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Student Access to Student Services (Counselors & Social Work)

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Student Access to Counseling/Social Work Services (Covid protocols)
Hi folks-
Students who need to see a school counselor or school social worker can do so by emailing and scheduling an appointment using their sslcs google account.  Communication/Conferences between students (or parents) and student services staff can be in the form of email, phone call, or video messaging (Google Chat or Hangout, Skype, Etc).   Social Worker services are available by appointment (for compliance with covid protocols).
Interested in scheduling an appointment?  Click on the email link to the right or students can email me from their sslcs gmail account:  [email protected] 
 
In addition, the district partners with a number of agencies and private practice service providers in order to meet the diverse needs of our district.  Some services are available at school, either in classrooms presentations or small groups, or individually in larger conference rooms or a quadrant of the cafeteria depending on the service or support needed.   Services are also available online via telehealth (Google Meets, Zoom, etc).  Your clinical counselor will work with you with your needs and preferences.  Covid universal precautions are used with clinical or behavioral support staff when providing service within the district.  

Referrals can also be made to other mental health, social service, community support partners across the area.  A conversation about your current situation will help us link you with the best resources to fit your need.  We have relationships with a network of counselors and psychologists who have collaborated with our student service personnel.  Parents often share positive experiences when school counseling or social work personnel collaborative to support children in their counseling/support journey.

Please contact Mr. Smith ([email protected]) if you have any questions about counseling, clinical help, prevention needs, or assistance with understanding about our services or student services department.  

Clinical Support Staff- district partnerships include 
Ms. Kaitlin Pratt (Ohio Guidestone)- High School, Middle School, Intermediate School
Ms. Shana Bering (Ohio Guidestone)- Early Childhood (Knollwood & Forestlawn)
Ms. Kristine Dence (Innovative Counseling)- All Buildings
Ms. Hannah Bacon (Innovative Counseling)- All Buildings
Ms. Monique Guerrero (LCADA Prevention)- Middle School & High School 

Food Pantry- Brookside High School

School Food Pantry

Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools
Mobile Food Pantry Distributions
Brookside High School 
(1662 Harris Rd. in Sheffield Village- enter through the southernmost driveway)
3rd Wednesday of each Month
4:00-5:30 PM

The department of student services is excited to continue our partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio.  Brookside High School (1662 Harris Rd. in Sheffield Village) will serve as a food pantry distribution location from 4:00-5:30 P.M. on the following dates:
 
September 16, 2020- served 424 households
October 21, 2020
November 18, 2020
December 16, 2020
January 20, 2021
February 17, 2021
March 17, 2021
April 21, 2021
May 19, 2021
June 16, 2021
July 21, 2021
August 18, 2021

This mobile pantry distribution is funded through federal and community grants, and is open to the entire community (Sheffield Village, Sheffield Lake, adjacent communities/neighborhoods- any resident in the State of Ohio).  The distribution site will offer a refrigerated truck with meat, eggs, and produce, as well as dry goods, canned goods, and bread.  Household items, such as toilet paper, will also be available.

This program is a great support to our students, their families, and any community member in need.  Families must be income eligible, however the threshold is 230% of the federal poverty level, which encompasses a higher number of our families (captures families who do not qualify for free/reduced lunch). 

We are looking to make outreach to various civic, community, faith, and service organizations in order to spread the word.  Seniors, shut-ins, and those with mobility issues can designate a proxy in effort to assist with access to the food/distribution location.  Please see the downloads section of the web page for a flyer or proxy designation form.

Thanks in advance for your support.  Feel free to email or call with any questions.
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Student Services: Social Work

My name is Andrew Smith, and I am the school social worker for the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools.  Prior to working in the Office of Student Services, I was a 7th grade science teacher at Sheffield Middle School.   I have dedicated my career of 20 years to the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools.

