A long-term substitute for former school clinician and substance use prevention counselor Marianna Donnally’s role with Stowe High School was hired March 31, said Tracy Wrend, the school superintendent.
Donnally was the school’s mental health clinician and student assistance professional, focusing on substance use, and was the school’s only licensed social worker.
Donnally said she was told in January that her position was being eliminated, and that then-principal Christopher Oleks suggested she look for another job and could leave before the end of the school year.
Donnally’s time at Stowe High School ended March 15, and she is no longer on school payroll.
When asked about the plan to replace Donnally, Wrend replied May 7, “Marianna Donnally left Stowe School District in March to take another position. We are restructuring school counseling services to provide for a full time position to provide licensed, school guidance counselor and substance abuse prevention services. We are also planning to contract with Lamoille County Mental Health Services for additional clinical counseling supports for students.”
On May 9, Wrend offered this information: “We have filled the position vacated in March with a long term sub for the rest of the year and hired a full-time licensed school counselor/SAP for next year. We are also contracting with LCMH services for a clinical counselor for students K-12 next year.”
Jena Zuckerman was hired March 31 as a long-term substitute, and is being paid $25 per hour, working under Patti Tomashot, school counseling director at the high school, to attend to student mental health, Wrend said.
Zuckerman holds a master’s degree in school counseling, and will be conducting individual and small group counseling, wellness supports and instruction, Wrend said.
Stowe High School has three guidance counselors, who are qualified to do some group therapy, but aren’t licensed mental health clinicians, Wrend said.
Next fall, it will have four, as well as a full-time mental health clinical counselor from Lamoille County Mental Health, who will spend his or her workdays at Stowe High School.
That person will not be an employee of Lamoille South Supervisory Union, but will be contracted through Lamoille County Mental Health, which already has a full-time counselor contracted at Stowe Elementary School.
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