Amber Stokes
PHS Social & Emotional Counselor
astokes@parmaschools.org
- See Tell Now!
- Services Offered
- Student Support Information
- Student Mental Health Resources
- Student Well-Being
See Tell Now!
The middle and high school have recently joined the See Tell Now! program offered by the Idaho Office of School Safety & Security. As you all know, student safety is the top priority of the Parma School District, and joining this program adds another layer of protection and support for our students and community.
See Tell Now! links a 24/7 staffed tipline to local law enforcement as well as the administrative and counseling staff of the Parma School District. Students and their family members can report threats, bullying and cyberbullying, and concerns about the safety of self and others in a variety of ways. We will be educating the students about this program at school, and also wanted to invite you to learn more about the See Tell Now! Program.
Services Offered
On-site Social and Emotional Counselor
Individualized services to meet student need short term
The school counselor is available during the school year to meet immediate and short-term needs of students as they arise.
On-site Professional counseling through Insight & How it works
Some student require ongoing counseling or therapy to meet their needs. Based on the students’ needs they can be referred to ongoing counseling through Insight Counseling who collaborates with Parma School District to bring us therapeutic counselors through tele health. Coordination of appointments occurs with the school counselor and front office staff to ensure that the student can meet with a counselor at a time that reduces their absences from core classes.
If you are interested in connecting your student to therapeutic counseling, please complete this google form or contact Insight directly:
Signmystudentup: https://forms.gle/F16eaPndb78wwfjAA
Contact info
Home | Insight Counseling (insightcounselingtherapy.com)
Social and Emotional Learning Couse Work and Group Work
While at Parma High School student can expect to learn the ability to think critically, act ethically and contribute to the enhancement of society. This can cultivated through the development of self-awareness, self-management, Social Awareness, Responsible decision making and Relationship skills that are utilized in all areas of academic learning.
Some students may meet individually with the counselor to assess the need to work on a specific area and be given individualized learning tools and tasks to work towards skill development in a certain area.
Characteristics of Social and Emotional Learning
■ Self-awareness: The ability to accurately recognize one’s emotions and thoughts and their influence on behavior. This includes accurately assessing one’s strengths and limitations and possessing a well-grounded sense of confidence and optimism.
■ Self-management: The ability to regulate one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations. This includes managing stress, controlling impulses, motivating oneself, and setting and working toward achieving personal and academic goals.
■ Social awareness: The ability to take the perspective of and empathize with others from diverse backgrounds and cultures, to understand social and ethical norms for behavior, and to recognize family, school, and community resources and supports.
■ Relationship skills: The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups. This includes communicating clearly, listening actively, cooperating, resisting inappropriate social pressure, negotiating conflict constructively, and seeking and offering help when needed.
■ Responsible decision making: The ability to make constructive and respectful choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on consideration of ethical standards, safety concerns, social norms, the realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and the well-being of self and others.
~ descriptions from http://www.casel.org/social-and-emotional-learning/core-competencies.
Group Opportunities
Counseling groups are offered on an as needed basis dependent on the needs of the student body. Groups may include Friendship, Emotional Awareness and Self-Regulation, Grief, Loss, and Big Transitions etc.
Student Support Information
- Common Reasons Students Need Additional Support
- Section 504 Planning and Services
- Individualized Education Plans and Needs
- Tutoring
Common Reasons Students Need Additional Support
Students may need support for a variety of reasons and we are always happy to help. Some common reasons that students needs extra support may include physical, social, emotional and intellectual needs. This may include medical (i.e. diabetic or asthmatic) or movement supports such as sitting, standing, communication or grasping objects just to name a few. Other supportive services may be needed for Autism Spectrum disorder, Attention deficit disorder/ADHD, compulsive behaviors, learning disabilities, mental health, and substance abuse or brain injury.
If you feel that your student requires supportive services please complete the Multi-Disciplinary Team referral and submit it to the school counselor.
Section 504 Planning and Services
Depending on your students need they may need a Section 504 plan to help them be successful on their educational journey. A Section 504 is governed by the office of civil rights and has a lower threshold of criteria for positive placement. A parent, a teacher, administrator or counselor can referral a student that they are concerned about to the multi-disciplinary team and request that they be evaluated for a 504 plan. Once the team receives and begins to evaluate the students information the parent will also be expected to complete an input form so that they can provide further information that will help the team make their decision. The team includes the school counselor, an administrator, a general education teacher, a resource teacher, the parent and the student. The team may also include the special education director and/or school psychologist depending on the circumstances of the evaluation. Information will be gathered from a variety of sources and the team will complete the evaluation together.
What Is a 504 Plan | Understood
IEP vs. 504 Plan: What Is the Difference Between IEP and 504 Plan? - YouTube
Individualized Education Plans and Needs
While similar to a Section 504 a IEP is governed by Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and there are specific disabilities and criteria that are required for positive placement. Special Education Services are offered through COSSA they provide Parma High School with a special education teacher onsite. Just as you would request a student be evaluated for a Section 504 you may use the same referral to request that your student be evaluated for Special Education Services and submit the referral to the school counselor who will contact COSSA to continue the process.
