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Connecting youth with Licensed Mental Health Clinicians directly in schools to meet the rising unmet mental health needs of children
Communities In Schools is the largest provider of campus-based behavioral health services in the state of Texas. We recognize that early intervention prevents emerging issues from manifesting into serious concerns and crises. Our licensed mental health clinicians provide treatment to students directly in schools, right where the students are, creating access to the early intervention services necessary to meet the rising unmet mental health needs of children. Please see below to learn more about our mental health services.
Project Access
The Project Access program is Communities In Schools of San Antonio’s most established clinical program. The Project Access program was initially developed in 2005, and its purpose is to provide short-term (8-10 sessions) intensive counseling services to students (and their families) enrolled in CIS-SA as case-managed students at their schools. The Project Access program aims to bring counseling services to the students at their school because many families we work with have difficulty accessing outside counseling services due to money, transportation, and/or time limitations. Our Project Access staff serves students in the following San Antonio area school districts: San Antonio ISD, East Central ISD, Harlandale ISD, Judson ISD, Southwest ISD, Pearsall ISD, Northside ISD, & Somerset ISD. In 2020, we introduced Devine ISD to Communities In Schools of San Antonio through our Devine ISD Project Access program.
- Schools: All schools with a CIS-SA Site Coordinator
- Funder: Methodist, Baptist, Northside ISD, Harlandale ISD, Family Service Association, AACOG, Devine ISD, Pearsall ISD, and Tres Grace
SEEDS Program
The SEEDS Program is a clinical program established in 2018 that offers mental health services to campuses within Northside ISD. The SEEDS program is comprised of licensed mental health professional teams, including social workers and counselors, who serve students from any NISD campus. The SEEDS counselor provides intensive counseling services to students referred by the district’s Point of Contact personnel at each school. The SEEDS Social Worker offers ongoing case management and supportive guidance services to referred students, as well as any necessary aftercare to the students and their families following the completion of counseling services.
- Schools: Northside ISD
- Funder: Northside ISD
Metro Health – Domestic Violence Program
The Metro Health – Domestic Violence Program is our clinical program dedicated to providing counseling and mental health support to students (and their families) affected by domestic violence. This program was developed in 2020 in collaboration with the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and supports students across four San Antonio-area school districts: Northeast ISD, Northside ISD, San Antonio ISD, and East Central ISD. Our Licensed Counselors dedicated to this program can provide counseling services to schools that may not have a CIS-SA Site Coordinator assigned to their campus.
- Schools: All schools in NISD, NEISD, SAISD, and East Central ISD
- Funder: COSA – Metro Health
Youth Mental Health Project
The Youth Mental Health Project (YMHP) is Communities In Schools of San Antonio’s newest clinical program. YMHP was designed to provide intensive counseling services to students (and their families) enrolled in select San Antonio ISD middle and high schools who need additional mental health support. The goal of YMHP is to bring counseling services directly to the students at their school, as many of the families we work with struggle to access outside counseling services due to financial, transportation, and/or time constraints.
- Funder: San Antonio ISD
The Parent and Child Emotional Wellness Program (PACE Wellness)
The PACE Wellness program, developed in 2020, provides mental health services to select Head Start campuses within San Antonio ISD. The PACE Wellness program comprises licensed mental health professional teams, including social workers and counselors, who serve students from any SAISD Head Start campus. The counselor provides intensive counseling services to students referred by the district’s Point of Contact personnel. The social worker, in turn, provides ongoing case management and supportive guidance services to the referred students and their families, as well as any necessary aftercare once counseling services have concluded.
- Schools: Any SAISD Head Start campus
- Funder: SAISD
Metro Health – Teen Parenting Program
The Metro Health – Teen Parent Program is our clinical program dedicated to providing counseling and mental health support to pregnant and parenting teenagers across four San Antonio-area school districts. This program was developed in 2017 in collaboration with the City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District. Our Licensed Counselors dedicated to this program can provide counseling services to schools that may not have a CIS-SA Site Coordinator assigned to their campus. The purpose of the Metro Health Clinical program is to reduce the repeat pregnancy rate among teenage youth in San Antonio.
- Schools: All schools in NISD, EISD, SAISD, South San ISD, and Southwest ISD
- Funder: COSA – Metro Health
Training & Education
School Box of Trainings offers school staff, administrators, parents, and other professionals tools to support the needs of children through customized professional development workshops on various topics. Each of these workshops is taught by skilled professionals who are experts in their respective fields.
- Funder: None
Project Speak
Project Speak is an education and training program dedicated to increasing mental health awareness and support for school-aged children and youth ages 12-18 years old. Through training programs that improve youth holistic health and well-being, our goal is to develop a trauma-informed ecosystem, empowering both youth and adults with the knowledge and education they need to recognize early signs and symptoms of mental health issues and then respond appropriately.
Mental health prevention and intervention programs include:
Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM) – A school-based mental health promotion and suicide prevention program for high school students in which they learn about and explore the topic of mental health.
Who is eligible? High Schools within the San Antonio City Limits
Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) – Designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations.
Who is eligible? High Schools within the San Antonio City Limits
- Funder: COSA – Metro Health
For most mental health services, students and families are screened and referred by the CIS-SA Site Coordinator to a licensed mental health provider (LPC, LPC Associate, LMFT, LMFT Associate, LMSW, or LCSW). The Licensed Counselor completes a psychosocial assessment with parents/guardians and each student, develops a treatment plan, provides individual and/or family counseling, and coordinates other support services.
Additionally, CIS-SA is currently working with the Ecumenical Center and the Institute for Trauma-Informed Care to become a trauma-informed certified agency. CIS-SA will implement change that promotes the understanding of trauma, its impact, and signs and symptoms, as well as encourages trauma resilience and recovery to avoid re-traumatization. CIS-SA will achieve this by establishing a trauma certification team, utilizing an implementation model, and adhering to the five domains outlined by the Ecumenical Center and the Institute for Trauma-Informed Care. CIS-SA will also conduct surveys of its staff, clients, and stakeholders through this process.
Questions?
To learn more about our mental health programming, please contact Kim Sayers, LPC-S, Director of Clinical Programs, at cis.clinical@cissa.org.
