onpsych | Helping Students Families and Teachers

National School Chaplaincy program

The Federal Government's changes to the National School Chaplaincy program, could have make over 500 non religious welfare staff unable to continue their valuable work in schools in 2015 and beyond. The previous Labor government modified the original National School Chaplaincy program to allow schools to choose either religious or secular workers (welfare workers, social workers or psychologists), to work in the program. However, the Abbott Government has now excluded non-religious workers and will now only fund people of faith endorsed by religious organisations.

“onPsych” supports psychologists who work in schools and say that this move runs counter to the Governments own commitment to allow schools an increasing level of autonomy, including the freedom to choose the best person for the position. With less than three weeks before the end of the year, Christmas was looking bleak for the over 500 secular workers, most of whom believed they had no position beyond 2014. However, working closely with a long established religious institution, Martin Grigg, Managing Director of Onpsych, believes they can offer schools and secular welfare workers a solution. Where the secular workers meet all of the requirement of the program, Martin Grigg says the he has arranged for these workers to be “endorsed” by a long established religious institution, allowing them to be defined as a ‘Chaplain”, and consequently being able to continue their valuable work. The definition of “Chaplain” requires that any endorsement comes from the “Religious Institution” and not an individual religious person such as a priest or minister. Many schools believe that they have good pastoral care programs in place but lack sufficient support from professional staff such as psychologists, social workers and welfare officers.

Quotes from MARTIN GRIGG:

“They'll need to be registered, qualified, and have the support of the school. We will need to see references and CV's. But given all that, we believe that we can provide endorsement from a religious institution, satisfying the definition of a ‘Chaplain”, under the new program, giving the choice back to schools, allowing them to appoint the best person for the job.”

"This is great news for the over 500 secular workers and the schools they work in across Australia"

"Schools now have a real choice"

"In a country where one child dies each week from suicide, schools need the best person available in these positions"

"Allowing schools this choice does not cost the taxpayers any extra, as the funding is a fixed grant, and workers are paid the same regardless of their qualifications"

If your school intends to apply for this funding and would like to use this funding for a psychologist, social worker and welfare worker, onPsych may be able to help.

Please feel free to contact Dr Natalie Flatt on 1300 659 350 or by email contact@onpsych.com.au