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CNUSD outlines multi-tiered mental-health supports and new social-work strategies
Summary
Student services staff described the district’s MTSS framework, the role of counselors and social workers, new Attendance Resource and Matchfit referral teams, and plans to expand grief groups, anti-bullying pilots and internship pipelines for mental-health supports.
District student-services staff presented a detailed overview of Corona‑Norco Unified’s multi‑tiered systems of support (MTSS), describing how the district structures universal, targeted and intensive interventions and how counseling and social-work staff connect students to community mental‑health resources.
Mark Feifer, coordinator for student services, outlined tiers of support: Tier 1 (universal social‑emotional instruction and schoolwide practices), Tier 2 (short-term, skill-based small groups such as Steps and Rescue a Generation), and Tier 3 (individualized supports, risk assessments and external referrals including IOP and residential treatment). Feifer said MTSS is both an academic and social‑emotional system that uses data such as attendance, office referrals and FastBridge/Social‑Emotional modules (MySabers) to target resources.
Randy Thomas, coordinator for counseling services, and the district’s clinical social workers described how counseling is delivered across tiers and the preventative focus of Tier 1 work. District social workers Brianna Mosley and Matt described Matchfit (a weekly referral and case‑assignment process), the Attendance Resource Team (designed to bridge service gaps before cases reach the SARB [Student Attendance Review Board]) and partnerships with community agencies. Mosley recounted a case resolved through Matchfit and said, “If it wasn't for this Matchfit process, he wouldn't feel successful.”
Staff provided metrics: Matchfit handled 181 referrals this year; the Attendance Resource Team had 29 referrals; SAR handled 108 serviced cases. Presenters said the district has grown internship partnerships with local universities and added social workers this year (noting staffing remains small relative to the district’s student population). The board asked about scaling social‑worker staffing, the effectiveness of an Undercover Bully pilot at middle schools, and how grief‑group referrals are screened; staff said counselors perform screeners, and that grief‑group participation was rolled out to counselors for initial intake.
Board members expressed support for expanding social-worker positions and requested continued progress reporting; district staff said they plan to expand training and implementation across more sites next year. Presenters emphasized the restorative intent of SARB and the goal of reducing chronic absenteeism through coordinated community supports.
The presentation included examples of tiered interventions, descriptions of collaborative case work (home visits, IEP support) and plans to grow therapy groups and grief supports next year.
