School counselor outlines on-campus small-group therapy and referral services

A school counselor, identifying herself as a licensed mental-health professional, described how on-campus spaces are used to deliver mental-health services to students.

"We want mental health people to utilize the space," the counselor said, explaining that licensed mental-health professionals, school counselors and special-education counselors coordinate to offer small-group sessions on topics such as grief and anxiety. "They do small groups. So it might be a group on grief or anxiety…" she said.

The speaker said staff work with campus personnel to identify issues "bubbling up" among students and then assemble small groups around those topics. She added that the program also handles individual referrals: "Also receive referrals for individual school based therapy for kiddos. And they can work with them on depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, grief, things like that."

In describing the supports, the counselor characterized the environment as one that prioritizes student wellbeing. "I just feel so fortunate to work within a district and in a community that values mental health and really serving the whole child such that we can put funding and efforts into spaces like this because it really means so much," she said.

The remarks indicate on-campus services include both group interventions (grief and anxiety groups) and individual school-based therapy for symptoms such as depression and anxiety. The speaker said licensed mental-health professionals coordinate with campus staff and special-education counselors to select topics and receive referrals, but did not specify how referrals are processed, the number of students served, staffing ratios, or funding amounts.

No formal action, vote or ordinance was recorded in the transcript. The session did not include named officials or additional speakers; the comments were presented by a school counselor and describe existing service delivery and the district’s support for dedicated spaces.