Topic 3 Cyprus

With regards to the School Psychologist support services there are multiple ways to be referred, depending on the nature of the issue. In any case, students are allowed to request that support is provided from their school who will then assess the case and make the appropriate actions for referral. Usually, the intervention of a GP, an independent school psychologist, social workers, child psychiatrists etc. who will work alongside the School Counsellor and School Principal. Both the Counsellor and Principal complete the referral process by filing in the paperwork, with the consent of both parents/custodians except from the case of child abuse or sexual abuse where the intervention of the School body is enough for the referral.

Finally for the referral of Mental Health services (Ministry of Health) the referral of the school – Principal, or the School Psychologist assigned to that school.

There are various Mental health Services that are available for the general public. Firstly there is a Mental health services available for the public, that are available to be booked via the general practitioner referral. Some services are supported and available to patients for free (with some limitations). Alternatively, there are clinical, counselling and school Psychologists who operate publicly and are available to the general public on a private basis. (https://www.cypsa.org.cy/english/)

Moreover, there are various helplines dedicated to a variety of issues, such as domestic abuse for underage children helpline (https://domviolence.org.cy/en/116111-2/), ONEK counselling helpline (https://onek.org.cy/en/programmata-ypiresies/symvouleftikes-ypiresies/grammi-1410/), children’s welfare helpline (https://www.uncrcpc.org.cy/en/1466-helpline-by-hope-for-children-crc-policy-center-for-the-children-of-cyprus/).

In the context of Schools the School Psychology services of Ministry of Education is available to students, educators and parents for the purposes of counselling, evaluation and diagnosis, conducting reports and suggestions for the welfare of children. This service is available to school children from the early stages of Nursery up to Secondary Education. This service works alongside the adolescence Mental health services of Ministry of Health who interfere when needed either with a therapeutic or counselling approach in some cases.