Social Work Team

At St Mary’s College, our Wellbeing team is made up of qualified social workers with extensive experience in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children, young people, and their families. Our team of social workers provide a range of support for our students acknowledging that our social, emotional, and psychological wellbeing impacts our learning. Support can include brief intervention assisting skill development, individual counselling, group work, and crisis intervention, to name a few.  

Social work is a client-centred, strengths-based approach supporting individuals to build resilience and self-determination - key elements of St Mary’s WRAP program. Social work practice is a complex and multifaceted profession steeped in seeking social justice, empowering individuals, and adhering to a strict code of ethics ensuring integrity, professionalism and professional boundaries.  

Our WRAP program at St Mary’s supports our students to contribute to a more just and compassionate world, a strong correlation with social work practice. Our social workers use research and incorporate evidence-based interventions which is a valuable contribution to the wellbeing of our students, particularly through our WRAP program. 

Social workers understand the interconnectedness of individuals, families, communities and society, and work to address the underlying systemic factors that contribute to social problems. Our approach at St Mary’s College is that wellbeing is everybody’s business and our team of social workers work closely and collaboratively with the adults present in our students’ lives to enhance their wellbeing and learning.  

As part of our strong wrap around support at St Mary’s, our social workers work in partnership with teachers, students and their families, and a range of external service providers to ensure the needs of students are met. This supports our belief, and that of research, that students who have positive wellbeing are able to engage more effectively and successfully in learning.  

The professional discipline of social work brings a unique and valuable lens to education at St Mary’s, supporting the College to empower students to feel seen, be heard and experience a sense of belonging in their lives and the world around them.  

Sharon Ward
Director of Wellbeing & Engagement

Michelle Brown, Chrysi Santelices, Madeleine Samson
Social Workers