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School-Based Health Centers
School-Based Mental Health Program: Eliminating Barriers to Academic Achievement
The DOE School-Based Mental Health Program offers a variety of services targeting those students who have emotional and behavioral difficulties in general education. The program oversees collaborations and initiatives with mental health agencies, hospitals, and youth serving non-profits that treat, prevent and educate students and their families dealing with mental health issues that impede academic achievement.
Models of Service:
• On-site Mental Health Programs – offer treatment, groups, family counseling, and crisis interventions on school campus
• School-linked Mental Health Programs – offer screenings, consultations, assessments, and referrals for treatment
• STARS (Screening the At-Risk Student) – implemented by nurses in middle schools. Offer suicide and depression screenings and referrals for further psychological assessments
• KOGNITO – Web based training for high school teachers in referring the psychological stressed student for counseling
• Presentations – Presentations and trainings on a wide variety of emotional topics relevant to youth. Resources presentation for staff and families.
• NYC TEEN Website – this teen friendly website engages teens dealing with depression, drugs and violence, and encourages them to seek help. Go to www.nyc.gov and search for NYC Teen.
What is a School-Based Mental Health Program?
A School-Based Mental Health Program (SBMH) is like a mental health office inside a school. SBMH offer a wide range of full, comprehensive mental health services in the school and have been providing on-site mental health services to Department of Education students for over 20 years. There are 300 SBMH programs serving NYC schools in all five boroughs. All services are private and kept confidential from the school staff.
Why Have Mental Health Programs in Schools?
• Keeps issues from affecting emotional, academic, or physical development
• Provides relief from symptoms earlier rather than later
• Can prevent long-term problems
• Improves academic performance and personal relationships with family and friends
What Do School Mental Health Programs Offer My Child?
• Identification: Children with behavioral and emotional health needs
• Assessment: Assessments, Interviews and Evidence Based Evaluations
• Intervention: Individual, Group, Family Therapies; and Psychiatric Evaluations
• Consultation: With parents, teachers and providing crisis interventions
• Facilitation: Hospitalizations and Specialty Care
• Training: Parent and Teacher trainings on mental health issues
Why do School-Based Mental Health Programs Work?
• Interventions are sensitive to students’ and family culture
• Easy access for mental health services in communities where services are scarce
• Removes the stigma for mental health services
• Having programs on site allows teachers to spend more time teaching
• Fewer discipline problems school-wide and distraction from class work
How Can I Get My Child Services?
• Students are referred either by Parent, Teacher or Student
• A Consent Form signed by parent is needed to begin services
• Individual student records are kept confidential and is not shared with school staff
• Programs operate school hours and often beyond for family convenience
• 24 hour hotline to handle problems outside of school hours
• Staff are typically licensed social worker, psychologist and psychiatrist
Do I Need To Pay?
• Programs do not bill parents or students for care
• Parents provide insurance information and program bills them directly
• If not insured, SBMH may be able to help family obtain public health insurance
• Referrals to other community mental health programs can be made, if needed
Important Resources:
List of Mental Health Program Locations (as of January 4, 2012) (
click here
)
The DOE School-Based Mental Health & Behavioral Services Brochure
The Citywide Mental Health Youth Resource Flyer , also available in Spanish
LifeNet website : Free and confidential Mental Health Information and Referral site
Hite Site (Health Information Tool for Empowerment): offers extensive citywide search for mental health, social services, and healthcare agencies
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