Counseling Services

Our district Licensed Clinical Social Workers hold permanent certification as School Social Workers through the NYS Department of Education. School Social Workers are unique in pupil personnel in that they are licensed as well as certified.

School Social Workers help maintain and enhance the mental, emotional, behavioral, cognitive and social functioning of student learners. They apply social work theory, principles, and methods to assess, evaluate, formulate and implement a plan of action based on a student learner’s needs and strengths. School Social Workers have special expertise in understanding family and community systems as well as linking students and their families with community services.

In addition, School Social Workers help general and special education students and their families to resolve social, emotional and behavioral problems.  They meet one-on-one with individual students or in groups of students to work on issues including school attendance, bullying, peer relationships, behavior problems, issues in the community. Throughout the year, they help students to develop social skills, coping strategies and to find positive solutions.

School Social Workers collaborate with administrators, teachers, the psychologist, school nurse, guidance counselor and parents/guardians to provide coordinated interventions and consultation designed to keep students in school.  They are a vital link to help families access supports needed to promote student success. School Social Workers bridge school, home, and community to help students be as successful as possible.

A psychologist is professionally trained to understand human behavior. The school psychologist applies this training in the area of education and serves the school in an advisory capacity. The skill and training of the psychologist is focused on helping all students achieve to their fullest potential. Some children experience difficulty in school because one or more of their intellectual, emotional and/or social needs are not being met. The school psychologist's task is to identify these unmet needs and to recommend measures to meet them. Psychological services are related directly to the goals of the school by helping each student to learn, grow and adjust. These services include early assessment in the areas of intellectual, scholastic, personal and social development. Working with guidance, the school nurse, social worker, teachers, administrators, and parents, the psychologist tries to bring about changes which will improve learning for a student.