Our Roles and Responsibilities

Student Services Staff - Who We Are and What We Do

Please know that if you reach out to any student services staff member, they will be able to assist you or get you to the person who can best meet your needs at that time. We always work as a collaborative team to assist students and families in the best way possible. 

School Counselors, School Psychologists, and School Social Workers are all members of our Student Services Team. All of these professionals are trained to assist students with their academic, behavioral, social and emotional needs. Their collective goal is to partner with families, school staff, and community personnel to create a safe and supportive learning environment in which all students can thrive. They work hard to build connections between the school, home, and community to provide the best educational experience for every child. Each member of the Student Services Team can respond to individual needs, assess mental health concerns, assist in a crisis situation, provide short-term counseling and refer to community services. In addition to these shared tasks, each professional group within the Student Services Team has their own unique responsibilities: 

School Social Worker

School Social Workers are the student services staff members who have the primary responsibility of working with and connecting students and families to community agencies and services. They … 

• obtain and coordinate community resources to meet students' needs
• serve on community-based committees to build a strong connection between community organizations and the schools
• assist students and parents in accessing and utilizing school and community resources
• help receive adequate support from social and mental health agencies
• advocate for new and improved community/school services to meet the needs of students and families
• have the primary role of assisting with food distribution, home visits, homeless liaison, and community-based emergencies that impact school students
• have the primary role of overseeing chronic absenteeism and child protective matters 

School Psychologist 

School psychologists are the student services staff members with the primary responsibility of supporting students with disabilities and their families. They... 

• collect and interpret student and classroom data
• assess diverse learning needs
• conduct psychological and academic assessments
• work with families and physicians to identify developmental and behavioral disorders
• evaluate and develop educational and vocational plans for students
•  work with classroom teachers, conduct observations and provide feedback to enhance the learning environment
• develop appropriate Individual Education Plans (IEP) and 504 Plans for students
• assist with making appropriate referrals to the Committee on Special Education
• monitor student progress
• act as the primary support for conducting a Functional Behavioral Assessment (FBA) and developing and implementing Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP) 

School Counselor (formerly known as Guidance Counselor)

School counselors are the student services staff members with the primary responsibility of developing and implementing a comprehensive school counseling plan for students K-12. This plan consists of instruction and programming to assist students in their academic, career and social-emotional development. The comprehensive program is designed as a Tier I program (meaning all students have access to it). They... 

• review and update the comprehensive plan annually
• develop and deliver core curriculum instruction in the areas of academic, career, and social-emotional development (e.g., Second Step, suicide prevention, etc.)
• assist students with academic course planning
• have the primary responsibility for programming in career development (e.g., career exploration, career planning and assistance with post-secondary planning)
• conduct an individual annual progress review that assesses the academic progress, career planning and social-emotional needs of each student beginning in grade 6 

So Who Do I Call?

Still wondering who you should reach out to in certain situations? Here are some examples. Keep in mind - each member of the Student Services Team can respond to individual needs, assess mental health concerns, assist in a crisis situation, provide short-term counseling and refer to community services. Although an initial point person is listed, oftentimes it can be any member of the Student Services team that can assist. 

Social Workers help when: 

• Parent/guardian reports that they are struggling with getting their child to attend school
• Student or parent/guardian report not having a place to live
• Student or parent/guardian have a question regarding community services

School Psychologists help when:

• Parent/guardian is concerned their child is having difficulty learning 
• Parent/guardian would like to inquire about special education services for their student
• Parent/guardian wants to request an amendment to an IEP or 504 Plan 

School Counselors help when: 

• Student or parent/guardian is inquiring about career options and post-secondary plans
• Student or parent/guardian is requesting an academic schedule change
• Student or parent/guardian have a question regarding graduation requirements