Mental Health Services
Staff of the mental health section work with the children, parents, families and employees of Head Start / Early Head Start by providing information on how to increase children’s social and emotional well being. The staff also offer individual, group and family counseling as well as trainings on topics such as increasing self-esteem, building healthy relationships and learning positive coping skills. This section also maintains a special parent meeting as well as an advisory committee.
When a behavior concern is identified by a teacher, case manager, parent, treatment counselor or mental health consultant, a referral is completed by the case manager. This referral includes a form signed by the parent/guardian and behavior incident reports that are completed by the classroom teacher. Staff of the mental health section, then review the referral packet and schedule an observation of the child in the classroom.
After the child is observed, the treatment counselor/mental health consultant develops a written report. This report gathers information from the parent/guardian, classroom teacher and case manager related to the child’s behavior, family life as well as any social, medical, and developmental issues. If needed, a behavior plan with services/goals such as therapy, referral, classroom interventions is completed and signed by the parent/guardian. The treatment counselor/mental health consultant continues to monitor the child until the goals are met, the child is referred to outside community resources, or case for mental health services is closed. |
