The SWSS Department will be hosting a 2-day training series to equip site Tier 2 Teams to implement the Trails to Wellness intervention.
Prerequisite: Site Tier 2 Teams must have attended the CI/CO or EMG training series or the Tier 2 Systems Build 3-day training.
Secondary Schools -
2/27/25 (PDC B) & 3/6/25 (TBD)
Elementary Schools -
1/30/25 (PDC B) & 2/13/25(PDC B)
Resources:
On-Demand Trainings:
Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers & Staff (FACTS)
Secondary Tier 2 Nomination Form:
Secondary Caregiver/Student - English, Spanish
Resources:
On-Demand Trainings:
Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers & Staff (FACTS)
Elementary Tier 2 Nomination Form:
Elementary Caregiver/Student English, - Spanish
By creating a free account on trailstowellness.org Tier 2 Teams and Trails to Wellness Facilitators will gain access to research-based curriculum which includes the following resources: Lesson Plans, PowerPoints, handouts, posters, and videos.
During this 7-10 week depression and anxiety group counseling session, facilitators will work with students to understand how their thoughts, beliefs and attitudes affect their feelings and actions.
10 week group counseling sessions (1x/week, 30-45 min.) will focus on BOTH anxiety and depression (grades 3-12).
7 week group counseling sessions (1x/week, 30-45 min.) will focus on EITHER anxiety OR depression (grades 6-12 only).
Each Tier 2 Team has a written process outlining how students are identified for Tier 2 interventions.
This will include decision rules describing when students are identified using counselor notes, attendance, or Panorama Survey data (consider self assessment scores in the area of Hope for this intervention). Additionally each site has a formal process for Staff, Students, and Caregivers to nominate students for Tier 2 supports.
Query for Counseling Notes
LIST STU LOC CNF STU.ID STU.NM STU.GN STU.GR STU.SC LOC.NM CNF.DT CNF.CD CNF.CD? CNF.CU CNF.CO BY STU.GR STU.NM CNF.DT IF CNF.DT >= 08/01/2023 AND LOC.NM ; SUMMER AND LOC.DNR = 0 AND STU.TG # "*" AND STU.TG # "N" AND STU.TG # "W" AND ( CNF.CO : "ANXIETY" OR CNF.CO : "DEPRESSION" OR CNF.CO : "MENTAL HEALTH" )
Remember to change the terms in quotes to match the terminology used by your school counselor when documentating student concerns related to mental health, anxiety or depression
Students should be considered for the Trails to Wellness intervention as teams review data from each of the above screening processes. Consider the following as part of the selection criteria:
Select students who could benefit from learning skills to manage stress and symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. No formal diagnosis is required.
CBT groups utilize some written materials. Students with significant cognitive impairment may struggle with these materials and the concepts taught in group.
Please note: Students with active suicidal ideation or serious self-harming behaviors are not appropriate for this group and need to be served by a higher level of care such as the SBCUSD's HEART/ERMHS therapy teams or VCSS.
Tier 2 Teams should refer back to TFI 2.3 and TFI 2.4 for more information.
Tier 2 Teams will use the Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers and Staff (FACTS) to complete a brief Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) on each student identified to receive Tier 2 interventions. This information will help the Team to determine which coping strategies will be taught and hypothesize what the student is getting/gaining and/or escaping/avoiding by engaging in the behaviors that result from symptoms of anxiety and/or depression.
tieResponding to Problem Behaviors in School pg. 131
When analyzing the FACTS consider students for the Trails to Wellness intervention whose:
The primary behavior of concern is internalizing behaviors (i.e., social withdrawal, unexplained physical symptoms (headaches and stomachaches not due to a medical condition), not talking to or interacting with others, sadness, nervousness, irritability, fearfulness, etc.
The hypothesized function is Avoiding - events, tasks, activities, peers, staff, over stimulation, etc.
On-Demand Trainings: Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers & Staff (FACTS)
Form: Functional Assessment Checklist for Teachers & Staff (FACTS)
Tier 2 Teams should refer back to TFI 2.7 for more information.
Caregiver Consent
Prior to enrolling a student in the Trails to Wellness group intervention, it is best practice to get caregiver consent as well as provide a brief description of the intervention in consideration.
