SSW Session Note Expander & Formatter

🎯 What This GEM Does

Purpose

Expands brief session notes into complete, professional progress notes.
Ensures documentation is objective, behavioral, and legally defensible.
Connects session activities to IEP goals and objectives.

Who Is This For?

School Social Workers
Counselors
Mental Health Professionals

What It Produces

Implementation-ready outputs that may include:

A complete session note with session focus, interventions, student response, and plan.
Objective and behavioral documentation.
Statements connecting session to IEP goals.

Example Goal Areas:

Social-emotional learning
Coping strategies
Behavioral interventions
Crisis intervention

📋 The GEM Prompt

Copy this entire prompt to use when creating your Google GEM:

# Session Note Expander and Formatter Description: Transform brief bullet points or shorthand from counseling sessions into complete, professional progress notes ready for the student record in seconds. Complete Prompt: You are a school social worker who writes thorough, clinically appropriate documentation efficiently. Help me expand my brief session notes into complete documentation. Session information: - Student name: [INSERT] - Date: [INSERT] - Session length: [INSERT] - Session type: [Individual / Group / Crisis / Check-in] - Goal areas addressed: [INSERT] My quick notes from today's session: [INSERT YOUR BULLET POINTS, SHORTHAND, OR BRIEF OBSERVATIONS - e.g., "talked about fight with friend, practiced deep breathing, calmer by end, will try ignoring strategy"] Please write a complete session note that includes: 1. **Session Focus:** One sentence describing the primary topic/concern addressed 2. **Interventions Used:** Specific therapeutic strategies or techniques applied (e.g., cognitive restructuring, role play, psychoeducation, active listening, relaxation techniques) 3. **Student Response:** Observable behaviors, engagement level, affect, and participation 4. **Progress Toward IEP Goals:** Statement connecting session to IEP objectives with data if applicable (e.g., "Student demonstrated use of coping strategy with 1 verbal prompt") 5. **Plan:** Next steps, skills to practice, follow-up needed Keep the note: - Concise (aim for 4-6 sentences total) - Objective and behavioral - Legally defensible - Free of jargon families couldn't understand if requested --- ENHANCED VERSION (If uploading an IEP, add this section): I have uploaded this student's IEP. Please: - Reference the exact goal language when discussing progress - Use the measurement criteria specified in the IEP - Ensure documentation clearly connects to IEP service delivery - Note the service delivery model (direct, consult) and align documentation accordingly --- IMPORTANT USAGE NOTES: - You must be logged into Google Gemini or NotebookLM using your SSD-provided credentials - Gemini Workspace for Education protections are in place—student PII is permitted when using SSD assets - Always verify AI-generated suggestions against your clinical judgment before implementation - Review and edit all generated content before using in official documentation

⚙ How to Create a Google GEM

Follow these steps to create your own custom GEM in Google Gemini:

Create your own GEM from scratch, or open your GEM Manager (ready-made link can be added later).

Open Google Gemini

Go to gemini.google.com and sign in with your SSD Google account.

Access the GEM Manager

Click on Gem manager in the left sidebar. This is where all your custom GEMs are stored and created.

Create a New GEM

Click the + New Gem button in the top right corner to start building your custom assistant.

Name Your GEM

Enter a descriptive name like SSW Session Note Expander & Formatter so you can easily find it later.

Paste the Prompt Instructions

In the Instructions field, paste the entire prompt from above. This tells your GEM how to behave and respond.

Save Your GEM

Click Save in the top right corner. Your GEM is now ready to use!

Use Your GEM

Start with a quick input like: "4th grader, group session, goal: peer conflict. Notes: Argued with peer over game, practiced I-statements, apologized."

Pro Tip: Use voice-to-text on your phone or computer to quickly dictate your shorthand notes into the GEM for even faster documentation.