Mental Health Information
Why is mental health important to education?
Mental health is directly related to children’s learning and development. It encompasses or intersects with interpersonal relationships, social-emotional skills, behavior, learning, academic motivation, certain disabilities, mental illness, crisis prevention and response, school safety and substance abuse. Each of these issues affects not only the success and well-being of the individual student but also the school climate and outcomes for all students.
What are school-based mental health services?
School-based mental health services include a broad spectrum of assessment, prevention, intervention, postvention, counseling, consultation, and referral activities and services. These services are essential to a school’s ability to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for all students, address classroom behavior and discipline, promote students’ academic success, prevent and respond to crisis, support students’ social-emotional needs, identify and respond to a serious mental health problem, and support and partner with at-risk families. Ideally, school-based services dovetail with community-based services so that children and youth receive the support they need in a seamless, coordinated, and comprehensive system of care.
Here at OMS, we have a full time school counselor, and a social worker. They are both able to assist with any situation involving students and their mental health well-being.
School Counselor - Kathleen Scibetta - [email protected]
Social Worker - Gianna Reese - gianna.reese[email protected]
School Mental Health Teams
Our school mental health team (SMHT) is a multi-disciplinary team that will meet regularly to discuss students that have been identified with social-emotional or mental health concerns. The team uses data-based decision making to support student mental health through selective and indicated interventions. Well-functioning school mental health teams facilitate the maximum impact of a comprehensive school mental health system. They serve as the organizing structure for a tiered system of school mental health supports and services. High functioning teams capitalize on the multi-disciplinary resources within a school and community to achieve the greatest outcomes for students, families, and the school community.Legally, students may not be present in a school in session without
immunizations. For more information contact:
[email protected] or (239) 337-8244.
ILLNESS GUIDELINES
Deciding when to keep your child home from school can be difficult. This guideline will help you decide when a child is sick and needs to stay at home. Parents should contact the school and describe the illness and symptoms. If a medical provider makes a specific diagnosis (such as strep throat, conjunctivitis or chicken pox), let school staff know.