Navigating the risks and rewards of teamwork in school psychology
Tracks
Grand Ballroom 2
Friday, March 22, 2019 |
2:00 PM - 2:20 PM |
Grand Ballroom 2 |
Overview
Sally Kenney
Presenter
Ms Sally Kenney
Navigating the risks and rewards of teamwork in school psychology
2:00 PM - 2:20 PMAbstract
Most jobs advertised call for applicants to have “teamwork” as a key attribute and school psychology is no exception. In schools, as in any organisation, there are many teams in operation: some are formal, and some emerge by circumstance; some teams are within the school and others include outside professionals. Being available, accessible and collegiate can help us to build a presence within a school, whereby these opportunities to join teams arise and can help contribute to a school’s primary prevention strategies; this is much harder to achieve when we work in a reactive ‘silo’. When we develop good relationships with our colleagues it can provide a strong foundation for dealing with difficult circumstances; the trust built within these relationships can help us as we navigate conflicts between teachers’ expectations of us and our methodologies. Challenges can arise as intersections emerge between roles and relationships, especially when teachers’ children attend the school or there are expectations that we provide support to staff as well as students. The age-old question of “who is the client” can complicate our working relationship. With training in psychology stressing the importance of recognising and managing boundaries and dual relationships, some psychologists may struggle to navigate how to have collegiate working relationships with school staff whilst following ethical guidelines. This can vary according to the capacity in which the psychologist is working in the school: directly employed by the school, versus allocated or contracted; the only psychologist versus one of a department. If we are to provide the best outcomes for students, working across the spectrum of primary prevention to direct intervention, how do we go about identifying who we need to work with? How do psychologists go about working through the role conflicts that can arise, keeping good collegiate relationships with colleagues whilst maintaining confidentiality and appropriate boundaries? Psychologists working in schools in a range of contexts will be interviewed to gain their insight into how they have navigated these challenges. Other school staff, including welfare, learning support and school administrators will also be interviewed about their experiences and expectations of working in teams with psychologists in schools.
Biography
Sally Kenney is an Educational and Developmental Psychologist and a Fellow of the College of Educational and Developmental Psychologists. She has worked as a school counsellor and psychologist since 2005 in a number of schools, currently at Kilvington Grammar School; Sally also supervises Master of Educational Psychology students. She is passionate about the promotion and development of the field, particularly in school settings, where, working within the system, psychologists have the potential to make a positive difference in young people' lives.
Session Chairs
Jodie Lodge
Conference committee
Student Volunteers
Sarah Pearson
University of Melbourne
