Chaplains vs Psychologists in Schools

[DanDare]

From a submission by the Australian Psychological Society

Concerns about the NSCP
On a number of occasions since the establishment of the NSCP, the APS has been contacted by members who are concerned about chaplains who have been employed in schools to provide mental health counselling to students. This has occurred either instead of or in replacement of school psychologists. Although the APS is aware that school chaplains represent an alternative approach to student support in government schools in the way of spiritual and religious guidance, the APS believes that, when chaplains work outside of this role, the risks to both students and schools are immense and will ultimately result in significant costs both financial and human.
The APS has in the past broadly communicated these concerns to the former Commonwealth Minister for Education, The Hon Julia Gillard, as well as to nearly every State or Territory Minister for Education. The recent announcement of another $165 million over three years towards the NSCP, in the absence of any reliable safeguards to limit the role of school chaplains, is unacceptable. The main concerns of the APS include:

• That the government is supporting a scheme which allows unregistered and unqualified school chaplains to work outside their boundaries as spiritual and religious personnel;
• That there is clear evidence that school chaplains are engaging in duties for which they are not qualified;
• That there is clear evidence that church organisations and ministries are supporting school chaplains‟ in their boundary violations;
• That the NSCP promotes a combination of religious guidance and mental health service provision, which is in contrast to mainstream evidence-based service provision;
• That the government is complicit in encouraging dangerous professional behaviour by funding school chaplains independently of other services carried out by professionals who are both qualified and registered.

Lots more to read in the submission.

[Loki]

Hee Hee, read between these lines, highlighting mine.

That the NSCP promotes a combination of religious guidance and mental health service provision, which is in contrast to mainstream evidence-based service provision

They are quite right of course, it's good to see more valid objections which are independent of religion.

[RealityRules]

This, on page 8, is reminiscent of other govt debacles

"The APS believes that with all the evidence of chaplains working outside of their roles, the government is complicit in allowing dangerous professional behavior"

add, then this next sentence in same paragraph

By injecting a further $165 million into the NSCP is also, in many ways, not meeting their obligations to provide early intervention services to students with mental health needs from professionals who are both qualified and registered to do the job properly.

Worth a Media Statement ???????

[OzAtheist]

Thanks for the link @DanDare interesting reading. I was following a twitter discussion yesterday between supporters of NSCP (all christians) and people opposed to it. I've tweeted the link you provided, hopefully the supporters read it, they might learn something.

[RealityRules]

@OzAtheist - please post the hashtag for the debate

& PS. Thanks DanDare for the OP

[DanDare]

Yeah its interesting that the suggestion that Chaplains may be psychologically harmful is emotionally stronger than the suggestion that they are a breach of secularism.

[OzAtheist]

Originally Posted by RealityRules

@OzAtheist - please post the hashtag for the debate

They weren't using a hashtag, it was just a few local people I follow

[Fearless]

After my father died (1999) I dove head on into work to try to get through some challenging times. In fact I overworked myself a bit to a point where I had slipped into a silent depression.

A colleague recognised it and next thing I knew I was approached by the chaplains employed by my workplace. They were great and did help. I had no idea they were chaplains until the literature they were giving me had increasing amounts of churchy reference on the back pages, then I was handed leaflets about groups and you can guess where these groups were being held.

For as much as they were helpful they definitely had other interests in mind and I made a stealthy side exit when I could as I didn't feel comfortable anymore.

I hadn't identified myself as an atheist back then.

I wouldn't want the same thing happening to a child with troubles at school level.

Help yes, interfere, no.

[DanDare]

This from the website of Peter Slipper MP, Federal Member for Fischer:

School Chaplains programme could end

Liberal National Federal Member for Fisher Peter Slipper warns a valued school programme could be at risk under Labor.

Funding has been allocated to current participants in the National School Chaplaincy Programme until next year but there are no guarantees it will continue beyond then. The Gillard/Rudd Government still has not reviewed the programme as planned, which means there could be a nasty surprise if Labor’s re-elected.

“Chaplains play a valuable role in schools by offering pastoral care and guidance across religious denominations and beliefs,” Mr Slipper says.

“Students and school communities should not miss out just because of some misplaced ideological objections from Labor.”

The Liberal National team has committed to keep funding part-time school chaplains for at least another three years. More than 1900 schools have signed up to the program since it was introduced under the Howard Government.

“The programme enjoys strong support among principals, schools and in the community generally,” Mr Slipper says.

“Even the former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described school chaplains as the ‘glue’ that holds school communities together.

“A lack of continued support for this project would simply be another Labor backflip.”

Peter is being given a roasting over this but don't be too evil, he's an acquaintance of mine whose opinions just happen to be crap occasionally.

http://www.mysunshinecoast.com.au/ar...ould-end,18007

[OzAtheist]

Originally Posted by DanDare

Peter is being given a roasting over this but don't be too evil, ...

Too late, I've already given him a roasting in the comments on the original article, via an email and also on my blog (which has a copy of the email I sent him).

Comment 14 and its reply are hilarious. I nearly fainted until I realised the y are excellent Poes, anyone here responsible??