A YouthCARE school chaplain is a trained support person at WGPS, they care for the social, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing of students, staff, and families. They provide a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space for anyone who needs someone to talk to. The aim is to support young people and their communities who may be facing challenging personal and/or social issues.
They listen, understand and refer to extra help, if it’s appropriate.
Core Roles and Responsibilities
- Pastoral Care: Listen to students, parents and staff. Help them work through personal, social, or emotional challenges.
- School Involvement: Attend school sports carnivals, camps, and excursions to build positive relationships.
- Programs: Run programs based on hope, respect, compassion and service. Programs are specific to the school and student needs, these include; social skills groups, mentoring, resilience workshops, and grief support.
- Referrals: Connect families and students with outside community and professional agencies when extra help is needed.
Key Principles
- Inclusive support for all faith and non-faith backgrounds.
- Act as an independent, friendly adult figure rather than an academic instructor.
