Success & Support: Joana Perez Shares her Clinical Practice Work
Many College of Education academic programs place students within a school site to provide hands-on practice within a clinical setting. But also reciprocally through this partnership the school site benefits from new ideas and supports in a myriad of ways that serve the school site itself, and also its student body and families.
Joana B. Perez, who completed her Master of Science in Counseling, Option in School Counseling and Pupil Personnel Services Credential this past May shares how her time on-site propelled her own work and also the school sites where she served.
On-site, Perez collaborated with other school counseling colleagues to build comprehensive school counseling programs in alignment with the American School Counselor Association’s (ASCA) National Model for K-12 schools. Additionally, Perez facilitated individual and group counseling sessions for students. Through assessments, Perez worked to close gaps found in students’ attendance, achievement, and behavior. Serving in meetings at the district level, Perez worked as an advocate to eliminate systemic barriers, increase school-wide initiatives, and foster a school culture of college and career readiness.
...as a young change agent, I uphold a solution-focused outlook through the lens of equity, access, and cultural responsiveness essential to promote quality education in the 21st century.
At a school site in the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District, Perez assisted in data collection, analysis, and reporting data for the counseling program’s Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) application, resulting in the school being granted the Program of Promise status. This designation identifies the school on a national level as an “exemplary educational environment.”
Perez, a native Spanish speaker, supported English language learners by developing and delivering Social Emotional Learning curriculum for Dual Language Immersion Spanish classes and co-facilitated sessions for parents helping them to better understand their child’s curriculum.
With the swift action of school closures and quick pivot to distance learning due to COVID-19, Perez continued to make herself available for counseling services. By shifting these sessions to a virtual modality, Perez provided services for both students and families alike, offering support in a time of uncertainty.
When asked how the School Counseling graduate program prepared her for this on-site work, Perez replied, “…the M.S. Counseling program at CSULB well prepared me to promote equity and excellence in diverse school settings. Most notably, Dr. Lopez-Perry and Dr. Olsen instilled in me the competence to cultivate comprehensive school counseling programs in K-12 schools through rigorous coursework and experiential learning, including expertise in Multi-Tiered System of Supports, Trauma-Informed Practices, and Program Evaluation. Consequently, as a young change agent, I uphold a solution-focused outlook through the lens of equity, access, and cultural responsiveness essential to promote quality education in the 21st century.”
