Let's Taco 'Bout The
Counseling Program
Counselors use a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) to assess, develop, and implement supports and interventions for students, teachers, and families. This means that we work with school psychologists, teachers/staff, students, families, and community members to support every single WUSD Elementary student. We strive to help support students to promote the acquisition of important life skills. Also, when students experience a certain challenge, we help support them with interventions that will benefit their unique needs. The MTSS triangle, below provides a visual of our counseling program services.
Tier 1- Universal
Opportunities for All Students and Families
Please join us for Conversations with The CARE Team each month. These workshops coincides with a pre-recorded presentation that we create with the Dana Counselors. Please watch the recording and then join us on the designated days for live Q & A.
This group provides a space for caregivers/ parents to learn and explore effective tools for family management. Weekly discussions and resources include: Understanding your child, helping children cooperate, listening and talking to your child and choosing your care approach.
Family Conversations with The CARE Team provides an opportunity for caregivers/parents AND students to attend the workshop together for a chance to learn about a specific topic and have guided family conversations. One topic is presented a month with two different live workshop opportunities. The presentation is also available for self-directed family engagement.
The CARE Team Club is an opportunity for every student, not just those signed up for counseling services, to learn about and explore a special social-emotional skills. All students will have access to a weekly lesson through SchoolsPLP to complete independently and an opportunity to participate in a live 20-30 minute social-emotional class lesson. The lessons are based off of the evidence-based curricula: Second Step and Ripple Effects.
CARE Team for Community
The CARE Team for Community provides a monthly opportunity for students and caregivers/parents to participate in a cultural awareness/appreciation activity with their school-site.
CARE Team for caregivers/parents provides virtual resources including articles and activities for students and adults related to COVID-19, social emotional skills, and mental health.
CARE Team for students provides virtual resources including articles and activities for students and adults related to COVID-19, social emotional skills, and mental health.
The CARE Team for Teachers includes resources for teachers that include community-building activities, social-emotional classroom lessons, suggestions for supporting students when individual concerns arise, protocol and tips for urgent situations, and supports to meet teachers' social-emotional needs (e.g., teacher support time, Mindful Mondays). These resources are only available for WUSD Teachers.
Newsletters
Look for our entries in the weekly emails that are sent out by each elementary school-site principal and the monthly district newsletter.
Social-emotional Learning Curriculum
The CARE Team assists in the implementation of social-emotional learning for all students through programs through evidence-based programs like Second Step and Ripple Effects.
PBIS
The CARE Team works with the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) committee at each school site to help develop and implement strategies for a healthy school climate and culture.
Bullying Prevention
The CARE Team supports in efforts to infuse practices within each school-site that promote a bully-free culture and a safe climate.
Follow us on Instagram @wusdcareteam.
Tier 2- Selected
Resources for classroom strategies, small groups, and individual supports
Tier 2 supports include all of the resources in Tier 1 in addition to supports such as group counseling and individual counseling. These supports are intended for students who have a challenge or concern that is not typical of their developmental stage and/or interferes with their learning.
Short-term Skill-building Group Counseling: Skill-building groups of about 4-5 students who are working towards building a similar skill that will help improve their educational experience and overall wellbeing (e.g., decreasing anxiety, calm down tools, understanding emotions, focusing in class). Skill-building groups typically last from about 6-8 weeks.
Short-term Skill-building Individual Counseling: Skill-building one-on-one counseling for students working towards building a skill that will help improve their educational experience and overall wellbeing (e.g., decreasing anxiety, grief/loss, regulating/controlling emotions, personal transitions like divorce). Skill-building one-on-one counseling usually lasts about 6-8 weeks.
Short-term Skill-building Family Counseling: Skill-building family counseling for families provides an opportunities to adjust family practices that directly or indirectly impact a student's educational experience and overall wellbeing (e.g., home schedule, incentive charts, calm down techniques, growth-mindset).
Specialized Classroom Lessons: Counselors provide classroom lessons when a teachers noticed a trending concern among students or would like to improve part of their classroom system/structure.
Behavior Incentive Programs: Counselors collaborate with caregivers/parents, teachers, school psychologists, and other staff when students may benefit from tracking behavior daily/weekly with incentives and consequences.
Tier 3- Intensive
Resources for individual interventions
Tier 3 supports include all of the resources in Tiers 2 and 3 in addition to supports such as longer-term counseling and special behavior interventions.
Longer-term Group Counseling: Counselors facilitate processing groups of 4-5 students, who are matched on fit. Students are provided with the opportunity to reflect on experiences, work through feelings/challenges, and receive and provide feedback to each other, to ultimately help improve their educational experience and overall wellbeing.
Longer-term Individual Counseling: One-on-one counseling to help students reflect on experiences, work through feelings/challenges, and build coping skills to ultimately help improve their educational experience and overall wellbeing.
Longer-term Family Counseling: Family counseling to address trauma and family systems that are directly and indirectly impacting a student's educational experience and wellbeing.
Behavior Interventions: Counselors collaborate with caregivers/parents, teachers, school psychologists, and other staff when students may benefit from tracking behavior daily/weekly with incentives and consequences and outlining clear interventions and strategies when working with a student.
Click here for fun and engaging kid-friendly activities and learning opportunities.
Click here to access virtual workshops, tips for virtual learning, tips for social-emotional development, mental health, and behavior, and more.
Click here for Community Circle prompts, Second Step Lessons, and more.
Click here to schedule a meeting, complete a referral, and/or provide the CARE Team with feedback.