SCASD School Based Mental Health Services
SCASD recognizes the importance of a team approach and how schools and families have essential roles to play in promoting children’s positive development and academic performance. We believe that when educators and parents work together as partners, they create important opportunities for children to develop social, emotional and academic competencies at SCASD. SCASD has a School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) Team that includes internal and external professionals working together to help navigate our students' mental health and wellbeing.
Accessing School-Based Mental Health Services
School-Based Mental Health (SBMH) Services are available to students, families, and faculty/staff in the State College Area School District through the school mental health program. The SBMH Services fall under Tier II and III interventions in the SCASD Social Emotional MTSS model.
Our SBMH Services are dedicated to providing comprehensive mental health services that are strength-based, developmentally appropriate, data-driven, youth-guided, and family-focused. Services primarily include assessment and evaluation, consultation and collaboration, individual, group, and family therapy, and targeted training.
Referrals to SBMH Services can only be made by a member of your MTSS/CAT team or mental health-related school personnel. Referrals are typically made by school counselors, school psychologists, and/or administrators. Before making a referral, staff should engage the student and family to discuss possible intervention options and determine if a referral to SBMH Services is appropriate.
The SBMH team is comprised of district leaders of student services and special education, contracted mental health providers, and the county mental health authority. The team reviews referrals on a weekly basis during the school year to ensure students receive indicated services and support in a timely manner. Information for the referral is obtained from the student, family, teachers, counselors, and other individuals working with the student and family.
To make a referral, click here. You will be asked to log in with your SCASD account. Complete the online referral form in its entirety and click submit. Once the referral has been made, someone from the SBMH Team will contact the referral source to share with you the outcome of the referral and/or to schedule a meeting to discuss the case with any further questions.
For questions regarding SBMH Services, please contact the SBMH liaison, Sara Hackman, Mental Health Clinician, Elisabeth James, or the Director of Student Services, Stephanie Beaver.
Individual Assessment, Evaluation and Recommendation
When a student first receives SBMH Services, the clinician begins with an assessment that gathers the student's history of education, family, psychosocial events, medical issues and mental health issues. Any treatment recommendations are driven by the assessed needs of the individual student.
Treatment Services
Treatment services will begin after the SBMH clinician sets up an initial meeting with the student and family to develop a strength-based intervention plan that addresses the individualized needs of the student.
Consultation and In-service Training
In-service trainings for school personnel, families, and students may occur in a variety of settings and are able to focus on a wide range of topics related to the social and emotional health of students.
Services available to students and families
- Individual assessment
- Individual evaluation
- Individual recommendations
- Treatment services:
- psycho-education
- individual therapy
- group therapy
- family therapy
- crisis intervention
Services available for faculty/staff include:
- School-based consultation and collaboration
- Targeted in-service trainings
Vision: To support a school environment in which
all children are emotionally prepared and ready to learn.
Mission: To ensure all children have access to comprehensive mental health services and supports from prevention through intervention and families are supported in the process.