Stevenson student‑support teams describe new mental‑health checkpoints, targeted follow‑up

At the district’s November board meeting, student‑services staff outlined a multi‑year effort to add proactive mental‑health “checkpoints” to the high school experience and to expand follow‑up when students report concerns.

The presentation said every student at Adlai E Stevenson HSD 125 is assigned a Student Support Team made up of a counselor, social worker, school psychologist and a dean; the teams use a mix of regular surveys, targeted screening and scheduled check‑ins to spot students who may need help and to coordinate follow‑up care.

Why it matters: school officials said early identification and steady follow‑up reduce crisis risk and help keep students on track academically and socially. The district described the approach as one part of a broader response to mental‑health needs since the COVID‑19 pandemic.

Student‑services staff described several regular checkpoints. A freshman “PULSE” survey asks a short set of social‑emotional questions during advisory; 1,037 freshmen completed this year’s PULSE, and staff said about 8% of respondents were followed up by a counselor, social worker, or psychologist. The district also deploys Panorama perception surveys and a combined Signs of Suicide screening for freshmen and juniors; staff said students flagged as the highest risk (priority 1) are checked the same day.

Officials said counselors will meet individually with every senior before Dec. 1 to review post‑secondary plans and to surface any social‑emotional needs that might require follow‑up. Presenters said a senior‑class survey this fall found 440 seniors reported feeling “confident” about post‑secondary planning; other seniors asked for help with college searches and Common App completion.

Staff described coordinated articulation work with feeder schools. District employees meet with center‑school counselors and psychologists in the spring to identify students who will need targeted interventions or Section 504 accommodations when they enter Stevenson as freshmen; those students receive planned supports on day one.

School staff detailed how follow‑up works after screening: priority‑1 students are seen immediately and brought to counseling staff that same day; priority‑2 students are typically seen within a few days; priority‑3 students are seen within a week. If additional supports are needed, teams said they escalate to individual or group counseling and involve outside stakeholders where appropriate.

Board members praised the teams’ outreach and asked about coordination. Presenters said SSTs meet weekly with an agenda to review grades, attendance and referrals for students on caseloads; counselors act as the team’s primary contact, referring students to social workers or psychologists as needed.

The presentation credited use of the developmental relationships model (Search Institute) in structuring SST work, and referenced comparative data from a local suicide‑prevention program that staff said shows favorable trends for Stevenson versus neighboring districts.

Staff closed by pointing to ongoing work: integrating post‑secondary counselors into SST conversations earlier, continuing Panorama analysis of SEL strengths and emotion regulation, and tracking Pulse and Signs of Suicide trends to refine interventions.

Ending: Board members thanked the student‑services staff and agreed to continue monitoring the district’s mental‑health indicators and follow‑up procedures.