Addressing the world outside the classroom helps students meet their full potential in school

With a background that includes working in education and serving at a child abuse center helping kids overcome trauma, Dianna Smoot knows how the world outside the classroom can impact a child’s success inside the classroom.

Now as the recently hired Dallas ISD Director of Youth and Family Centers, Smoot is looking to bridge the outside world with the inside of the classroom.

“I am dedicated to helping ensure students achieve their full potential because all of their needs are being addressed,” Smoot said.

Dallas ISD currently has 11 Youth and Family Centers (YFC), with two more expected to open this school year at North Dallas High School and South Oak Cliff High School. Through a partnership with the Parkland Health Hospital System, the YFC Program provides mental health services by appointment such as family or individual counseling, physical health services such as immunizations and sick care.

“We know children are impacted by their environment and they carry this with them wherever they go,” Smoot said. “By providing mental and physical health service to families, building resiliency in our clients, reducing barriers to treatment, and educating the community on the importance of mental health, the YFC Program ensures every student an opportunity for success, both in the classroom and beyond.”

Families interested in learning more about the provided services can go here.