Shared by Kim Arnold, Secondary School Counselor, Wayne Community School District
At Wayne, we've been utilizing mental health therapeutic services through GPAEA, and as the secondary school counselor, I've had the privilege of witnessing the profound impact that Carie Masters has made over the past 5 years. Her dedication has been nothing short of extraordinary.
In that time, she has played a pivotal role in saving students from self-harm, preventing harm to others, averting the need for placement or treatment, and, perhaps most importantly, fostering a remarkable transformation in the overall confidence and mental well-being of the students she works with on a weekly basis. These 30-minute sessions, part of her Tier 3 services, are not only consistent but also deeply rooted in research, tailored to meet the unique needs of each student. It's crucial work that school counselors, like myself, are not trained to perform, emphasizing the significance of relying on external resources for specialized care.
The thought of not having her services in the future is both saddening and frightening, considering the potential impact on the well-being of our students. Unfortunately, in our rural area of the state, access to sufficient and adequate mental health services is a challenge. Wayne recognizes the paramount importance of prioritizing the mental health of all our students, and our school-based therapist stands as a major cornerstone in our 3 Tier Social/Emotional intervention plan.
Beyond her impact on students, she has become an invaluable support system for our staff, offering valuable insights on students in their classrooms and providing general mental health support to them as individuals. To say she is an important member of our staff is truly an understatement; she is an indispensable asset, contributing immeasurably to the well-being of our school community.
Carie Masters is a School Social Worker-SEBH Interventionist at Great Prairie AEA.