What You Do at Wediko

Clinicians employed by the Boston School-Based Program work full- or part-time in Boston Public Schools and schools located within two hours driving time of Boston.  Individual therapy, provided in schools, is the primary task of the clinician.  Collaboration with the school staff, who interact daily with the students, is an integral part of the service delivery model.  Families are contacted regularly by therapists, who share their impressions of the student’s strengths and challenges as a part of treatment planning.

Clinicians might also be involved in the Side by Side project, A collaborative model for building resilient school communities.  Wediko clinicians offer social skills groups, which are co-led by teachers or other school staff.  A curriculum has been developed for the groups that supports school values and increases the expectation for each member of the school community to share in the responsibility for teaching and learning.

CASASTART, a national model developed at Columbia University for substance abuse prevention and targeted for students aged eight to 13, has been a part of the school-based program since spring of 2007.   CASASTART is a partnership among the public schools, the police department, and Wediko, a social services agency.  Currently offered to students in three elementary schools, Wediko CASASTART case managers carry caseloads of 10 to 15 student participants and their families. 

Wediko has a multi-lingual assessment team, comprised of about six to eight psychologists.  Comprehensive psychological evaluations, standard batteries, and focused educational or psychological assessments are provided to students in their school or at Wediko offices.

Wediko clinicians receive three to six hours of weekly supervision and/or training.  They attend weekly clinical case conferences and can take advantage of professional training opportunities.  Wediko is an AmeriCorps/Professional Corps Site, which provides staff with the opportunity to participate in AmeriCorps volunteer and training opportunities and to earn awards which can be applied to educational loans (current and future loans).