Ombudsman Chicago South’s mission is to provide all students, including those with disabilities and English Language Learners, with an engaging and rigorous curriculum that helps them create a plan for post-secondary school or a career.
We seek to create a feeling of belonging and respect for a diverse community where service, teaching and learning are valued, and to help students become life-long learners who contribute to the local and global communities.
We focus on helping students whose academic performance is disrupted by the sudden or violent loss of a loved one, serious accident or illness, poverty, homelessness or other issues they may encounter in daily life. This is called a trauma-informed approach. It’s based on research and designed to help students become more resilient and compassionate as they face the world around them. We’re also working with CPS and the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital’s Center for Childhood Resilience LINK to help students and families who have experienced trauma cope with challenges, manage stress and make healthy choices, all of which are key to academic achievement.
We provide multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to help students who have experienced high levels of trauma as children. These support systems are tailored to meet individual students’ needs and may include social services, home visits, individual counseling and plans to help manage behavior.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is one of those tiers. SEL is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.
SEL gives students a supportive and restorative learning environment, helps build positive relationships and provides students the opportunities to be successful in school and in life.
We provide SEL and counseling in individual and small group settings, and our staff has facilitated programs including SPARC (Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress), Anger Management and Anxiety groups. We also partner with outside agencies including SGA Youth & Family Services, Friend Family Health Center (FFHC), Urban League, UCAN social services organization, and Youth Outreach Services to provide mental health, mentoring and health and wellness services.
Students participate in the PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports) program to promote a positive and productive environment. Students can earn rewards and be recognized for their positive choices and actions on a daily basis.