SEEDS
of Hope
Agency Newsletter | Summer 2025
Calm in the Classroom, Partnering with Urban Community School Across classrooms in Ohio, a transformation is underway. Schools are increasingly recognizing that academic success is deeply connected to emotional well-being, and they’re responding by surrounding students with the support they need to thrive. That’s why OhioGuidestone’s role as the state’s largest provider of school-based services is so vital— strengthening partnerships like the one with Urban Community School (UCS) in Cleveland. Founded 57 years ago by the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland, UCS has always focused on serving the whole child. For many years, that meant relying on a traditional guidance counselor model. But in 2019, the school began seeking a more comprehensive, trauma-informed approach. “We didn’t need to reinvent the wheel,” says Liz Richmond, Director of Mental Health & Counseling Services at UCS. “We needed a strong partner in the space who could do this well with us.”
UCS recognizes the vital connection between mental health and learning, while also understanding the barriers families often face in accessing care—such as time and transportation. To address those barriers, the school brings services directly to campus, including therapists from OhioGuidestone. Care begins as early as pre-kindergarten, where early childhood therapists provide classroom interventions, skill-building, and family support. Using creative, relationship-driven approaches— sometimes practiced on the carpet instead of in a chair—students are able to internalize new skills and apply them in real time. OhioGuidestone follows a three-tiered model of school-based support, focusing on prevention, consultation, and treatment aimed at strengthening students’ social-emotional learning.
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