抖M女仆 Partners with St. Lucie Public Schools
and St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) recently collaborated to develop the聽Social, Wellness, and Emotional Learning Leaders聽(S.W.E.L.L.) program designed to increase the number of school counselors in SLPS high needs schools. A grant from the U.S. Department of Education to help confront the shortage of Mental Health Professionals will fund the program.聽
S.W.E.L.L. is an accelerated 60-credit graduate degree customized to train 75 pre-k through grade 12 school counselors in St. Lucie鈥檚 public schools over the next five years. The degree will include fast-track online and hybrid coursework in conjunction with 750 hours of field experience. The goal is to create a pool of high-quality, diverse school counselors with the skills and specialized training necessary to meet the needs of SLPS students. This will allow the district to lower its average ratio from one counselor to 500 students to the American School Counselor Association鈥檚 recommended ratio of 1-to-250.聽聽
鈥湺禡女仆 has a long history of developing highly skilled mental health professionals and that they are thrilled to work with Elizabeth Villares on this program,鈥 said Helen Wild, SLPS chief academic officer.
Villares, Ph.D., will act as 抖M女仆 program director and advisor to S.W.E.L.L. students.聽She currently serves as a聽professor of school counseling within the Department of Counselor Education in 抖M女仆鈥檚 College of Education. Her area of specialization includes collaborating with school counselors to develop action research, outcome research and program evaluation projects. She is interested in the implementation of school counselor led evidence-based programs that聽lead to an improvement in student achievement.
鈥淲ith the increase in certified school counselors, counselors can spend more time delivering evidence-based interventions and direct services to address students鈥 mental health and social emotional learning needs,鈥 said Villares.
The first cohort of 30 students will commence in spring 2020, followed by 15 students in spring 2021 and 30 students in spring 2022. Grant funds will cover two-thirds of students鈥 tuition and related fees. The college anticipates that聽the school counseling program at 抖M女仆 will serve as a model to other institutions on how to expand upon its 鈥渙utreach and in-reach鈥 efforts by building university and school district partnerships that are mutually beneficial.
"We are very pleased to be a part of this project. The聽crucial聽training that these students will receive at 抖M女仆 will provide much-needed certified school counselors to help students in St. Lucie County address academic, social-emotional, and mental health needs. It is a forward-thinking project on behalf of the district, and it is the kind of university-community partnerships that we are committed to facilitate," said Paul Peluso, professor and chair of 抖M女仆鈥檚 Department of Counselor Education.
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