Laserfiche WebLink
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) <br />SRFC Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative (SS/HS) Connections Grant <br />Partners of Suburban Ramsey County <br />the IMH program. At this point, IMH and school personnel work together to assure that <br />the student's parent/guardian has been asked to sign a release between the two parties, <br />and that a diagnostic assessment is scheduled in a timely manner. If the child's emotional <br />disturbance affects his/her school functioning, the mental health therapist will actively <br />collaborate with school professionals in identifying a student's needs and developing the <br />child's treatment plan. Treatment plans, when appropriate, may include active <br />involvement of school staff. For example, a child struggling with depression may benefit <br />from additional academic help. IMH therapists rely on school professionals to provide <br />collateral information about the student. School personnel and IMH providers often <br />exchange clinical materials such as Individualized Education Programs, school <br />assessment summaries, and diagnostic assessments to aid the child in receiving <br />appropriate services and prevent duplication of service. IMH therapists regularly consult <br />with school professionals via telephone or face-to-face meetings to keep each other <br />informed of developments and intervening factors in the child's progress, and to establish <br />reasonable expectations for children who have specific emotional disturbances. They <br />regularly attend IEP meetings and other joint planning meetings, arrange further <br />assessments of children, or educate teachers on how mental health can impact <br />schoolwork in the school setting. When a child is in crisis in the school setting, therapists <br />often are asked to provide consultation and guidance related to the crisis. <br />Schools will use school social workers, nurses, psychologists, counselors, and their <br />student assistance teams to identify the students in need of mental health services. <br />Mental Health professionals and school personnel will continue learning about one <br />another's organizational cultures, professional language, roles and responsibilities, <br />mandates and limitations, as well as boundaries and expectations. <br />Referrals, follow-up protocol and orientation of new school staff will be reviewed and <br />improved upon through semi-annual school-based meetings and quarterly SRFC IMH <br />Outcome Team meetings. At the same time, schools know the person from the <br />mental health agency who will provide the service. <br />Schools will continue to secure on-site, confidential space for meeting with clients. <br />Schools will also continue to collaborate on providing time for training of school staff <br />in mental health identification and other related issues. <br />The School -Linked Mental Health Agencies will. <br />- Team and collaborate with additional staff and bicultural staff contracted through the <br />SS/HS grant. <br />- Support the SS/HS strategies in each school building <br />- Coordinate with the continuum of mental health services outlined in the grant <br />- Effectively communicate in each agency <br />- Appropriately share resource and referral information among practitioners in each <br />district <br />- Attend the interdisciplinary teams in each district to coordinate services and learn <br />and practice risk and threat assessments <br />- Support resource sharing in each district <br />- Identify barriers and emerging issues and overcome these barriers in each district <br />Page 15 of 16 <br />