Collaboration to Support Rural Student Social-Emotional Needs

Abstract

There is a growing emphasis in U.S. schools to focus on the social-emotional issues of rural students. Specifically, the effect of mental health issues on school success underscores the importance of collaboration between, and among, educators and specialized support personnel (SSP; e.g., school counselors). In rural areas, school counselors and school psychologists are positioned to assist students and their families to provide support within and surrounding the school environment. The purpose of this paper is to: (1) discuss students’ social-emotional needs and SSP-educator collaboration in the context of rural schools, and (2) to discuss promising and best practices in collaboration to address students’ social-emotional well-being.