Department Overview

The Health & Wellness office provides a range of services to meet the academic, health, social, emotional, and behavioral needs of our students and families.  Each school within the district is staffed with highly skilled Student Support Services personnel, including school counselors, social workers, school psychologists, and school nurses who work together as an inter-disciplinary team to promote academic success and the overall wellbeing of students.  

SCHOOL COUNSELORS

School counselors are licensed professionals trained to address the academic, personal/social and career development needs of students. School Counselors implement a comprehensive school counseling program that promotes equity and a rigorous educational experience for all students.  In collaboration with an interdisciplinary team, counselors work to address the diverse needs of students through both prevention and intervention services. School counselors serve a vital role in creating a safe learning environment and maximizing student achievement.

• SCHOOL COUNSELING SERVICES:
• Implement a comprehensive achool counseling curriculum
• Coordinate the School Evaluation Team (SET), a multidisciplinary team designed to identify strategies for student success, and the 504 eligibility determination process
• Assess student academic and social/emotional functioning and make referrals to in-school services
• Provide short-term individual and group counseling aimed at promoting academic achievement
• Enroll new students and orient them to the school community
• Deliver classroom based lessons and presentations on a variety of developmental issues

SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS

School Social Workers are trained mental health professionals who provide services to address social and emotional barriers to student achievement.  School Social Workers work as part of an inter-disciplinary team to mobilize family, school and community resources to enable students to learn as effectively as possible in the educational setting.  School Social Workers provide direct and indirect services to help students develop age appropriate skills and promote social, emotional and academic growth in the school setting.

• SCHOOL SOCIAL WORK SERVICES:
• Provide assesment and design targeted interventions for students in collaboration with families and multi-disciplinary school team
• Provide individual and/or group counseling as appropriate
• Provide crisis intervention and serve as a member of the school’s Crisis Team
• Serve as a member of the special education team and prepare social/developmental history reports for special education evaluation meetings
• Make referrals and serve as a liaison with community agencies
• Provide outreach to and assist families in accessing and utilizing school and community resources

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS

School Psychologists are highly trained members of the district’s Student Support Services team.  School Psychologists utilize their expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior to increase academic achievement and help children succeed emotionally and socially in the school environment.  School Psychologists collaborate with students, families and school personnel to create safe and supportive learning environments.

• SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY SERVICES:
• Complete comprehensive psycho-educational assessments in accordance with federal and state special education regulations and district policy
• Increase achievement by assessing barriers and determining the best instructional strategies to improve learning
• Design and implement academic and behavioral interventions for students at risk of educational failure
• Collaborate with school-based teams to implement school-wide prevention and intervention programs that help maintain a positive school climate conducive to learning

SCHOOL NURSES

School nurses are Registered Nurses who are trained to handle all of the day to day physical health needs of their school. They coordinate with the rest of the school team to create a safe and healthy environment. Among their many duties, nurses administer physical screenings and are responsible for overseeing the safe use of any medications students need.

• SCHOOL NURSING SERVICES:
• Oversee proper medicine administration
• Administer the various screenings throughout the year
• Communicate with families and administration about ongoing illnesses
• Maintain student health records, including ensuring that all vaccinations are up to date

OTHER SPECIALISTS

The Health & Wellness department has a number of highly trained specialists who focus on district wide support. These include the district PBIS Coordinator, the Social Emotional Mental Heath (SEMH) team, Attendance Officer and the McKinney-Vento Care Coordinator. You can find more information about them under the District Resources & Initiatives page.