Redbank School has a capacity enrolment of seventy students. Eighty percent of enrolments are initiated when young people are admitted into the Acute Adolescent Unit (AAU), a specialist inpatient facility within Redbank House for young people experiencing severe mental illness. The other twenty percent of enrolments are initiated when students are offered placement through the DoE's Access Request process.
Students identified during admission as requiring intensive educational support may maintain an enrolment at Redbank School post discharge from AAU to participate in one of the school's other programs. This adjustment to the young person's journey through education is determined based on the functional impact of the mental illness on the student's learning rather than a diagnosis of disability. The request for on-going enrolment is made consultatively and collaboratively with the student, parent/carer, treating and community mental health team, community school, Redbank School teaching staff and any other agency or service involved with the student.
The option for young people to maintain an enrolment post discharge optimises support for the young people at a time when they are considered at a high level of risk of relapse and/or re-admission. It optimises opportunity for the young person to engage, or re-engage, in education whilst learning to manage the ongoing symptoms of their mental illness. It provides the young person optimal opportunity to access ongoing treatment (planned and unplanned) given the co-location of the school and mental health services and optimises opportunities for students to contextualise the therapeutic strategies they are developing through their treatment program.
Parents/carers of students who continue their enrolment at Redbank School post discharge from the AAU (or who are offered a placement through the DoE process) may be eligible to access the Assisted School Transport Program (ASTP) where they are unable to provide or arrange transport for their children. The ASTP is operated by the NSW DoE
Moving overseas
Moving overseas and need school reports authenticated for DFAT?
Email document.authentication@det.nsw.edu.au to arrange to bring original documents to 105 Phillip Street, Parramatta 2150.
