Troy Toshack

Key Strategic Projects and Responsibilities:

• Led, developed and maintained strong and productive working relationships with relevant external stakeholders, including designing the consultation plan for the current School Counselling Allocation Methodology with all stakeholders to drive improvement of the new allocation model for equitable access to resources.

• Provided strategic leadership by successfully employing the PROSCI change management processes and procedures to support stakeholders understand policy and procedural change and empower them to be active in this process. My highly developed conflict resolution skills have been an asset in working toward sustainable outcomes.

• Led and undertook research to identify and promote effective strategies that support mental health prevention and intervention. This included building the capacity of school communities through the development of the student death (non suicide) guidelines to support evidenced based approaches in the immediate response following a student death.

•Skillfully managed multiple commitments within tight timeframes in a complex and politically sensitive environment. This includes solid experience writing correspondence including House Folder Notes, Questions on Notice, Key Issues Briefs and ensuring accurate advice regarding strategic planning and deliverables to be provided to senior leaders and stakeholders.

Key Strategic Projects and Responsibilities:

• Led support to schools in suicide prevention and postvention by collaboratively designing the “Guidelines for responding to the death of a student by suicide’ and the associated Postvention training. This has resulted in school teams across NSW having access to updated information regarding responding to suicide and access to training to support their planning process.
• Guided the design and implementation of evidence based programs and approaches to support student mental health, suicide prevention and postvention. This includes introducing the Stepped Care Model and Wellbeing Matters Webinar series with The Black Dog Institute. The model explored tailoring support for students using the mental health and wellbeing continuum consistent with the National Children’s Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy.
• Developed, facilitated and delivered professional learning about complex mental health presentations and events, including bespoke Psychological First Aid training and resilience based support for communities across the NSW North coast in response to the 2022 floods.

Key Strategic Projects and Responsibilities:

• Coordinated workforce planning to establish new wellbeing position across NSW schools. In line with the 2019 Mental Health Election Commitment, this included recruiting 464 Student Support Officer positions. Following recruitment, I led the development of policy, practice and priorities for this role to support student wellbeing and mental health in schools.
• Directed the analysis of data to identify trends, inform planning and policy development and service delivery models. This resulted in generating an innovative Evidence Based Mental Health and Wellbeing Programs resource with Monash University that assists schools select and implement evidence based wellbeing programs.
• Communicated effectively and worked as a member of the leadership team in meeting tight deadlines, government and department priorities. Specifically, this included leading a team of to deliver Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM) across NSW. My leadership during the challenging COVID periods has directly supported the ongoing delivery of this evidence based mental health and wellbeing program to year 9 and 10 students across NSW and refined statewide processes to support longevity.

Key Strategic Projects and Responsibilities:

• Facilitated strategic leadership in the development of frameworks, approaches and practices that support best psychological practice. This included designing professional standards for Psychologists in schools with the development of the Professional Practice Framework (PPF). The PPF is a pioneering body of work that identifies the knowledge and skills required to work in schools and is consistent with the Psychology Board of Australia. The PPF has guided consistent psychological practice across NSW, strengthened certification processes and supported students to access high quality psychological support in schools.
• Refined the analysis of research and evidence to inform best practices and approaches in the provision of mental health and wellbeing services in schools. This included working closely with leading organisations in Australia, such as BATYR and The Black Dog institute, to deliver mental health and suicide prevention programs to students in metropolitan and rural communities.

Key Strategic Projects and Responsibilities:

• Coordinated and professionally supervised a team of psychologists to deliver high quality psychological services to schools.
• Provided individual and group professional practice supervision to build the capacity of school counselling staff
• Worked in collaboration with school leaders to support professional learning and the performance and development processes of staff
• Built the capacity of staff to support student wellbeing and mental health
• Established effective partnerships with local agencies to assist schools to meet the learning, wellbeing and mental health needs of students

Key Strategic Projects and Responsibilities:

• Shaped and maintained relationships across government and non-government agencies to support and enhance processes for registration of psychologists in schools. This included coordinating the first supervision endorsement pilot for school psychologists. My ability to translate registration/endorsement guidelines into department specific practice resulted in the expansion of registration processes and enhanced the quality of psychological services available to students.
• Collaborated and consulted with universities and peak bodies on current research and directions in mental health. This is demonstrated by my successful working alliance with The University of Wollongong- Project Air team. Project air is a professional learning module for staff responding to complex mental health presentations. My content knowledge, negotiation, organisation skills resulted in the successful completion of this training with school counselling staff statewide and updating course content to meet new trends and evidence in psychological literature.
• Created and delivered professional learning opportunities to support staff by leading and evaluating standardised induction procedures for school psychologists across NSW. This resulted in clear induction procedures for standardised practice across NSW.

Key Strategic Projects and Responsibilities:

• Provided counselling to students, individually and in groups
• Administered cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural assessments of students, reports on the results of assessments and interventions and collaborates to improve learning and wellbeing outcomes
• Responded as part of a team to schools experiencing serious incidents
• Supported schools and students with complex behavioural needs
• Worked collaboratively with school teams, parents and carers, and other agencies, to develop appropriate school based support for students

Key Strategic Projects and Responsibilities:

• Administered cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural assessments of students, reports on the results of assessments and interventions and collaborates to improve learning and wellbeing outcomes.
• Engaged in counselling and intervention strategies with children, young people and parents/ carers

Key Strategic Projects and Responsibilities:

• Responded to phone calls from the LGBTIQ+ community relating to a diverse range of presentations ranging from emergency support to counselling interventions / supportive counselling support.