01

Staff
Collaboration &
Well-Being
Emily Chen
Agenda
02

1. Defining Collaboration
2. Collaboration as an Evidence-Based Practice
3. Fostering a Collaborative Environment
4. Collaboration & Well-Being
5. Specific Strategies
6. Other Ways to Support Well-Being
 What is Staff
Collaboration?
Staff collaboration occurs in the
process where two or more
individuals or groups work
together for a common goal, a
mutual benefit, or a shared desire
for the same outcome.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
EFFECTIVE COLLABORATION
Trust, respect, openness, active listening, clear
communication, risk-taking, flexibility are just
some of the fundamental requirements for a
successful collaborative effort.
A strong collaborator has good rapport building
skills, a cooperative leadership style, and works
well in a group.
Participants must share a vision and agree on a
common "mission" that they want to accomplish.
 COLLABORATION AS
AN EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE
Research indicates that collaboration in schools can:
Expand student learning opportunities
Help address the needs of vulnerable groups of learners
Be effective in helping schools resolve immediate problems, and
Strengthen the capcity of schools' abilities to address the challenges they face
(Ainscow, Muijs & West, 2006).
Collective efforts also work to reduce inequity by closing achievement gaps
(Goddard, Skrla & Salloum, 2017).
An increase in the quality of collaboration can lead to overall school improvement
and student achievement is higher in schools with stronger collaborative
environments (Ronfeldt et. al., 2015).
 School Counselors are the catalyst for collaboration on
school campuses as they are engaged in every aspect of
SCHOOL supporting student achievement and well-being.
Counselors are also the "first responder" in many situations,
COUNSELOR'S including in each tier of intervention and consultations.
They are often times the point of contact for Social Workers,
ROLE School Psychologists, Therapists, etc.
Collaboration allows school counselors to act as better
leaders and advocates for students in order to bring about
systemic change.
 WAYS TO FOSTER COLLABORATION
Starting with ourselves: Check our own biases
What perceptions or beliefs do we already have about the people that we want
to have a collaborative relationship with?
What about towards the process of collaboration as a whole?
Lead by Example
Listen to and understand perspectives other than your own
Don't minimize others' experiences
Be Data-Driven
Disaggregate data to provide rationale for partnership interventions
Increase awareness of an issue to bring about change in the school system
Keep staff informed and up-to-date
Always remember the main focus is to align with students' needs
Assess Strengths and Needs of Staff Members
What are the needs and strengths of admin, teachers, staff?
Have a strengths based approach
Draw from strengths
Consult with others who are experts in their area
Provide support/consultations for others when there's a need
Are there staff members who are struggling, but going unnoticed?
Are any staff members handling more student "cases" than normal?
Encourage staff to also reframe their thoughts to focus on strengths
rather than deficits whether its with their colleagues or with
students/families
Getting Buy-In
Build rapport (a continuous process)
Expose your passion and commitment
Be intentional about building a consensus
Working on the same "team"
Have a shared vision, a common goal
A democratic collaboration effort
Create a space for open dialogue where everyone can contribute
Equal decision making process
"Your ideas are just as valuable as mine."
Recognize and affirm others' efforts
Let yourself count on strengths of others
Offer incentives
Provide research and examples of how what you're doing works
 MAINTAINING COLLABORATION

Building a Sustainable Collaborative Environment

Agree on long-term vision, goals, and actions that are
measurable
Spread the vision by consistently engaging staff
Celebrate successes, both small and big
Evaluate school-wide efforts through collecting data
Make considerations and appropriate changes based
on feedback

(Bryan & Henry, 2012)

 STAFF COLLABORATION
& WELL-BEING
Staff mental health and well-being is a direct and important result of
collaboration that often goes unrecognized.
Research shows a significant, positive association between a
collaborative school environment and job satisfaction.
Planning, discussing and working closely with colleagues in teams have
important emotional and psychological benefits (Johnson, 2003).
When staff work collaboratively in schools, feelings of isolation are
mitigated.
Also, working in a joint effort to reach specific student-oriented
goals can also help eliminate competition among colleagues.
(Williams, 2010).
 Some of the most common factors that
contribute to educator stress and
WORKING burnout include:
Student behavioral challenges
COLLABORATIVELY Inadequate Resources

TO SOLVE Bureaucracy in the workplace

Perceived Inadequacy
COMMON In a poll completed with12 different
PROBLEMS occupational groups, teachers were the
least likely to agree with the statement
"At work, my opinions seem to count"
(Lever, Mathis & Mayworm, 2017).

Many of these factors can be minimized

or eliminated through effective staff
collaboration and consultation in
schools.
SPECIFIC WAYS TO SUPPORT STAFF
THROUGH COLLABORATION
With Teachers
Classroom management techniques
When teachers notice academic or behavioral red flags, work with them to
better understand the whole student and find solutions
Integrate classroom lessons and counseling
Design professional development according to teachers' needs
Setting up referral systems and triage response
With Principals and Admin Staff
Disaggregate data to identify needs
Develop shared visions
Clarify and formalize school counselor's role
Serve as a bridge between admin to teachers, students and their families
With School Psychologists, Social Workers, Therapists, and
other Counselors:
Coordinate services
Prevent duplication
Best support student needs
Provide appropriate screening and referrals
Know strengths and limitations
Advocating for Employee Wellness Programs
Leads to higher job satisfaction, lower OTHER WAYS
absenteeism, higher teacher efficacy, better
physical, mental and emotional well-being COUNSELORS CAN
(Lever, Mathis & Mayworm, 2017).
Can also include programs that address risk
SUPPORT STAFF
factors (lack of physical activity, tobacco use)
and health conditions (depression, anxiety,
WELL-BEING
diabetes).
Integration into school structure and culture
(setting time aside so staff can attend).
Promoting Mindfulness
Mental Health Apps
Yoga & Other Wellness Classes
"Caring for the Caregiver" Program
"Self-Care for Working From Home"
Facilitating Appreciation Weeks
From small gestures to school-wide activities
REFERENCES
Ainscow, M., Muijs, D., & West, M. (2006). Collaboration as a strategy for improving schools in challenging circumstances.
Improving Schools, 9(3), 192–202. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480206069014
Bryan, Julia & Henry, Lynette. (2012). A Model for Building School–Family–Community Partnerships: Principles and
Process. Journal of counseling and development: JCD. 90. 10.1002/j.1556-6676.2012.00052.x. Johnson, B. (2003).
Teacher collaboration: good for some, not so good for others. Educ. Stud. 29, 337–350. doi:
10.1080/0305569032000159651
Lever, N., Mathis, E., & Mayworm, A. (2017). School Mental Health Is Not Just for Students: Why Teacher and School
Staff Wellness Matters. Report on emotional & behavioral disorders in youth, 17(1), 6–12.
Ronfeldt, M., Farmer, S. O., Kiel, M., and Grissom, J. A. (2015). Teacher collaboration in instructional teams and student
achievement. Am. Educ. Res. J. 52, 475–514. doi: 10.3102/0002831215585562
Roger D. Goddard, Linda Skrla & Serena J. Salloum (2017) The Role of Collective Efficacy in Closing Student Achievement
Gaps: A Mixed Methods Study of School Leadership for Excellence and Equity, Journal of Education for Students Placed
at Risk (JESPAR), 22:4, 220-236, DOI: 10.1080/10824669.2017.1348900
Williams, M. L. (2010). Teacher collaboration as professional development in a large, suburban high school (Dissertation).
University of Nebraska, Lincoln, OR; Omaha, NE, United States.