Wraparound Counseling: An Ecosystemic Approach to Working With Economically Disadvantaged Students in Urban School Settings

Abstract

Urban schools are faced with challenges such as low academic performance, increased incidents of violence, lack of parental engagement with educators, and school personnel burnout. Wraparound counseling is a holistic prevention tool that combines the best practices of counselingand special education for use in the school setting.

School Counselors’ Knowledge, Actions, and Recommendations for Addressing Social Determinants of Health With Students, Families, and in Communities

“…Universal screening in SDOH domains can promote equity in the identification of children whose basic needs are often overlooked (Shriberg et al, 2013). Although awareness of SDOH terminology was low and perceptions of help seeking placed the onus on the family or student, school counselors in the current study did provide a significant amount of wraparound counseling interventions and ESJSC (Brown, 2016;McMahon et al, 2014;West-Olatunji et al, 2011).…”

Introduction to the Special Issue

“…Research on counseling and psychotherapy interventions offered via schools, community‐based centers, and primary care centers demonstrates effectiveness and illustrates ways of closing the health equity gap (Browne et al, ; Kim & Cardemil, ; Payne, Ciclitira, Starr, Marzano, & Brunswick, ; West‐Olatunji, Frazier, & Kelley, ). These models of interventions integrate social class considerations into the clinical work.…”

“…These models of interventions integrate social class considerations into the clinical work. They tend to work with individuals and the microsystems that surround them, a modality known as wraparound counseling (West‐Olatunji et al, ). They adapt their interventions in terms of delivery, language, self‐disclosure by the mental health professional, explicit discussion of the therapy process, and the delivery of food and other pertinent accommodations, such as transportation.…”

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“…Another consistent theme in urban school counseling literature is the increased reliance on other counseling and allied mental health professionals delivering individual, group, and/or family counseling services in the school setting (Bryan, 2005;Evans & Carter, 1997;West-Olatunji et al, 2011). The role of urban school counselors is not always explicitly stated within the literature, although several comprehensive school counseling programs models articulate the role of school counselors to include collaboration and coordination (ASCA, 2012;Dollarhide & Saginak, 2012;Lee, 2005) to support student and family wellbeing.…”

“…health professionals (e.g., clinical mental health counselors, social workers) overlook or misunderstand the clinical competencies school counselors possess (e.g., providing individual and group counseling), in addition to their ability to collaborate with stakeholders to coordinate services West-Olatunji et al (2011). discussed the importance of wrap-around counseling services for students in urban schools to mitigate challenges they confront.…”