Supporting Social and Emotional Well-Being

Helps prevent and address problems that affect student learning. School counseling, psychological and social services are designed to prevent and address problems, facilitate positive learning and healthy behavior, and enhance healthy development. The services focus on the cognitive, emotional, behavioral and social needs of individuals, groups and families.

According to research, thinking and memory are affected under stress; the brain's short-term memory and the ability to form long-term memories are inhibited. Chronic emotional stress hinders development of new networks associated with learning and memory. Even short-term stress can lead to neuron destruction and an inability to make clear judgments and distinguish between important and unimportant details (Coleman, 1995). In order to help reduce this stress, students are provided with school counseling, psychological, and social services needed to:

  • Overcome barriers to learning, such as lack of food, clothing, housing and a sense of security at home
  • Prevent and address social and emotional problems that reduce students' ability to concentrate on academic pursuits
  • Facilitate positive learning, and
  • Enhance healthy development

Supporting Social and Emotional Well-Being focuses on key skills related to student learning including:

  • Increasing school attendance
  • Promoting healthy psychosocial development
  • Reducing dropout rates

Establishment of comprehensive, integrated approaches to addressing barriers to student learning and enhancing healthy development will lead to overall improvement of academic achievement. Professionals in these fields work closely with each other and with school health personnel, teachers and administrators, families, and community agencies. It has been proposed that counseling, psychological, and social services receive increased emphasis in school reform and restructuring, as an essential "enabling" component to address factors that interfere with students' learning and performance (Adelman, in press).