3 Easy Steps to Empowering Student Well-Being and Mental Health

This school year, our students and staff are focused on one of our values—joy. One way to create joy is to prioritize supporting our mental and emotional health. Our Employee and Family Resources (EFR) program offers a Student Assistance Program (SAP) to help students and families in our school district through personal and family matters. If you’re unsure how to start, here’s a step-by-step process.

Step one: Talk to your Child’s school counselor.

If you’re the parents of a young child, you may contact your student’s counselor by email or phone. Try using our staff directory to help, or ask your child’s teacher for the counselor’s name. Students may also discuss options with their counselors themselves.

Step Two: Connect to Support.

If available, your child’s counselor can connect students to services offered during the school day. Currently, the Student Assistance Program is onsite in all Waukee Community School District (CSD) secondary buildings (6th through 12th grade). Students may receive six free, confidential sessions with an EFR counselor during the school day. As students get started, there’s an assessment, brief counseling, and referrals as needed. Elementary students and families can use the Student Assistance Program outside of school hours.

Some reasons students utilize the Student Assistance Program include:
  • Anxiety, worry, or stress
  • Depression, suicidal thoughts, or self-harm
  • Bullying or conflict
  • Relationship concerns
  • School activities or stressors

Step Three: Long-Term Options.

The Waukee CSD works with several outside mental health provider agencies that bring therapists into our school buildings in a limited capacity. If you’re interested in this option, it’s best to start by talking with your child’s school counselor, who can assess the need and determine the best path forward for your student to get the help needed to create a strong foundation for healthy development.

Immediate Needs

The EFR Student Assistance Program is confidential and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you have an immediate need, please call the number below.

Phone: 515.244.6090 or 800.327.4692
Teletype (TTY): 877.542.6488