NIHRACS are receiving enquiries about counselling options. NIHRACS employs a Clinical Social Worker and a visiting Child, Youth and Family Psychologist. Traditionally a counsellor has been employed at NIHRACS to provide counselling for a variety of mental wellbeing issues. The term ‘counsellor’ can apply to anyone who has holds a counselling certificate or diploma.
The term counsellor also applies when a person has studied a psychology degree but has not completed their 2-year provisional supervision, or they are not a registered psychologist and therefore must use the title ‘counsellor’.
Social workers and psychologists are required to hold a university degree to use the term ‘psychologist’ or ‘social worker’ and both are qualified to provide counselling services.
On Norfolk Island there are several social workers and psychologists who provide supportive counselling, advocacy, casework and therapy.
In most health-based services social workers are employed to provide crisis intervention, grief and loss, stress management, mental health, family and domestic violence, anger management and other interventions and must refer to relevant agencies or professionals if the presenting problem is outside of their scope of practice.
If a client prefers off island support for anonymity, NIHRACS social work service can assist in referring to a variety of online web-based counselling, chat and forums for mental health, child and youth, grief and loss and substance abuse issues. If any resident wants to discuss their counselling options, please don’t hesitate to call the social worker on 23478.