Student Support Services

The Student Support Services Department has the primary mission of providing resources to support the development of the whole child. Our efforts focus on meeting the social, emotional, and physical needs of our students throughout Cocke County Schools. We work in concert with the Curriculum and Instruction Department to align our resources to eliminate many barriers that can negatively impact academic growth.The Student Support Services team serves students from all Cocke County Schools and works in collaboration with several community and government agencies to provide the needed resources to support our students.

The work of the Student Support Services Department includes multiple programs to achieve our mission. Our team collaborates to bring resources to the table to meet the individual needs of students. Those include:

• Coordinated School Health offers a collection of resources to promote and encourage healthy lifestyles for students. These can be related to nutrition, increasing physical activity, and improving access to health screenings.
• Family Resource Center offers resources to bridge the gap to help students and families when poverty, substance abuse, abusive situations or family dysfunction present barriers to student success.
• Health Services program provides school nurses to serve students who become ill or are injured while at school. They also serve Cocke County Schools as a resource for health related projects, and work with students who have unique health issues.
• Gateway Programs include several critical efforts to meet the instructional needs of specific populations who need an alternative education path. These programs provide smaller classroom environments that allow students a better chance to realize their full potential.
• Student Support Specialists offers mental health support to students across the school district in addition to those provided by school counselors.

How can I access mental health resources for my child?                                   Each school in Cocke County has a school counselor who has been trained to assist our students and their families with concerns related to mental health. In addition, the school district has placed three Student Support Specialists in schools to provide more in-depth support of students and families. The three individuals cover multiple campuses.  Contact your school counselor or student support specialist if you have concerns about your child.

Important Mental Health Statistics

•  17% young people between the ages of 6 and 17 experience a mental health disorder
• Only 51% of youth age 6 to 17 with a mental health condition will get treatment
• 70% of young people in the juvenile justice system have at least one mental health condition
• 50% of students 14 years old and older with a mental illness drop out of high school
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people ages 15-24
• 90% of those who die by suicide had an underlying mental illness      (Statistics provided by National Alliance on Mental Illness website at www.nami.org)

Thoughts about suicide?                                                                                     Suicide is NOT the answer! If you or a loved one are experiencing suicidal thoughts, please seek help immediately.  Go see your school counselor, student support staff or tell a trusted and supportive adult, and call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text TN to 741741.  All calls and text are anonymous.

Department Directory

Supervisor
Bryan Douglas
[email protected]
(423) 625-9768

Coordinated School Health
Christy Edmonds
[email protected]
(423) 623-1528

Family Resource
Diana Samples
[email protected]
(423) 248-9294

ESL
Nancy Oberst- Soesbee
[email protected]
(423) 625-9768

Supervisor of Health Services
Carla Ponder
[email protected]
(423) 623-7179 ext. 2017