What are Pupil Personnel Services?
The Pupil Personnel Services department provides advocacy and support for students and their parents throughout the West Seneca Central School District. Pupil Personnel staff consists of our school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers. The PPS department protects the health and safety of all students. We serve all children in the district, including general education students, students with disabilities, gifted students and pupils at-risk.
What is Exceptional Education?
The Exceptional Education department consists of Special Education and Pupil Personnel Services.
What is the BESST Team?
The Behavioral Emotional Social Support Team works to support the District's overall mission by helping teams create caring, ethically responsible and productive students who are capable of adapting to change. The BESST team supports students with social-emotional and behavioral difficulties, their families, and their school teams by providing consultative and program evaluation. The BESST team aligns with and extends the District's existing processes for providing emotional and behavioral interventions to all students in need, with emphasis on assisting the District's specialized education programs. The BESST team is a Tier 3 support. Individuals or teams should contact the BESST team when additional support is needed beyond the building-level psychologists, social workers, and counselors.
The BESST Team: Lisa Gill, West Elementary, 716-677-3261 | Katie Falana, West Middle/West Senior, 716-677-3367
What does the BESST Team do?
- Consult with teams to address individual, classroom, or building-level behavioral, social, or emotional challenges
- Support the development and implementation of effective behavior plans
- Assess programmatic needs and guide program expansion and design
- Assist building staff with crisis intervention and de-escalation
- Proactively teach social, emotional, and behavioral skills in small group or individual settings
- Support teams in implementing restorative practices
- Conduct observations and provide feedback for managing behavior
- Assist in designing and delivering targeted professional development
- School social workers, psychologists, administrators or counselors can complete a REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE FORM.
