School-Based Clinical
Services
NRVCS offers
school-based clinical services for children attending
schools in Montgomery and Pulaski counties, as well as
the City of Radford.
School-based services provide mental health counseling,
case management and crisis intervention services to
children in their own natural environments: at school,
at home, and in the community.
Research has shown that one in five children suffer from
emotional or behavioral difficulties, but only one-third
of these children receive the services they need. Some
of the typical barriers to services include
transportation, the stigma of seeking services, funding,
poor experience in the past with providers and a lack of
awareness of resources. School-based clinical services
help overcome many of these obstacles.
Clinicians who work with the NRVCS school-based program
provide a blend of services to children, including
clinical counseling, family therapy, small group work,
skill building, parenting education, crisis
intervention, collateral contacts with other providers,
appropriate referrals, case management services and
more. Direct services are administered for approximately
two hours per week (depending on the needs of the
individual child).
School-based clinicians
address all areas of a child's functioning, not just
those at school. Clinicians provide in-home services,
family systems therapy, case management, and crisis
intervention. An added benefit of this service is that
school-based clinicians are able to access children
immediately and provide early intervention and screening
- all in an environment that is less-threatening for the
child and also more convenient for families.
Services are rarely limited and are provided throughout
the year. Clinicians work with their clients through the
summer, often supplementing clinical services with day
treatment (similar to therapeutic camps).
Another important component of school-based clinical
services is communication among all other service
providers involved (the school system, other counselors,
Department of Social Services, etc.).
All of NRVCS' school-based clinicians are Master's level
counselors, trained in working with highly complex
family systems and issues. Our team of clinicians have a
wealth of experience, having worked with in-home
services, outpatient counseling, day treatment, the
court system, hospitals, schools and other service
environments. |
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Jennifer
Oley, a School-Based Clinician with NRVCS, works with
children at Price's Fork Elementary School in Blacksburg.
(Photo - M. Wade/NRVCS)
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