empathy, advocacy and understanding. They achieve this by:
- Supporting the implementation of the school’s whole-of school approach to wellbeing.
- Assisting students to develop social and emotional skills.
- Using targeted strengths-based programs and strategies that build resilience, coping skills and positive relationships.
- Working in partnership with the school’s wellbeing team and school counselling service.
- Providing targeted wellbeing support for students who are experiencing challenges at school or home, through small groups sessions or individual support.
- Working collaboratively with external and other government agencies, creating referral pathways for students and families to access the support needed.
Jarrod Featonby
One of Jarrod’s key roles as Student Support Officer is to build and create partnerships with external providers, such as Topblokes and PCYC, as well as other external providers to achieve student wellbeing goals in small group settings. Furthermore, he also implements universal wellbeing programs such as Mental Health First Aid and LoveBites for year cohorts. Jarrod is also passionate about working 1 on 1 with students, to collaborate and set goals with students, to work toward future pathways, and achieve mental or physical health goals.
Phoebe Teal-Spicer
Phoebe is passionate about supporting students to develop resilience, self-awareness, a positive sense of self and find creative solutions to challenges. Phoebe is a Registered Art Therapist with ANZACATA (Australia, New Zealand, Asia Creative Art Therapy Association). Registered Art Therapists are allied health professionals who use creative art-making processes to encourage self-expression and help people to explore feelings that may be hard to put into words. Phoebe utilises her art therapy training in her role as Student Support Officer to support students individually, in small group programs and through whole-school wellbeing creative opportunities.
Some Potential Benefits of Art Therapy Include:
- Encouraging self-expression and self-understanding
- Improving self-esteem and confidence
- Developing creative and communication skills
- Improving concentration, emotional regulation and distress tolerance
- Supports flexible thinking and challenges perfectionism
- More accessible for neurodiverse students and students with varied speech and language abilities
- Supports positive social interactions
- Provides opportunity to explore feelings that are difficult to understand and talk about
