Well-being
  Safety Assessments
 

Whether you are a principal, teacher, school counselor or paraprofessional, you may have a few questions about this new assessment.  

Understanding the Assessment

The School Wellness Assessment is a THREE-POINT PREVENTION SYSTEM to help keep your school safe.

Point #1:  THE SCHOOL WELLNESS SCREENING for students.  This is a 55 question online assessment for children and teens in grades 3-12.  The questions are very basic and straight-forward so students can easily determine how they feel and answer appropriately.  The screening typically takes less than 20 minutes to complete.  Based on how the student answers each question, the assessment identifies students in 8 targeted area including anger/violence, depression/suicide, drug/alcohol abuse and emotional/social challenges.  The final report will then identify all high risk students in each of the 8 categories so treatment services can be provided.

Point #2:  EDUCATIONAL STAFF BACKGROUND                QUESTIONNAIRE
for all staff.  This online questionnaire asks teachers, counselors, coaches and the rest of the school staff safety and security questions as it pertains to their students, classrooms and school campus.  The information gathered will be used to assist with the identification of mental health and behavioral challenges within the school as well as environmental safety issues. The final report will include a summary to assist school officials in prioritizing school safety issues and budgeting for future acquisitions. 

Point #3:  THE SAFETY CHECKLIST MEETING with school administration.  The WSA Assessor will meet with key school officials and review current safety information about the school district.  The Assessor will discuss questions about staff training, updated security technologies, and unified communication systems.  She will ask about specific students of concern, bullying prevention programs and SRO training.  She will discuss areas within the school that are unsafe as well as procedures and policies that may or may not be working.  The information taken from this meeting is extensive and helpful to guide administration in creating a more secure environment for students and staff.

The School Wellness Report :  The final report will encompass each of these 3 areas to provide the school system with a wrap-around approach to prevent mental health concerns going undetected and school environmental issues unresolved. It helps the school system focus and prioritize school safety. The report often clarifies what educators already know about challenging students and outdated systems but gives them motivation and continuous reminder to make the necessary changes to improve school security.

WSA also offers a free treatment resource handbook for students and their families once high risk students are identified through the screening process and will continue to assess these students during every school assessment to ensure progress is being made.  

Together we can prevent violence in our schools and have a safer tomorrow.