Guidance Officer
Regional Youth Mental Health Forum 2022
Fourteen of our student leaders and Year 10 Peer Mentors travelled to the Laidley Cultural Centre on Thursday 14th July to attend ‘Talk it up’, a forum to reduce the stigma around mental health. Our students and other young people from the region, listened to a key note speaker from Livin about practical everyday ways to manage mental health. Students also learned and talked about mental health wellness at a series of interactive workshops based around the Wheel of Wellbeing.
The Wheel of Wellbeing helps individuals build skills and raise awareness about improving mental health and wellbeing through six dimensions. It is a holistic approach to wellbeing, conveying a message of achieving balance in life.
GPs in Schools Pilot program
Ripley Valley State Secondary College was selected to participate in the GPs in Schools Pilot. The Pilot is part of the Queensland Government's Student Well-being Package, an initiative which makes it easier for all Ripley Valley SSC students and students in Year 6 at Ripley Valley SS to access the healthcare they need.
The Pilot has allowed our school to set up a fit-for-purpose GP clinic in our B block, Community Hub which already houses a community midwife clinic. This clinic provides students with access to a GP each Friday during school terms.
Our school clinic staff – Rachael Pratt (GP administrator); Janet Ingram (Guidance Officer and program lead); Brendan Krueger (Principal); Dr Dushyant Singh (GP); and Daniel Pym (Deputy Principal and program lead).
Parents/Guardians and Students are able to book an appointment with the School GP by:
Email: GPbookings@ripleyvalleySSC.com.au
Phone: 3819 5321
Students may also book an appointment by speaking directly with the Administrative Co-ordinator in Student Support Services (J Block) and an appointment slip will be emailed to you. If you are a first-time user of the clinic, please register you (student) or your child’s details using this link:
https://urgentcarebne.snapforms.com.au/form/student-registration-form---ripley-school-
This will register your medicare number, but the booking must be made via the options given above (email, phone or in person at Student Support Services).
What services will the GP provide?
Our school GP clinic will offer secondary students the majority of services that young people are able to access from GPs in the community, including management of physical health, mental health, and sexual and reproductive health issues. The school GP clinic is not a vaccination centre.
Will there be a cost for students to see the GP?
All visits to the GP will be provided at no cost to students or their families. The GP will bulk-bill all appointments through Medicare, so it is important that students bring their Medicare card (or their Medicare number) with them to their appointment.
Introducing Dr Dushyant Singh, a General Practitioner (GP) and director of Urgent care Brisbane.
Dr Dushyant Singh was born in Amritsar, India, famous for Golden Temple. Dr Dushyant always wanted to be a doctor and worked diligently to enter medical school. He is an excellent footballer and at one point he represented his school at national level. After finishing Medicine, he worked in GP and Emergency. In Australia, he completed his fellowship General Practice and continued to practice as a GP with emergency skills while in Australia. Dr Singh is now director of Urgent Care Brisbane, a medical practice which treats walk in emergency appointments. Dr Singh’s passion for the adolescent health is evident. He states, “It comes with many challenges, and I still study and keep myself updated. I have always found adolescent Medicine very interesting and have developed skills of instant rapport building, a highly essential skill in consulting with adolescents! All doctors at Urgent care Brisbane are highly passionate and are welcoming of the state government initiative of GP in schools pilot program.”
Janet Ingram
Guidance Officer