An Opt-in intervention form along with a brief overview of the intervention is provided for Tier 2 Teams to use as a guide - Sample:
Trails to Wellness overview for families: Caregiver Overview, Opt-In Consent Form
Initial Meeting for the Trails to Wellness Intervention
Prior to enrolling students into the Trails to Wellness intervention, the Facilitator should meet with each student. Below is a sample agenda which includes possible discussion points:
Pre-Group Meeting Agenda grades 6-12
Pre-Group Meeting Agenda grades 3-5
During the pre-meeting the faciliator should review the following with each student, individually:
Provide an overview of the intervention
Review confidentiality
Gain student consent
"Best practices in mental health care entail using assessment information to inform service delivery. Assessment data also helps evaluate the impact of programming on student outcomes"(trailstowellness.org).
Note to Facilitators: Consider group placement based on GAD7/PHQ9. For example, on the PHQ9 students who score 0-9 have minimal to mild depression, as opposed to students scoring 10-27 indicating moderate to severe depression - should Facilitators put them all in the same group?
Deliver the Trails to Wellness - Elementary Reflection Assessment, Secondary Reflection Assessment
NOTE: The pre-reflection assessment can be conducted at the pre-meeting or during the first session with the whole group.
Trails to Wellness Group Protocols
Role of Tier 2 Team
Review data monthly -
Number of students in intervention,
Students response to the intervention: positive, questionable, poor
Next steps: fade, continue, intensify
Success rate of participants
Discuss possible new students
Provide intervention updates to staff and parents/guardians
Role of the Coordinator/Facilitator
Coordinator Role - person overseeing the intervention, supporting the facilitator and the teacher(s)
Facilitator Role - person delivering the content to the group
Intervention Procedures
Establish Group Expectations: create with the input of group members; align to school-wide expectations; ensure they are - easily observable, positively stated, developmentally appropriate, representative of the shared values of the cultures and lived experiences in the group
Select an Ideal Location: confidential space, phone/walkie-talkie, sufficient seating, proper ventilation
Determine min./max. number of students (Elementary: 2 - 6 with 1-2 facilitators; Secondary: 2 - 8 with 1-2 facilitators)
Collecting & Analyzing Student Data
Utilizing the Daily Progress Report
In addition to the Trails to Wellness weekly homework, students will be asked to monitor their feelings and use of the coping strategies taught throughout the Trails to Wellness intervention.
Student Response - Positive/Questionable/Poor
Progress Monitoring Individual Students - Elementary, Secondary
Progress Monitoring Grup Summary - Elementary, Secondary
Facilitators will keep track of student data throughout Sessions 1-10. Facilitators are required to note student:
Completion of Homework
Completion of DPRs
Attendance for each Session
Pre/Post Trails Assessment
Pre/Post PHQ9/GAD7 Scores (grade 6-12 only)
All of this data will be used to determine if a student's response to the Trails to Wellness intervention is Positive, Questionable, or Poor.
If the student's response was found to be questionable or poor teams should consider the following:
Was the intervention implemented with Fidelity
Did the student attend >80% of the Sessions
Did the student complete >80% of the DPRs/Homework
If no, consider reteaching - another group or 1:1
If yes, to the above consider referring the student for further support - ERMHS, HEART, VCSS
Measuring Fidelity
TFI 2.12 recommends that fidelity checks be conducted regularly and include the following: Review of products: lesson plans; DPR - points awarded, parent signature, etc.; Direct Observation: Associate instruction, teacher feedback, data entry, etc.; Review of goals, intervention elements, and outcomes to ensure they are socially relevant; Surveys or interviews with program graduates or current participants.
For the Trails to Wellness intervention, Teams will consider the following:
Review documents
Data-base: Students’ data entered weekly - Attendance, DPR, Homework
DPRs: Facilitator is collecting DPRs daily and/or weekly
DPRs: >80% of the students are completing - daily
Homework: Facilitator is collecting homework weekly
Homework: >80% of the students are completing homework - weekly
Direct Observation
Lessons are being taught as designed
Students appear to be engaged - active participation
Social Validity Survey
Completed by >80% of student participants per group
Results Reviewed by Facilitator/Coordinator and brought back to Tier 2 Team for review
The Tier 2 Team uses the Social Validity Survey to adapt group procedures/routines
