This will be Mrs. Bird’s fifth year as GHCDS’ School Counselor and GHCDS is excited to announce she is now a full-time employee!
Last year, School Counselors Alea Bird, CISW and Xiomara Sanchez, CSW provided an array of student services including individual counseling sessions, groups, academic support, and social emotional learning classroom lessons. A total of 584 individual counseling sessions were provided to 82 students (32% of the student population). We are also proud of our students who advocated for themselves in that ¼ of referrals were student self-referrals!
This year, Mrs. Bird will continue to provide individual and group counseling sessions. Students come with a variety of goals to include:
- increasing self-esteem
- learning coping skills to manage difficult emotions
- processing grief & loss
- improving social and communication skills
- developing organization and time management skills
- resolving conflicts in relationships
No issue or goal is too big or too small! Attendance is voluntary and parent/guardian written consent will be obtained if counseling extends beyond two sessions. Counselors will not deny any student services and can refer families to outside resources if needed.
Welcome Ms. Damilia!
Also, the Counseling Program is excited to welcome Ms. Damalia Simmonds, a second-year Master of Social Work intern from the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI). Ms. Damalia was born and raised on St. Croix and received her BA in Communications from UVI in 2020. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA, Inc.) Sorority Incorporated and numerous honor societies. She enjoys helping our island community, loves traveling, and lives by her favorite quote by Maya Angelou, “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”
The Counseling Team is honored to work with and get to know your student(s) and look forward to partnering with students, families, and school staff to develop a confident, content, and courageous generation. There is no cost for counseling services provided at GHCDS. If you have questions or are considering having your student receive short-term counseling, please contact Mrs. Bird at [email protected]