READING, WRITING, AND COUNSELING SESSIONS
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atty Donahue walks through the hallways at George J. West Elementary School in Providence feeling like a rock star as students she knows and others she does
not call out greetings to her and ask if they can come down to her basement office to play a game of Uno or to color. Donahue (pictured far left) is a licensed clinical social worker who is the on-site face of the School Counseling and Support Program, a privatepublic partnership of The Providence Center (TPC), Providence schools, and Behavioral Health Solutions. West is one of five elementary and middle schools hosting the program, with more in the planning stages, according to program coordinator Linda Tavares. Donahue and other clinical staff field referrals for students or families who may need behavioral health intervention, a service the schools are not equipped to provide, according to Superintendent Chris Mahar. “The traditional school district model wasn’t designed to meet the socialemotional needs of every child. With this partnership, we can offer our students the mental health and social services support they need to overcome obstacles that are holding back their ability to be fully engaged and ready to learn,” he says. Students at West, which is located in the city’s Mount Pleasant neighborhood, are diverse and many come from violent neighborhoods or difficult homes. “People don’t understand how many of these little ones undergo trauma. Many can’t leave the house because they live in a bad neighborhood, or they have parents who are depressed or incarcerated,” Donahue explains. These challenges manifest as behavioral issues ranging from hyperactivity to sullenness to anxiousness, or severe absenteeism. Any of these signs can prompt a teacher, the school nurse, or another staff person to reach out to a parent about the School Counseling and Support Program, which then often leads to an intake meeting with Donahue either at the school or in the family home. In just months, she has amassed a caseload of 45 active participants, including many siblings, with almost 10 more children’s cases pending.
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WORKING FOR YOU