Case Study: Proactive Support for a School Wellbeing Coordinator with the Psychoemotional Strength Program
John, a dedicated wellbeing coordinator at Greenwood Middle School, has been utilising the Refresh Reset Psychoemotional Strength Program (PSP) for the past year. His role often exposes him to challenging situations, and he recognises the importance of maintaining his own mental health to effectively support his students.
Recently, John has been dealing with a complex case involving Alex, a 12-year-old boy who bullies others. He also discovers that Alex’s father has a history of drug addiction and is reasonably absent from Alex’s life. Alex lives with his mother and two older brothers. The situation has escalated, causing significant distress to the victims and their families. As John works to address the issue, he finds himself emotionally drained and increasingly anxious about the potential long-term impact on all students, but he is grappling incredulously with Alex in particular.
In his latest PSP session, John takes the opportunity to unpack his emotions surrounding this case. The PSP provides John with a proactive, educator-specific platform to explore his feelings and develop strategies for managing the emotional toll of his work on his psychological wellbeing. John admits that he is beginning to feel a sense of despair and also indifference towards Alex’s father. John sees Alex’s father intermittently at the school and finds he cannot make eye contact. During the session, John's PSP facilitator, who has a background in both education and clinical supervision, guides him through a reflective practice exercise. This allows John to engage with his affect – the emotional experiences that underlie his thoughts and behaviours. He realises that the case has triggered feelings of helplessness and frustration, and it challenges his personal definition of how a father ’should’ show up for his son.
The PSP facilitator helps John explore these emotions in a little more depth, encouraging him to consider how they might be influencing his approach to the situation. Together, they work on developing strategies to maintain professional boundaries while still providing empathetic support to both Alex and the other students.
As the sessions progress, John and his facilitator discuss ways to prevent the cumulative impact of vicarious trauma. They revisit coping mechanisms and self-care practices that John has developed through previous PSP sessions, reinforcing the program's focus on long-term professional growth and resilience-building. John is encouraged to revisit his commitment to striving to be fair in his interactions, as well as increasing his awareness of how his body holds this emotion.
Unlike an EAP session, which might have focused solely on addressing John's immediate distress, within a limited 3 sessions, the PSP sessions allow him to step back and consider the broader context of his role. He reflects on patterns in student behaviour he's observed over the years and brainstorms proactive measures the school could implement to foster a supportive culture. He also revisits trauma informed practices.
This process aligns with AITSL Standards 4.1 and 4.4 which relate to creating and maintaining supportive and safe learning environments. It also addresses Standards 7.1, 7.2, and 7.4, relating to engaging professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community.
This case study demonstrates the unique value of the PSP for educators like John. While an EAP might have provided short-term solution focused relief, the PSP offers ongoing, profession-specific support that aligns with teaching standards and addresses the unique challenges faced by educators, facilitated by a person who intimately understands schools and adolescent development. It provides John with regular opportunities to engage in meta-cognition and self-reflection, crucial skills for managing the cognitive overload and emotional labour inherent in his role.
Moreover, the PSP's structure of ten 45-minute sessions spread throughout the school year ensures that John has consistent support, allowing him to continuously develop and refine his emotional response and professional skills. This ongoing, proactive approach is key to preventing burnout and helping John maintain his passion for supporting students, even in the face of challenging situations like Alex's case. He feels heard, validated and the process removes any shame he might otherwise have experienced, had he not regularly confided in his facilitator. Seeing the connection between the PSP and professional growth also invites John to accept that any human interaction of this nature affects us because we are human, and this is one of many he encounters in his role as a committed educator and leader.