I graduated from Conneaut High School and received my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education with a minor in science from Bowling Green State University.   I continued my education at Cleveland State University where I earned my Master of Social Work degree in Clinical Social Work.  In effort to be licensed as a school social worker by the Ohio Department of Education, I attended Case Western Reserve University to complete the school social work licensure track.  I worked in a school unit at Lorain County Children Services from 2004-2011 and worked at a group private practice in Avon Lake from 2011-2014.  I served on the executive board for the Lorain County Board of Mental Health from 2010-2017, and currently sit on the board for the Lorain County Prevention Connection.  I am President of the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake Teachers' Association , which is the bargaining unit (OEA/NEA) of the certified staff for the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools.  Our bargaining unit supports students and the learning conditions in which they attend school.  As a professional organization, our role is to support the best opportunities for staff to work and students to learn.  Like our 'Facebook' page:  Sheffield-Sheffield Lake Teachers' Association (SSLTA) which contains information regarding events and positive news of the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake Schools.

My goal as a school social worker is to help make our children the most academically successful, well rounded students.  My goal is to advocate and support students and families who are in need, support responsible and healthy decision-making, reduce risky behavior, and work with students to help them excel in all aspects of their school experience.  I serve as the clinical resource for the administration and guidance counselors.

I look forward to working with you.  Please feel free to contact me should you believe your child may need additional counseling, educational, emotional, or behavioral support. More +
counseling

Would your child benefit from counseling?

Is your child having difficulty with emotional outbursts?  Is your child struggling with communicating emotions?  Does your child tell you that they "don't know how they feel?"   Does your child struggle with describing emotions to you?  Does your son/daughter 'lash out' with anger or rage with no known reason?  Do you often think or say "I don't know what to do anymore?" or "I'm at a loss."  

Your child may benefit from working with a mental health counselor.
Mental health counseling is designed to be a skill-based process where people (children or adults) are able to process and understand their Emotions, Thoughts, and Behaviors.  Counselors (also referred to as clinicians or therapists) assist children (and/or parents) to increase communication skills, learn and practice ways to problem-solve, learn how to effectively discipline at home, and better understand whether issues are similar to other children at the same developmental level, or if there are mental health concerns.

We know from decades of research that "Counseling Works, People Get Better."

The Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools partners with both private practice and community mental health agencies in effort to assist families with determining if counseling could help students and families.

With parent permission, a student can talk and work with a mental health counselor for approximately 2-3 times, the counselor will discuss over the phone or meet with parents face-to-face, observe the child in the classroom setting (if needed), meet with teachers to discuss any concerns in the classroom (if needed), and then talk with parents to discuss whether short-term counseling would benefit a child.
The mental health counselor also works with teachers to provide recommendations on ways to support the child in school and the classroom as well.
This 'consultation' service is provided free of charge.

If interested, please call or email Mr. Smith to discuss how to get this process started. More +

Student Drug Testing Policy

Please see the policy (located on the right side of this webpage in the downloads section) adopted by the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools Board of Education regarding random student drug testing.  The program is designed as a prevention program in effort to combat the increase of addiction across society.  The policy was adopted September 28, 2015 with implementation beginning November 1, 2015.

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LCADA (Lorain County Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services)

Lorain County Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services (LCADA): 2016-17

Information from our LCADA Education Specialist Assigned to Brookside:

Monique Guerrero is a Prevention Specialist who specializes in providing information and education to youth and communities. She has completed an Associates of Arts Degree and Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant Certificate program at Lorain County Community College as well as a Bachelor’s Degree at Cleveland State University in Psychology as a member of the National Psychology Honors Society.   

The education she provides can range from communication styles and time management to resolving conflicts and substance abuse signs and symptoms. She has worked with kids from 1st grade to 12th grade individually, in small groups, and classrooms. She sees her role as being another positive role model to youth in communities across Lorain County as well as being a source of information for youth and community members alike. As a parent herself, she wants to focus on the needs of the community and is excited to work with Brookside High School and Middle School, as they continue to create environments that foster education, understanding, and growth.

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LCADA offers alcohol & drug abuse education/prevention at Brookside High School and Brookside Middle School through two methods of service:

a. Health classes receive an education program called “Life Skills.” This program is designed to provide factual information regarding involvement in alcohol & other drugs. The program occurs once a week during regular health class time. Information/education, research supported statistics, and activities are used to help educate students on risky choices surrounding alcohol & other drugs.

b. A “Prevention/Education Specialist” is at Brookside High School/Middle School every Wednesday during the school year from 9:30AM-2:00PM. This LCADA specialist works one-on-one with students who may need education or be at-risk for dealing with drug-related issues/situations. The specialist is also able to work with parents who believe that their child may be involved or subject to risky behavior at home or at a friend’s house. This partnership is not clinical in nature, and therefore is not ‘therapy.’ The purpose of this program is to help students head-off any problems they may encounter involving drugs, alcohol, or risky behavior. This program is truly about prevention and education.

