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District presents Goal 2 update: 44 counselors, broader teams and community partners used to expand student mental‑health supports
Summary
District leaders told the board that counseling, social‑work and nursing staff total about 44 and outlined a multitiered, team‑based approach to mental‑health supports that includes data retreats, partnerships with the University of Wyoming clinic and Ivinson Memorial Hospital, and targeted supports after high‑school memorial events.
Albany County School District #1 leadership presented an update on Goal 2 of the district strategic vision—supporting student and staff health and well‑being—at the board’s April meeting, describing staff counts, cross‑school practices and community partnerships the district is using to expand mental‑health supports.
Why it matters: the district said it is moving from a counselor‑centered response to a whole‑school, team‑based approach that uses data to target supports earlier and reduce disciplinary removals that can indicate unmet behavioral or mental‑health needs.
Mr. Simon, who led the presentation, said the district counts about 44 staff across the categories of school counselors, social workers and nurses and that these staff are only a portion of the district’s effort. “If we’re going to address the needs of mental‑health issues of kids in our schools, and each other as staff members, we really need to be doing it as an entire school district and entire school teams,” he said.
The presentation outlined several operational practices: building structured check‑ins and “entry and exit” mood checks into classes, using multi‑tiered systems of support that pair academic interventions with behavioral and social‑emotional interventions, and tying building‑level data retreats to school improvement planning. Simon and other leaders described partnerships that will provide additional on‑site capacity, including the University of Wyoming School of Psychology Clinic and Ivinson Memorial Hospital’s behavioral health unit. Simon said community partners—Volunteer of America, the UW counseling clinic and local coalitions—volunteered to be available at Laramie High School following a community memorial service to make counselors available to students and families.
Trustees asked about measures of success. Trustee Martin asked how the district will measure progress; Simon pointed to reductions in out‑of‑school suspensions, in‑school suspensions and office‑discipline referrals as signal metrics that the district will track. He also noted that the state requires annual reporting of suspensions and related demographic breakdowns.
The board also discussed curriculum‑level interventions and programs referenced in the presentation: Hope Squad at the high school was cited as a student‑led suicide‑prevention peer network and the Jay Foundation’s recent work at Laramie High. Leaders said counselors are reviewing social‑emotional curricula (the district currently uses Second Step, a CASEL‑rated program) to confirm alignment and to consider alternatives.
The presentation concluded with a description of how the district intends to coordinate professional development and use the data retreat process to align school improvement plans with district‑level priorities.
