Credentials: University of Oregon- BA in Psychology
Lewis and Clark - MA in Counseling Psychology
Over 25 years working with kids and families
Email: tiffany.mills@evergreenps.org
Phone: 360-604-6625 ext. 5136
7:15am to 3:00pm
What Do School Counselors Do?
Our top priority is to help kids be in a classroom with brains that are ready to learn. Whether that's eliminating obstacles like outside stress (housing issues, food and clothing assistance, parenting advice, emotional support) or stress that happens at school in the form of conflicts or building skills of self-regulation. I'm here to support kids, families and teachers in achieving the goal of whole-child learning.
Classroom Lessons: A solid chunk of my time is spent teaching Social Emotional Lessons (SEL) in all grade levels for a minimum of 3 months a year. Early intervention is key, so grades K-2 typically see me for a longer part of the year. Included in my work are lessons about Personal Safety, Consent and Touching. I use curriculum from the research based Second Step program, including their Child Safety Unit. All lessons are age appropriate and tailored to the needs of students at Riverview.
Small Groups: Learning to work with others, building empathy, regulating our bodies, etc. are all directly linked to academic success. Each year I identify students who need a boost in skills, and create small groups to work on that. Groups happen throughout the day (even at lunch) and I work closely with teachers to minimize academic impact.
1:1: I make every attempt to be available for the spontaneous needs of students (say, a conflict at recess that has them upset, or a sudden death in the family). We do a lot of Restorative Conversations here at Riverview, where we help kids understand the impact of their words and actions, and repair damage through talking it out. I also meet with students 1:1 for attendance support, anxiety, depression, grief, impulse control, anger management, coping skills, divorce/separation, and a long list of other reasons. Although I do NOT provide mental health "therapy," I do work with families to access services if I believe that more structured mental health support is needed.
What else? Here are just a few other tasks I'm involved in here at school...
504 Plan Coordinator
Behavior Intervention Plans
Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) for the whole school
Attendance Improvement/Support
Student Council Leader
5th Grade Self Manager program
Cooking Club Facilitator
YouthTruth Survey Coordinator
5th grade Transition to Middle School Activities
Assemblies, Morning/Afternoon Supervision, Lunchroom, Announcements... School Counselors wear a lot of hats.
Please reach out if you have any questions about my role at Riverview or how I can support YOU.