Counseling & Mental Health
What do school counselors do?
Direct student services including:
- Facilitate school-wide programs like PBIS and Kids at Hope to help promote academic & social-emotional development.
- Weekly classroom SEL (social-emotional-learning) and character trait lessons: https://www.secondstep.org/elementary-school-curriculum
- Bullying classroom lessons in the month of October: https://www.secondstep.org/bullying-prevention
- Small-group & 1:1 social skills instruction based on needs assessment.
- Emotion Regulation or Friendship groups
- Responsive service – Provide behavior support / de-escalation strategies as needed.
- Individual student planning – Assist students in evaluating interests, abilities, skills, goal setting based on academic & social-emotional data.
- Individual or small group counseling – short-term & solution/goal-focused counseling.
*School Counselors do not provide therapy, however, we are trained to refer to outside agencies.
Indirect student services including:
- Student Assistance Team (SAT)- Provide consultation/share strategies supporting student achievement with teachers, other educators & parents.
- Designing behavior support plans in collaboration with teachers, students, & parents when needed.
- Guidance for students and families to school or community resources for additional assistance and information.
- 504 Plan Coordinator – Facilitate the referral process for students who may require an accommodation plan for academic and/or behavioral success.
Deborah Wheeler
Counselor
Deborah.Wheeler@rsd.edu
Rachel Carr
Psychologist
Rachel.Carr@rsd.edu
Kerrin McMillen
Psychologist Intern
Kerrin.Mcmillen@rsd.edu