mental health – Integrated Services Poudre School District

In Poudre School District, 33 well trained, caring school psychologists focus on understanding and supporting students through the difficulties of adolescence. Many students go their entire school career without needing the support of school psychologists but for others, these experts are invaluable.

The role of a school psychologist is constantly in motion. They work directly with students and are experts in intervention design; behavioral assessment; direct intervention; and addressing mental health needs with all students through assessment. They work directly with counselors, teachers and administrators on understanding behaviors to help meet each student’s individual needs. They also help parents with their concerns and how best to navigate these concerns.

Brittany Hutson has held the role of lead school psychologist in Poudre School District for the past five years. Her love of students and the way their brains grow and develop over time led her to become a school psychologist. Hutson and her team work tirelessly to learn the ‘why’ behind student behaviors.

All comprehensive high schools have a full time school psychologist. Most comprehensive middle school psychologists are full time or close to full time and elementary schools have a school psychologist in their buildings multiple times per week. Many principals are seeing the value of having a full time psychologist and are increasing their building support by using their individual schools’ budgets to address mental health needs, behaviors, interventions and social skills for all students.

As any mental health professional will tell you, behavior is a form of communication. They must figure out what is going on to best understand each student and to help students find and use appropriate forms of behavior. “We have an amazing group of experts in their fields” says Hutson. Many school psychologists are experts in areas as diverse as trauma, behavior, academic interventions and reading disorders to mention a few. Hutson explains that by having people versed in many different areas, they are able to work together as one unit to share their skill sets. “They do a good job of addressing student needs!” says Hutson.

Rice Elementary School principal Karen Kohen says, “Having a full time psychologist at Rice has dramatically changed the way we are able to support students with emotional, mental health, and behavior needs. Not only our students with disabilities, but also our general education students who are challenged in these areas are now receiving one-on-one or small group support. In the same way interventionists address the needs of students who struggle academically by targeting specific skills, our psychologist addresses the specific mental health needs of our struggling students. Our psychologist also provides support to the teachers by providing tools and strategies to use within the classroom so that ALL students can be successful.”

Christine Hendricks, principal at Tavelli Elementary School says “Our school psychologist is a critical part of the core team that supports all students at Tavelli. I value that she observes, assesses, works with and writes plans for any student that has social emotional, behavioral or academic needs. I value the work of our school psychologist. She is currently at my school three and a half days a week and I would love to have her five days a week!”

The African proverb says “It takes a village to raise a child.” Never have truer words been spoken.

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

More than ever before, the subject of mental health is being broached from all angles. Poudre School District Integrated Service staff are wholeheartedly accepting the challenge of helping students live a healthy lifestyle. A team of highly educated, experienced Integrated Services staff are hard at work, building relationships and advocating for students with emotional needs. One group working with students mental health needs are our School Social Workers, a dedicated group focused on understanding the whole students.

Lead Social Worker Derrick Searle is at the forefront of school social work. As a Northern Colorado native, Searle’s investment in the Fort Collins community goes deep. After receiving both a Bachelors and a Masters degrees in Social Work, Searle went on to earn a Masters degree in Education with administrator licensure from Colorado State University. He has worked for 7 of his 19 years as a social worker in PSD.

“It sounds cheesy but I wanted to make a difference,” shares Searle. Each day brings new challenges and opportunities for social workers. With 9 school social workers and 2 career coaches, each school in PSD is served. The goal of a social worker is helping people help themselves. They are advocates, encouragers as well as accountability. They are the people to notice and point out the good things students are doing no matter what size accomplishment that may be. They get to know students and what their struggles are. They work with students on understanding their emotions and how to regulate them. They look at the complete story of a student’s life and the best way to reach them.

Searle says there are things that ring true for all student. Behavior is a form of communication, whether it is conscious or subconscious. Student academics and emotions are deeply connected. Kids often ask for love in the most unlovable ways. Defiance is typically a result of stressors that underlie the behavior. Kids want to be good, they want to be loved and cared for and to have friends.

As a team, PSD mental health staff work passionately with a zero tolerance policy related to hurtful behavior, and work toward a better understanding of each individual. Social workers work together with administrators, school resource officers, counselors, deans and teachers on education and advocacy. Together they work to understand why a student is responding the way they are and what the deeper rooted cause may be. They are then able to provide support or a consequence to directly address the why of the problem not just the manifestation.

Derrick Searle says that Poudre High School, where he works, has adopted a great culture of inclusivity, openness to new intervention ideas and collaboration. In December of 2015 the PHS community put together a community event addressing mental health. PHS staff came together to address some heavy concerns facing students.

“There is something magical in the intersection of people connecting,” says Searle. This is why he, and his team of social workers have chosen a path of genuine investment into the lives of student in PSD.

Poudre School District Integrated Services Director: Sarah Belleau 2407 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521

Tag: mental health

Our important School Psychologists!