Mental Health Professionals on the Support Services Team actively integrate into the educational program to support the goal of promoting positive mental health. Psychologists, Counselors and Social Workers, trained to work with deaf and hard of hearing children, are available on site to provide direct service to students and their families. These specialists work as a team to assess a student's mental health needs and implement services. Psychiatric consultation, if required is available for students on a contractual basis. The primary focus of counseling services at KDES is to ensure that students have every opportunity to successfully function in the classroom and school community to their highest capabilities.
Counselors serve on each academic team to promote the positive well-being of all students.
Counselors see students not only in private, but in the classroom, lunchroom and other school settings, to promote carryover of skills into the child's life. Counseling is provided directly to students through individual and group therapy, play therapy, peacemaking, and crisis intervention. Services are also provided indirectly through consultation with teachers and referrals to both internal and external programs or agencies. Counseling at MSSD Counseling Staff Coletta Fidler Brent Nowak Kathy O'Brien William Saunders Counseling services provided at MSSD are based on a developmental approach designed to meet both the specific and general needs of deaf students, ages 14 to 21. A personal counselor serves on each of the four instructional teams and collaborates with teachers and other support service specialists to improve the well-being of MSSD students.