“The mental health and wellbeing challenges for students are so much greater than I remembered,” Loretta said. “Social media plays a huge role in the lives of young adults today and navigating it safely can be difficult. It’s become clear that my upbringing was sheltered and that there is a great need for specialist health services, including social workers, in this community and probably many others.”
Loretta is in her final year of a Bachelor of Social Work degree at the University of New England and – for the past 11 weeks – has been taking part in the ground-breaking Social Worker in Schools (SWiS) program. This sees senior Social Work students complete 500-hour placements in schools, many of them in rural or regional NSW, to support staff and student wellbeing.
Deputy Principal of Narrabri High School, Emily McInerney, has been a SWiS advocate for eight years, having previously welcomed UNE students to Tamworth South Public and Gunnedah High School.
“Loretta is the fifth SWiS student I have supported,” Emily said. “The beauty of the SWiS program is that you can tailor it to student needs within your school and community. Loretta has been actively contributing to our wellbeing support and special education units, has helped expand our careers program by engaging with local businesses, and provided direct one-on-one and group support to students.
“With Loretta’s help, we have been able to run additional programs, building on her strengths and community connections.”
Those long-standing relationships have proven very useful.
“My family still live in Narrabri, and I know a lot of people, so I have fitted back in and established trust quickly,” Loretta said. “I went to school with the parents of some of the students I am now working with and some of the teachers who taught me are still here.”
Since 2010, over 150 UNE Social Work students have provided support to more than 50 disadvantaged NSW school communities through SWiS. Placements supervised by a qualified social worker enable the UNE students to strengthen their clinical skills as they help school students to feel safe, connected and more engaged in their education.
At Narrabri High, Loretta has worked closely with Aboriginal Education Officers to bolster community-school relationships through a weaving circle, and made student referrals to medical professionals and other providers. Helping to host promotional days like Do it For Dolly and Harmony Day has opened opportunities for students to start conversations about their mental health and suicide.
Working in the health insurance sector before commencing online study at UNE gave Loretta valuable insights into the importance of timely access to health care.
“Families today are dealing with cost-of-living pressures, homelessness and poverty, and higher rates of student distress,” she said. “Specialist health services are not always available or affordable in Narrabri and people can be pushed into a waiting line. Social work is a crucial avenue for meeting that need, and I have kept a very open mind about what can be achieved in this role.”
Narrabri High Community Liaison Officer David Pierce said Loretta has boosted his efforts to develop confidence in senior students preparing for life after school. “Loretta has become embedded in the school and an incredible resource for giving students extra support,” he said.
And now, a career in education is a strong possibility for Loretta herself. “Wellbeing is so pivotal to education, and providing personalised support is key to students achieving and becoming productive members of their community,” Loretta said. “It’s been great to see so many passionate people in Narrabri making a difference to the lives of students and I can now see myself working in schools.”
