ECU Psychological Counselling Support provides a free and confidential service to all ECU students, assisting them with any personal issues which may be adversely affecting their studies. Built upon the ECU principle of helping its students succeed, the Service is staffed by a varied group of kind, caring and non-judgmental psychologists and specialist psychologists.
Other helpful things to know about ECU Psychological Counselling Support include:
Staff members are most welcome to contact the Service if they are concerned about a student’s wellbeing. General advice will be provided by a member of the team, which may include encouraging the student to attend the Service.
However, please keep in mind that as ECU Counselling is a voluntary service and students cannot be mandated to attend, we will need to speak to the student directly to arrange a first appointment.
Staff are welcome to assist the student with this – eg. by calling the Service for the student or showing them where the Service is located on their campus – but cannot make the booking for the student.
We at the ECU Psychological Counselling Support recognise that staff genuinely care for their students and may worry about them after referring them to obtain counselling support. However all counsellors are subject to the general principles handed down by Australian Psychological Society in its Code of Conduct, one of which states that no information about a client can be released without their written consent, unless there is an immediate and specified risk of harm to an identifiable person.
As such, staff will typically not hear anything back regarding the student they have referred; though letters of attendance can be provided upon the client’s request. Please note, however, that letters of attendance should not be interpreted as implied or express support for any extension or academic concession. Instead, letters specifically stating what is being supported or requested will be provided to a client as appropriate.
It is also worth noting that ECU Psycholigcal Counselling Support does not typically provide supporting documentation for extensions, deferrals or withdrawals, unless the student is known to the Service – in which case, it is up to the discretion of the psychologist..
ECU Psychological Counselling Support is open between 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday. First time students to the Service or those who have not been seen in over six months will need to book a short, up-to-20 minute assessment with a psychologist via our triage system.
Based on this assessment, the student will then be booked in for a full appointment, or directed to where they may find more appropriate support for the presenting issue.
Triage appointments can only be booked from 8:30am “on the day” an appointment is wanted, meaning students should never have to wait more than a day for their first contact with the service. The Triage system typically runs from 10am to 2pm on all days the service is open.
Sometimes students find themselves in a crisis situation. If you as an ECU staff member become aware of such a crisis, please feel welcome to contact ECU Counselling to determine what support can be provided. In essence, the Service reserves one standard appointment per day as an emergency appointment.
These emergency appointments are reserved for distressed students who are at risk to themselves or others for physical harm. Emergency appointments are available at either Mt Lawley or Joondalup Campus, and though it is preferred that the student attends in-person, the Service can provide these appointments via phone or online means if circumstances are appropriate.
Please note that students who are distressed but not expressing being at risk are unable to book an emergency appointment. If you are unsure whether your student is at risk and should be referred as an emergency, please contact the Service on 08 9370 6706 and our friendly reception staff will be able to assist you.
It is also worth noting that while ECU Psychological Counselling Support aims to provide a prompt and helpful support for all ECU students, it is not equipped or resourced to deal with crisis situations. In these instances, typical emergency protocols should be followed and ECU Security informed on 6304 3333.
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If an incident occurs outside of office hours, please call ECU Security on 6304 3333 for support, as they are ECUs trained first aid responders and will assist in contacting the appropriate after-hours services (see list below).
ECU Psychological Counselling Support is limited to currently enrolled students. Staff counselling is available through ECU's Employee Assistance Provider, PeopleSense on 1300 307 912 or (618) 9388 9000 or email: reception@peoplesense.com.au.
For further information about accessing PeopleSense, please visit the Employee Assistance web page.