Counseling Services
Vision Statement:
The Tennessee School for the Deaf counseling program aims to prepare all students to reach their fullest potential: academically, socially, personally, and professionally.
Mission Statement:
The Tennessee School for the Deaf counseling program focuses on the whole student while supporting the diverse needs of each individual.
School-based counseling services are available to all students at TSD, TSDN, and WTSD. These services are focused on supporting students as they work through social and emotional challenges. Members of the counseling team are certified by the Tennessee State Department of Education (TDOE) and include specially trained school counselors who are fluent in sign language and experienced in working with deaf and hard of hearing students of all ages.
The School Counselors also provide resources and tools to students, help develop their social and emotional skills through individual and group counseling, consult with families, and provide support to school staff regarding the mental health of students.
The School Psychologist provides assessment to students and their families. Additionally, the school psychologist provides consultation and training to school staff and families.
The School Social Worker supports the mental health needs and development of students through consultation with family and staff members. Additionally, the School Social Worker addresses student community issues by providing families with referrals to community-based resources.
The Behavior Specialist works in conjunction with the counseling, outreach, and administrative team at TSD and WTSD in order to best address student and staff needs, conducting Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) and preparing Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) as requested by the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) team. Monitoring of data and progress towards behavior plan goals are made annually so changes can be made at the IEP team meetings. Observations of at-risk students can be requested by classroom teachers, cottage staff, parents, or county systems for recommendations on general behavior management strategies.
The counseling team works collaboratively with families and TSD staff in order to support the social and emotional development of students and their mental health needs. Their services are typically delivered as individual or group-based counseling. The team also consults with a psychiatrist and clinical psychologists who are fluent in sign language and who regularly serve students on the TSD campus.
Counseling services provided at TSD include:
- Character education
- Crisis prevention and intervention
- Academic, Career and College counseling
- Social/emotional counseling
- Mental health counseling