42NCGE NEWS Winter 2011Website ReviewReachOut.com is a mental health website for young people. It was launched in 2009 by the Inspire Ireland Foundation which is a not for profit, non-government registered charity.ReachOut.com aims to help young people get through tough times by providing quality mental health information through consultation with experts, inspiring life stories and through signposting the appropriate support services.The website is very appealing to young people because of its 24/7, friendly, easy to use and understand, non-judgmental and anonymous nature.The content of the site is structured into three main areas;. an information section. real life stories. asking an expert There is also a video wall and a blogging section.The information section deals with different topical issues each month. Issues highlighted in September dealt with 'Coping with a stressful event', 'Healthy eating', and 'Money issues'. Lots of up to date information, helpful strategies, quality links to other useful websites and where to go for help are provided.In the real life stories section, other young people tell their stories about how they coped with tough times whether dealing with anxiety, panic and shyness, bullying, depression, or alcohol related issues. The 'ask the expert' section is an online service dealing with young people's personal queries. Each month concentrates on one particular mental health area so for example in September, Tony Bates from Headstrong answered questions on anxiety and depression. In August Brian Mooney answered queries from school leavers.The video wall presents short clips on various mental issues from 'bullying' to 'what to expect when visiting your GP for the first time about mental health'. In the September extract, 3 famous comedians spoke about how they became involved in stand-up comedy and how they cope with tough times.Overall, the site is laid out in a very user friendly way. The information is relevant, up to date and presented in a way that is easily accessible to young people. It is easy to find what one is looking for and it downloads information quickly.I would rate the links to other relevant sites and 'ask the expert' facility as excellent and I would highly recommend this site to young people.Reviewed byAnne MaloneGuidance Counsellor, CBS Nenagh, Co Tipperary.CLICK toLINK

Whole School Guidance Planning ProgrammeWe hope that you find the VLE site guide informative and enjoy using the re-developed VLE. If however, you require assistance at any stage please email vle.ncge@gmail.com and we look forward to answering your query.To assist you in registering and applying for modules on the Whole School Guidance Planning Programme online, NCGE has created a site guide for the VLE. This offers a step-by-step guide of how to;. Create an account. Activate an NCGE VLE account. Apply for a courseNCGE NEWS Winter 2011NCGE has re-developed its Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)The VLE is an online learning environment which has been designed to support guidance counsellors participating in NCGE Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes. The VLE as a learning platform hosts materials and facilitates online communication. Visit the new NCGE VLE at http://vle.ncge.ieCLICK toLINK43CLICK toLINKNCGE is offering the Whole School Guidance Planning Programme to guidance counsellors in 2012. The programme aims to equip guidance counsellors working in post primary schools and Colleges of Further Education (CFE) with the knowledge and skills to undertake the guidance planning process and recognises the uniqueness of each school or college in which the guidance counsellor operates. The programme is delivered using a combination of e-learning and workshops. Workshops will be held in a location that suits the majority of applicants. Guidance counsellors interested in applying should visit http://vle.ncge.ie for information on the programme. The NCGE Whole School Guidance Planning programme, and out-of-school time spent attending guidance supervision sessions are, recognised by the Department of Education and Skills as eligible to be considered as whole school plannning/ nationally mandated Continuing Professional Development programmes for purposes of Circular 0025/2011 under The Croke Park Agreement. Within this category, it remains a function for school management to prioritise its needs and the use of the Croke Park hours in respect of participation in programmes outside school. CLICK toLINK