For many people, accessing quality, compassionate mental healthcare isn’t easy. Many barriers exist–such as time, transportation, and insurance.
That’s why Sheppard Pratt is committed to bringing people the mental healthcare they deserve, when and where they need it. We offer a range of programs that deliver mental healthcare in “unconventional” ways, such as Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and Behavioral Health Home services, programs that will meet people wherever they choose to receive care–even on a park bench.
One of our broadest-reaching “unconventional” care programs is our school-based mental health service. Depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation are all on the rise in youth, so it’s imperative that we remove the barriers making it difficult for children and teens to access mental healthcare. So, we bring care directly to them: at school.
Through collaborative partnerships with Baltimore City, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Washington County public schools, teams of Sheppard Pratt therapists provide critical, effective mental health services to thousands of children throughout Maryland every day.
Sheppard Pratt therapists are embedded in schools, offering individual, group, and family therapy. Our teams also provide evidence-based training for school staff, which helps them to recognize and intervene when a child needs help.
The support from Sheppard Pratt doesn’t stop when school is out for the summer–we run therapeutic summer programs to ensure youth have access to the help they deserve all year long.
A Helping Hand
Through Sheppard Pratt’s school-based mental health services, students across Maryland have seamless access to:
- Diagnostic evaluations
- Individual and family therapy
- Medication management
- Group therapy focused on topics like self-esteem, peer relationships, conflict resolution, emotional regulation, social skills, and other life skills
- Virtual consultations when in crisis
- Therapeutic summer programs
- Case management
Sheppard Pratt case management teams work directly with students and their families, make recommendations or referrals as needed, and follow up with school personnel to make sure that ongoing services are available. The case management component is critical in ensuring that students get the full range of services that will benefit them and that the right supports are involved along the way.
“Case management when working with a child is incredibly important. You are working with the child, the family, the school, and providing psychoeducation. It allows us to meet the needs of the entire child,” says Sandra Smith, LCPC, NCC, CHC, senior director of outpatient services at Sheppard Pratt.
You Can Support Students in Need
Sheppard Pratt’s school-based mental health services are so impactful thanks to state funding, which allows us to provide care that insurance companies don’t reimburse, like case management. Ancillary services–like summer programs that keep kids engaged when they’re not in school and trainings that equip school personnel with crisis intervention skills–are also made possible through external funding.
Unfortunately, the state funding that has been critical in building a program that fully and effectively supports thousands of students each year isn’t sustainable. These programs are critical in helping youth get mental healthcare they otherwise could not access.
We need support from our community–from donors like you–to help us ensure that we can continue to provide quality, compassionate mental healthcare for children throughout Maryland.
- A gift of $200 provides therapeutic supplies for one school.
- A gift of $2,000 provides therapy and case management for a student for a month.
- A gift of $20,000 provides therapy and case management for a student for a full year.
When you make a gift in support of our school-based mental health services, you are making the gift of hope for thousands of students all across Maryland.
Caleb is a Washington County high schooler who was experiencing suicidal ideation. Our team engaged Caleb in in-school therapy, medication management with a Sheppard Pratt psychiatrist, and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) informed skills. Caleb had never been able to access these kinds of services before–and they have made a huge difference. Since he started treatment, Caleb’s suicidal ideations have significantly decreased. He’s also gotten a diagnosis of ADHD, which his psychiatrist is helping him address. At school, Caleb is showing increased motivation with his assignments and is engaging in school activities.
Brittany, a first grader in Prince George’s County, was experiencing tantrums and meltdowns several times each day. We contacted her family and learned she had been experiencing the same kinds of problems at home. Thanks to Sheppard Pratt’s school-based mental health services, which are embedded in Brittany’s school, we were immediately able to get her access to care. Since she’s started seeing a therapist, Brittany has been able to identify her triggers, learn and implement coping strategies, and decrease her tantrums and meltdowns to just once a month. She’s improved socially and emotionally and has been thriving in the classroom. The best part is being able to see her sweet personality shining through!