TVDSB hiring third Indigenous guidance counsellor, current staff 'overworked'
The school board expects the position to be filled before September.
The Thames Valley District School board is hiring a third Indigenous guidance counsellor for additional support.
The TVDSB approved funding for the position at its annual budget meeting this Spring.
"Our two counsellors are feeling overwhelmed and have been for a while," said trustee Phil Schuyler, who said there's one counsellor each for elementary and secondary students.
"You could be counselling or you could be talking someone down from suicide right in the school," said Schuyler. "That could be rare, yes, but certainly you have to be prepared for that."
Schuyler said that having additional support increases the amount of access Indigenous students have to a guidance counsellor.
He said it's also important that students are able to connect with someone who has similar experiences.
"Who better to talk to them than someone who has lived that?" asked Schulyer. "There's a lot off issues there that you have to be familiar with in order to get the context of where the child is coming from."
The new position will be a three year-term. Schulyer hopes that it will be based out of one of the high school's in the London area.