Back in 2004, I was approached by the Christina School District about providing mental health services in middle schools. I had managed two high school wellness centers, so I was quite familiar with how to integrate ancillary services in an educational setting. The notion of having therapists in schools was foreign to some, but no one ever questions why schools have nurses, speech or occupational therapists. So why not mental health therapists? In part, the struggle lies with the stigma attached to receiving help for disorders of the brain. Here at CCD, we want to be a part of removing the stigma and other barriers to children getting the help they need.
According to a government agency–Health Services and Resources Administration,11.3 percent (nearly 7.4 million) of children in the United States are reported by their parents to have been diagnosed with emotional, behavioral, or developmental conditions. That’s a heck of a lot of children who are struggling. According to DHSS, less than ten percent of children with a mental health need get services. That’s an appalling and concerning stat. Who suffers when there are unmet needs? Children, parents, schools and the community as a whole.
There are not a lot of therapists who specialize in helping children improve their behaviors and express their emotions in appropriate ways. That, in itself, creates long wait lists and unfortunately, some families give up before they’re able to get in with a professional for an evaluation. Because we’re in schools, we never have a wait list. Your child can be seen within a week of us getting a referral.
Our objective is to close the gap in services, well, because kids deserve better, and help lessen the stress on parents who are often doing the best they can. Missing work and school can increase the pressure on everyone. Since our therapists provide services in schools, it decreases this barrier. Often the problem behaviors occur in the school setting, so having a therapist on board makes addressing the issue more precise. We can determine the trigger, teach skills for better coping, help teachers to learn what works for a particular child, and improve overall functioning in school and home. We invite and encourage parents to be a part of the counseling process. If you’re unable to join us in person, you can elect to have a visit online at a time that works for you.
We help children to cope. We collaborate with parents to best support their children. We work with schools to decrease disciplinary actions and reduce out of school suspensions.
In most cases, we bill insurance companies for the services. We accept a variety of plans including Medicaid. If we don’t take a child’s insurance, we can discuss alternative arrangements to assure kids get what they need.
If your child or family needs mental health services, in school or our office, call us. You’ll get assigned a specialist in dealing with your most pressing concerns. We’ll create a plan to help your child or family not to feel stressed, improve behavior and be successful at school or work.
Here’s how to get connected to our specialized services–Call your school counselor and ask for a referral form for a CCD therapist. Once you complete the paperwork, you can send it back with your child to school or fax it to our office. The fax number is (866)230-6434. No worries, it’s secure. Once we get the paperwork, we verify your insurance. That means we call your insurance company to see what, if any, financial responsibility you might have for services. The assigned therapist will then call you to introduce themselves, discuss your most pressing concerns. Your child will be seen at their school. The therapist will be in touch with you periodically to discuss the improvement. You may call the therapist at any time with any concerns or outstanding issues. Your input is critical to the success of therapy.
We see people ages 2 and up and that includes adults. We have an office that is located in Newark. If you want to be seen there, call us–302-292-1334 x 0.
So let our specialists help your family to live your best lives. Everyone needs a shoulder to lean on from time to time, including children.
Here’s where we currently provide services.
Christina School District
Red Clay
Appoquinimick
Colonial
Capital
Aspira
East side Charter
Gateway Charter
Head Start
Newark Day Nursery
Serviam Academy
Great Oaks
MOT–Elementary and High School