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Behavioral Health Services

Tier 1 

Supports & Services to help All Students (All School Year)

Every school has support for all students. All students are taught basic behavior expected behaviors (or ways to act), like how to show respect and kindness. The school staff praises children for their excellent behavior. Sometimes small rewards like tokens or prizes are used to reward good and positive school behavior.

Examples of services for all students include:

Universal Supports are programs and services for all children in all schools like Positive Behavioral Intervention & Supports (PBIS), restorative justice programs, and social-emotional learning programs (mentioned above). As a parent, you can ask your child’s school what universal supports are available.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) promote positive school safety and good behavior among all students by school staff teaching students about emotions, mindfulness, and their ability to do well in their school, home, and community. PBIS is not a program or a curriculum; it’s a team of school employees focused on creating a safe and fun school environment. By supporting positive behaviors, PBIS builds a learning environment where teachers and students can be their best.

Restorative Justice is a process that teaches students how to resolve conflicts on their own and in small groups. Through safe and supportive spaces in the schools, students can meet to talk, ask questions, and air their grievances in ways that all parties feel acknowledged.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) teaches students how to manage their emotions, make good decisions, and work with other children on a team. They learn critical thinking, emotion management, conflict resolution, decision-making, and teamwork so children can value themselves and others.

Program 2

Individual Supports & Services

Support to identify students with some distress/issues and connect them to services in or outside the school.

Extra support & services may take between 30-90 days to be put in place for your child

**The school district calls this Tier 2

At this level, your child will receive all the support above, and they may start to receive small group or individualized support to help them experience success. For example, suppose your child is struggling with social interactions. In that case, they might get help with social interactions in a small group of other peers. As the parent, you will engage with the school team to determine what supports are appropriate for your child. Some extra supports at this level may include daily reports, behavior contracts, school counseling services, check-ins & check-outs, and some listed below. 

Examples of services for these students may Include:

The student Assistance Program (SAP) is a team of experts at the school that will start the intervention process for your child. The group decides which resources are a good match for your child so they can stay in school and keep learning. Staff from the Student Assistance Program talk with students to determine if they need additional support services. If they do, they refer students to those services.

Support Team for Education Project (STEP)  is a team of people who are in the school full-time who talk with students to figure out if they need behavioral health/counseling/therapy services, refer students to those services, and guide students to social services such as housing, insurance, or food assistance. STEP staff can also provide counseling services to some students for a short time while they wait to start the counseling services they were referred to.  They offer students and families mental, behavioral, and social service support. STEP provides access to needed resources to address children and family needs in and out of the classroom.

• STEP “Like” schools are schools that offer some of the STEP services and supports but not everything in the original program. A STEP “like” may look different at each location.

Program 3

Intensive support & services may take between 60-120 days to be put in place for your child

**The school district calls this Tier 3

Students with the most distress/needs, who need more support than an hour of counseling a week, and who are at risk of being unable to stay at home and school because they need treatment. This high level of service is called Intensive Behavioral Health Services or IBHS. These services aim to help students stay at home and school instead of being placed in a hospital setting. Most students who get Intensive Behavioral Health Services have already been identified as depressed or anxious and have a diagnosis.

At this level, the school will offer intensive support to your child, including programs that have proven successful with other children. You and the team will focus on specific skills for your child. These supports for your child can be delivered in a group or individualized in the school, home, or community several times during the school week.

Intensive Behavioral Health Services (IBHS) are a full variety of behavioral health supports for children and families in the school, home, and community settings. These individualized services are provided by a licensed behavioral health agency assigned to your child’s school.
Examples of services for IBHS students include:
At this level, services may include

● Individual Sessions
● Student Group Sessions
● Family Sessions
● Case management
● Behavior Management Planning
● Crisis Intervention
● Referrals

Other Services May Include:

Outpatient Satellite in Schools  brings outside resources into the school to help your child. As the parent, you will work with the school team to determine how and what services will be delivered in school.

Non-Discrimination in Services Policy Statement-Admissions, the provisions of services, and referrals of clients shall be made without regard to race (to include hair type, hair texture, or hair style), color, religious creed (to include all aspects of religious observances and practice, as well as belief), disability, ancestry, national origin (including Limited English Proficiency), age (40 and over), or sex (to include pregnancy status, childbirth status, breastfeeding status, sex assigned at birth. Program services shall be made accessible to eligible persons with disabilities through the most practical and economically feasible methods available. These methods include, but are not limited to, equipment redesign, the provision of aides and the use of alternative service delivery locations. Structural modifications shall be considered only as a last resort among available methods.