BATESVILLE SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM
School-based mental health is the provision of therapeutic interventions and preventions for students and their families within the school setting with the purpose of equipping students for academic and social success. School-based mental health is more than just identifying, diagnosing, and providing therapy for students. Mental health in schools is also about providing programs to promote social-emotional development, preventing mental health and psychosocial problems, enhancing resiliency and coping skills, and working with students with behavioral problems. Learning is impacted by a combination of factors including behavioral, social, emotional, and academic areas of student life. A school-based mental health program enables our school district to provide services in any or all of those areas that may be impacting students learning potentials.
A School-based Mental Health program is available for students in grades PreK-12 at Batesville School District. Students are identified for SBMH services through parents, teachers, counselors or others who are concerned about the social, emotional, or behavioral health of the student. The school guidance counselor serves as the gate-keeper for the referral process.
The Batesville SBMH program contracts with community partners to provide SBMH therapists. Once the referral for SBMH has been made by the school, that referral is forwarded to the appropriate agency and therapist. The agency and therapist then will contact the parent to gather more information and set an appointment for meeting with the therapist. The contracts and business associates agreements between the school and the agency provides protections in sharing information and in serving all referred students. Parents have no out of pocket expense for services, but will be asked to be allowed to bill insurance/Medicaid if available.