School Crisis Response Teams
Many school districts in Texas don’t have the staffing to provide clinical mental health counseling in addition to guidance and support services. We fill that gap and excel in this role.
Providing therapeutic services to students at school reduces barriers to mental health treatment that may occur due to social stigma or lack of transportation or childcare. Children whose mental health needs are addressed often improve their attention and ability to learn, and tend to have fewer referrals for disciplinary reasons.
We have provided individual and group counseling to many children who are depressed and at risk for self-destructive behavior and/or suicide. Common experiences of these students include loss, trauma, violent environments, substance abuse, family conflict, incarceration or death of parents, and minimal community support. Our counselors play an important role in providing assessment, referrals, and ongoing supportive counseling to these youth and their families. Services are provided on school sites during school hours.
After the Suicide of a Student
Suicide in a school community is tremendously sad, often unexpected, and can leave a school with many uncertainties about what to do next. Faced with students struggling to cope and a community attempting to respond, schools need reliable information, practical tools, and pragmatic guidance. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), two of the nation’s leading suicide prevention organizations, have collaborated to produce this toolkit to assist schools in the aftermath of a suicide (or other death) in the school community.
After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools
The Role of School Mental Health Staff in Preventing Suicide
The Role of High School Teachers in Preventing Suicide
Our School Based Support Services are uniquely positioned to provide:
- Academic Assistance: helping students set and achieve goals to keep them on track for graduation.
- Prevention Services: engaging students to build skills allowing for personal and academic success.
- Intervention Services: individual one-on-one student support including collaboration with parents and school staff as appropriate.
- Mental Health Groups: peer support groups on topics such as anger management, conflict resolution, and life skills.
- Information and Referral: making referrals to community agencies that provide food, housing, medical or dental care, and more.
- Crisis Intervention: support during times of crisis.
