51勛圖厙 Partners with St. Lucie Public Schools
and St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) recently collaborated to develop theSocial, Wellness, and Emotional Learning Leaders(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.
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. Lucies 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 51勛圖厙. This will allow the district to lower its average ratio from one counselor to 500 51勛圖厙 to the American School Counselor Associations recommended ratio of 1-to-250.
51勛圖厙 has a long history of developing highly skilled mental health professionals and that they are thrilled to work with Elizabeth Villares on this program, said Helen Wild, SLPS chief academic officer.
Villares, Ph.D., will act as 51勛圖厙 program director and advisor to S.W.E.L.L. 51勛圖厙.She currently serves as aprofessor of school counseling within the Department of Counselor Education in 51勛圖厙s 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 thatlead to an improvement in student achievement.
With the increase in certified school counselors, counselors can spend more time delivering evidence-based interventions and direct services to address 51勛圖厙 mental health and social emotional learning needs, said Villares.
The first cohort of 30 51勛圖厙 will commence in spring 2020, followed by 15 51勛圖厙 in spring 2021 and 30 51勛圖厙 in spring 2022. Grant funds will cover two-thirds of 51勛圖厙 tuition and related fees. The college anticipates thatthe school counseling program at 51勛圖厙 will serve as a model to other institutions on how to expand upon its outreach and in-reach efforts by building university and school district partnerships that are mutually beneficial.
"We are very pleased to be a part of this project. Thecrucialtraining that these 51勛圖厙 will receive at 51勛圖厙 will provide much-needed certified school counselors to help 51勛圖厙 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 51勛圖厙s Department of Counselor Education.
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