What Is an IEP? | Individualized Education Program | Understood
What Is an IEP? | Individualized Education Program Explained - YouTube
IEP Meeting Tips for Parents: 8 Insider Tips on Navigating an IEP Meeting - YouTube
Tutoring
As always students are encouraged to reach out to their teachers when they feel extra, help is needed. However, we offer peer to peer tutoring on campus that is at no cost to the student. Students who are peer tutors are expected to be knowledgeable and successful on the subject area they wish to offer tutoring in. A school counselor based on best fit assigns students who need tutoring to a tutor. Tutoring depends on the availability of tutor but generally, tutors are available before or after school and some lunch times. It is expected that tutors and students will agree on and follow through on meeting times. If a student, seeking tutoring fails to follow through with their tutoring appointments their time may be given to another student. Please complete the appropriate google form below if you wish to be a tutor or are seeking tutoring.
Seeking Tutoring: Become a Tutor:
https://forms.gle/YaZhRjXX67CiwfiY7 https://forms.gle/ZECvt9Hpkc3zAWhT9
Student Mental Health Resources
- Mental Health Matters
- Sources of Strength
- Youth Suicide Prevention Resources
- Why Does Social Emotional Learning Matter?
Mental Health Matters
Student mental health matters, just as physical health is important for the body caring for the mind is just as vital. Stigma around mental health make it difficult for families and students to seek help. For example, a person diagnosed with diabetes may need to simply manage their diet while others may need insulin. In the same way, a person with depression may need to learn coping skills to manage their thoughts while others may require medication to manage their needs. Common mental health needs that affect teens include Anxiety, Social phobias, Depression, Eating Disorders, Suicidal Ideation, Self-Harm and behavioral such as ADD/ADHD
Busted: 7 myths about mental health | UNICEF Parenting
Teen Health: Mental Health - YouTube
We All Have Mental Health - YouTube
Anxiety Explained - SEL Sketches - YouTube
What it’s like to be a teen with ADHD? - YouTube
If you are a student or the parent of a student and feel that they need to speak with the counselor please feel free to make contact right away or complete this form. https://forms.gle/W2AoWcrZhsYEJEx26
Sources of Strength
At Parma High School one way that we support student mental and overall health is through the sources of strength program that uses peer leaders alongside adult advisors to encourage strength through connectedness.
WellnessPlan (sourcesofstrength.org)
AtHome_Break.pdf (sourcesofstrength.org)
DISCOVER SOURCES OF STRENGTH
Mission: Our mission is to provide the highest quality evidence-based prevention for suicide, violence, bullying and substance abuse by training, supporting, and empowering both peer leaders and caring adults to impact their world through the power of connection, hope, help and strength.
Vision: We believe that many strengths are more powerful than one, and our united goal is to activate and mobilize these strengths in ways that positively change individuals and communities.~ Sources of Strength
Youth Suicide Prevention Resources
Click on the following resource links for more information.
NAMI_Suicide
Teen suicide: What parents need to know - Mayo Clinic
Teen Suicide Prevention - YouTube
Teacher-Brochure-Helping-Your-Students-SPP-ILP.pdf (idaho.gov)
2022-state-fact-sheets-idaho.pdf (s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com)
Help Prevent Suicide | SAMHSA
Idaho Lives Project / Student Engagement & Safety Coordination / SDE
Welcome to YOUTH EMPOWERMENT SERVICES (idaho.gov)
YES_11x8.5_trifold_brochureNoCrop.ai (idaho.gov)
MHChecklist.pdf (idaho.gov)
MentalHealthCrisisDefinitionandExpectations.pdf (idaho.gov)
crisisdefinitionexpectations_esp.pdf (idaho.gov)
YouthCrisisSafetyPlan.pdf (idaho.gov)
YouthCrisisSafetyPlan_esp.pdf (idaho.gov)
Why Does Social Emotional Learning Matter?
“We define social and emotional learning (SEL) as an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.”
~ CASEL
Fundamentals of SEL - CASEL
Social-Emotional Learning: What Is SEL and Why SEL Matters - YouTube
What Is Social-Emotional Learning? | Committee for Children (cfchildren.org)
34 Conversation Starters for Your Family | Playworks
8 Ways Families Can Support Social-Emotional Learning at Home (weareteachers.com)
Social and Emotional Learning: Strategies for Parents | Edutopia
10 Ways Parents Can Bring Social-Emotional Learning Home | EdSurge News
Student Well-Being
Why Student Well-being matters and what we can do:
Student well-being encompasses several areas of development including mental, physical, emotional, and social. Schools and families play a significant role in student’s well-being in various ways. Student’s well-being and academic excellence are intertwined and essential to their overall success in life. Students whose well-being needs are addressed experience more enjoyment and satisfaction with life. Integrating emotional development in to our curriculum, recognizing early signs and symptoms of mental health issues, teaching students to support one another, encourage regular exercise, health care, and healthy diet choices are all ways that we can support student well-being both in and out of the classroom.