Belmont Behavioral Health’s school based programs provide in-school behavioral health services to designated elementary, middle and high schools within the School District of Philadelphia. In 2006, the program provided direct services to approximately 900 children and consultative services to over 2350 families, students, and school staff at 40 schools in the North, West, Northwest, and East Academic Regions of the School District.

 

The three main components of School Based Programs include:

 

Student Assistance Program (SAP)

• Behavioral health assessments, consultations, and follow-ups for students identified by school teams as being at-risk for mental health concerns and/or substance use issues.
• Philadelphia’s Office of Behavioral Health provides funding to support the program and gives direction in conjunction with the Philadelphia School District’s Office of Specialized Services.

Consultation and Education Program (C&E Program)

• Case managers provide consultative, supportive, and short-term case management and community linkage services to students/families in need of additional resources.
• DHS’ Prevention Services and the School District of Philadelphia are the primary funding sources for the C&E Program.

Keys to Success/ High School Support Program (HSS Program)

 

• Includes more extensive behavioral health services than that of the SAP program with clinicians providing greater time allocation to targeted schools (i.e., two or more days a week). Clinicians provide psychosocial assessments, short-term school-based interventions, academic team and discipline consultation, and family/community resource linkage.
• 2006 represented the initial contract year for this program. Four area high schools received services through this contract.
• With the success of this program during FY06, School-Based Programs has been awarded contracts for FY07 to include an area middle school and an increase to full-time clinical and consultative services at two of the pilot high schools.

 

Participating schools