Counseling and Social Work

School counselors are trained to service entire K to 12 school communities including students, families, staff and school leadership. School counselors work with school administrators in advocating for programs and services that positively impacts student academic success in alignment with New York State Learning Standards, social emotional development and higher education and career readiness. [UFT: About School Counseling]

At PS 204, we have school counselors to meet the various needs of our children. School guidance counselors collaborate with all members of the school community to develop and deliver a data driven program that supports every student’s academic, career, personal, and social development. We are fortunate to have a Counselor, a Social Worker, and a School Based Support Team Social Worker. Read below to learn a little more about our amazing team:

*Our School Counselor is Ms. Barbara Rivera. She works with children in grades K-5, to meet specialized goals as outlined in students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEP). She also works with students "At-Risk", who may need additional social and behavioral support in order to participate in school. She can be reached at [email protected].

*Our School Social Worker for Students in Temporary Housing is Ms. Merlyn Pichardo. She works with children and families in grades K-5 who are experiencing transient housing or children and families residing in shelters. She can be reached at [email protected].

*Our School Based Support Team (SBST) Social Worker is in charge of supporting families with students who may require special education services, or IEPs. Our SBST Social Workers responsibilities include, but are not limited to, conducting classroom observations and social history interviews to get a better picture of a students educational performance in preparation for an IEP review or initial conferences. Our SBST Social Worker is Ms. Angela Herrera. She can be reached at [email protected].