At Sonora High School, the counseling department is designed to meet students where they are, whether they need help mapping out classes, managing stress and anxiety, exploring career pathways, or taking the next step toward college. The work is rooted in a simple goal: ensuring every student has access to support for their academic success, social-emotional well-being, and a confident plan for life after high school.

“I am grateful for the care, professionalism, and teamwork our counselors, therapists, and wellness partners bring to students each day. Their work strengthens academic progress, social-emotional well-being, and career readiness. The District will continue to invest in supports that help every student thrive,” said Superintendent Ed Pelfrey of the Sonora Union High School District.

A team approach to student support

Lead counselor Elizabeth Garrett shared that the counseling department includes school counselors and on-site therapists who work as a coordinated team to support students across a wide range of needs.

In day-to-day practice, the team supports students with academic planning, course schedules, graduation progress, and social-emotional concerns, while also helping students and families navigate college and career decisions. Students can connect with counseling support by making appointments, reaching out by email, and using updated scheduling options that make it easier to meet outside of class time.

Feedback from students and staff highlights the counseling team’s strengths in academic planning and graduation support, along with a welcoming approach that helps students feel comfortable seeking help. Staff also shared appreciation for the team’s responsiveness and follow-through, especially when students need coordinated support.

As Garrett put it, “We’re there to support your student and we want to partner with you on their specific needs.”

A tiered system of supports: what Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 mean

Like many schools, Sonora High uses a tiered approach to ensure students receive the right support at the right time.

• Tier 1 includes schoolwide supports that benefit all students, such as classroom lessons, wellness education, general academic guidance, and college and career information shared broadly.
   
• Tier 2 includes targeted supports for students who need additional help, such as small groups, structured check-ins, short-term skill-building, and specific interventions to address emerging concerns.
   
• Tier 3 includes more intensive, individualized support for students with higher needs. This can include ongoing therapy, coordinated services with outside partners, and crisis response when necessary.
   

This structure helps the team provide preventative support for all students while also responding quickly and thoughtfully when a student needs more.

The Wellness Center: a supportive place to reset and build coping skills

The Wellness Center has become an important part of how Sonora High supports student mental health and emotional well-being. Garrett described it as a welcoming space that is open before school, during lunch, after school, and during class with teacher permission. It provides “a safe space where students can be with a supportive staff member.”

Students have shared that having a place to reset and talk with a supportive adult during the school day makes a difference, especially when they feel overwhelmed. Families have also emphasized the importance of mental health and wellness supports as part of their child’s overall success at school.

Students most often use the Wellness Center when they are feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or emotionally dysregulated, and many use the space as an opportunity to reset during the school day. Garrett noted that anxiety is one of the most consistent needs the team sees, and the Wellness Center can help students stay connected to school and rebuild momentum.

“Our goal is to give them space and give them coping skills,” Garrett said.

On-site therapy and community partnerships extend support for students and families

A key strength of Sonora High’s student support system is the ability to connect students with additional services through on-campus therapy and community partnerships. Garrett shared that on-site therapists at Sonora High and through a county partnership help serve students who may face barriers to accessing mental health services outside of school, whether due to cost, transportation, or availability.

Garrett explained that the addition of on-site therapists has helped strengthen the delivery of supports across all tiers. Support services are now more intentionally aligned, with staff focusing their expertise across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 interventions as student needs increase. More intensive Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports, including crisis response when needed, are addressed through coordinated efforts within the support team.

The counseling and therapy teams work together to coordinate supports, clarify next steps for families, and connect students to resources when needs go beyond what can be addressed through counseling alone. On-site therapists provide specialized mental health services, including individual therapy for Tier 3 and Educationally Related Mental Health Services (ERMHS) students, ERMHS assessments to determine eligibility for services, and therapeutic, measurable goals embedded within a student’s IEP when appropriate. They also support students through weekly social-emotional lessons and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) groups, including targeted support for Functional Life Skills classes.

College and career readiness: helping students build a confident plan

Alongside wellness supports, Garrett emphasized that college and career readiness is a major focus of the counseling department’s work. The team helps students explore postsecondary options, understand graduation and course pathways, and connect to opportunities that match their interests and goals.

Garrett also wants students and families to know that support is available earlier than many realize, including through the CAT Center. “They can use it their sophomore year, too,” she said.

Students consistently point to college and career guidance as an area they value, and many shared that support with planning, deadlines, and next steps helps the process feel more manageable. At the same time, student and parent feedback has encouraged the team to continue expanding awareness and access so more students engage earlier and more often.

Listening, learning, and improving access

Garrett shared that student, staff, and parent feedback has been valuable in identifying both strengths and growth areas. Feedback across groups affirmed the importance of supportive relationships, responsive help, and strong academic, wellness, and college and career guidance, while also highlighting opportunities to improve access, visibility, and proactive outreach.

In addition to feedback about counseling supports, broader student perception data from the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS) shows encouraging progress. From 2023-24 to 2025-26, the percentage of students reporting feeling connected or strongly connected to school increased from 52% to 62% among 9th graders, from 40% to 61% among 11th graders, and from 52% to 65% among non-traditional students. During the same period, the percentage of students reporting feeling safe or very safe at school increased from 61% to 64% among 9th graders, from 45% to 67% among 11th graders, and from 77% to 94% among non-traditional students. While many factors contribute to school climate, these positive trends align with Sonora High’s continued focus on counseling access, wellness supports, and relationship-based student support.

One clear theme from students was the need for more counselor-initiated visibility and outreach. “We need to get creative,” Garrett said, describing how the counseling department is building new approaches to ensure students know their counselors and understand how to access support.

In response, the counseling department is focused on improving access, increasing visibility and outreach, and expanding opportunities for students to connect with counselors in ways that fit the school day. These refinements are intended to ensure students not only know support exists, but also feel comfortable using it early, before challenges grow.

One strategy being planned for next year is “Meeting Minutes,” which Garrett described as brief, three-minute check-ins designed to connect with every incoming freshman, introduce counseling supports, and quickly flag any needs that may require follow-up. The department has also implemented self-scheduling options outside of class time and expanded four-year planning lessons, steps intended to improve access and consistency across grade levels.

Looking ahead

As Sonora High looks to the year ahead, the counseling department is focused on strengthening student access, expanding proactive outreach, deepening wellness supports, and continuing to build a culture where every student feels known, supported, and prepared for what comes next.

“When students have timely access to counseling and wellness supports, they are better equipped to learn, move through challenges, and plan for the future. I appreciate the counseling  team’s ongoing efforts to strengthen access, expand outreach, and respond thoughtfully to student and family feedback,” said Pelfrey.

For more information

For questions about counseling services, families and students are encouraged to contact their student’s counselor directly (contact information is available on the Counseling website) or call the Sonora High School Counseling Office at 209-532-5511 ext. 5124 to schedule an appointment. Counselors are also available for drop-in visits before school, during lunch, and after school.

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(Above) Sonora High School Counseling Team (left to right): Elizabeth Garrett (School Counselor, L-Z), Jamie Serrano (School Counselor, A-K), Courtney Castle (School Counselor-CAT Center), Heather Albertson (School Site Therapist), Monique Nelson (School Site Therapist)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Above) Entrance to the CAT Center (Career and Technical Education Center), a hub for college and career readiness support.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Above) The Wellness Center, a calm, supportive space where students can reset, connect with staff, and build coping skills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Above) Inside the CAT Center, a welcoming space where students can meet, plan, and access college and career resources.