For more information on how to connect with the drug prevention specialist, please contact our school social worker, Mr. Smith, or contact your child’s guidance counselor or principal.

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School Social Worker

Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools
School Social Worker
The role of the school social worker is to assist families in having their son/daughter be the best possible student and have the most academic success. Situations such as academic struggles, emotional concerns, or behavioral issues can cause undue stress on students and their families. Social workers work with families to resolve social, emotional, and behavioral problems. We do this through assessment, consultation with school staff and community providers, through development and implementation of behavior management plans, and providing indirect and direct services.

School social workers help to bridge school, home, and community to help students be as successful as possible.

The school social worker is a team player with the family to be a resource for families who have questions, concerns, or want more information on programs and organizations that can help their child be a stronger student.

School social workers also have a network of counseling, parenting, and home resources that can help families positively strengthen the relationship they have with their children.

For more information, please contact our district school social worker:

Andrew Smith, LISW-S
Phone:  440-949-4213
Email:  [email protected]

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Sandy Hook Promise

"Be The One" who fights social isolation.

Click on the link to view the video of "Be The One" from the Sandy Hook Promise. Discuss with a child in your life and discuss ways in which you can empower the child to "Be The One" to fight others who are in social isolation.

The Sandy Hook Promise is a non-profit organization from Newtown, CT which focuses on preventing schools from experiencing a devastating school violence tragedy that occurred in their school.
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How To Help Your Child Make Good Choices

Talk with your teen: It is important to establish and maintain healthy and frequent communication with your child. Work towards breaking down communication barriers, and set up a routine of “mindful talk” to gain more insight into your teen’s life. Talking with your teen is crucial in determining any pre-existing symptoms that may lead to substance abuse, such as depression or anxiety. Talk with your teen about alcohol and drug use specifically, as well as any genetic vulnerabilities he or she may have to addiction due to family history of use.

Get Involved: Young people are much less likely to have mental health and substance use problems when they have positive activities to do and when caring adults are involved in their lives. Explore hobbies and strengths of your teen to increase resiliency, establish coping skills, and to help your child gain outside support systems.

Set Rules: Make clear rules and enforce them with consistency and appropriate disciplinary action. Rules and consequences should be transparent and consistent; this will help reinforce your child’s thought formation around actions and predicting outcomes.
Be a Role Model: Because children like to imitate adults, you can influence your teen greatly by leading. Your actions are more influential than words, so forget the old adage “do what I say, not what I do.”

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School Social Worker

Mr. Smith
Andrew Smith, LISW-S
Ph:  440-949-4213
Fax:  877-664-4354
Email:  [email protected]  
Please see the downloadable flyer of food pantry dates for 2020-21 at Brookside High School (3rd Wednesday or each month- note new day of the week!)
Free & Reduced Lunch Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) are available here. For more information, please contact [email protected]
Free & Reduced Lunch Application is available here. Please note! With the changes in the economy and status of the nation, parents and eligible to apply at any time for free/reduced lunch.
Click here for the proxy form for those who need food help but are unable to attend the food pantry. Those in need should fill out this form and give it to a neighbor, relative, for friend who can pickup food on their behalf.
Brookside High School students who have received an Endowment Committee Scholarship should complete the attached form and submit it (with a copy of your Fall schedule) to Mr. Smith. Please make sure you following the instructions on the sheet!
Lorain County Food Pantry Partnerships (special distributions for March and April)
Permission for a clinical counselor from Ohio Guidestone to work with your child to determine if counseling support services would be beneficial for your child. Print and sign the attached permission (consent) form and email or dropoff to Mr. Smith at BHS or the Administration Building. A support worker from Ohio Guidestone will contact you as the parent to gather background info and presenting concerns/issues. Parents and students are included in all aspects of the consultation process. Please email or call Mr. Smith if you have questions or need help with the process.
Student drug testing policy adopted by the Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools Board of Education
Release of Information for outside agencies, practices to communicate with school personnel
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