Behavioral Health Services

Our Behavioral Health Associates work under the clinical supervision of a licensed therapist. They provide individual counseling, group counseling, family counseling, crisis counseling, risk assessments, safety plans, social-emotional learning interventions, classroom presentations, staff training, parent workshops, and more.

As they work toward completing their master's degree, our Behavioral Health Interns (Pepperdine University) work under the clinical supervision of a licensed therapist. They provide individual counseling, group counseling, family counseling, crisis intervention, risk assessments, safety planning, social-emotional learning interventions, staff training, parent workshops, classroom presentations, and more.

Our Wellness Coaches work under the direction of a licensed therapist and/or Pupil Personnel Services Credential. They provide non-clinical services including individual support, group support, wellness promotion and education, crisis referral, screening, and care coordination.

Our Health Navigators (Inland Empire Health Plan- IEHP) work directly with students and families to provide care coordination and case management. They assist with obtaining health insurance, benefit information, ordering member cards, student IDs, missing immunizations, scheduling appointments, screening, resources for housing/food, and more.

The California Education Code (EC) Section 215, as added by Assembly Bill 2246, (Chapter 642, Statutes of 2016, AB 2246) mandates that the Governing Board of any local educational agency (LEA) that serves pupils in grades 7 to 12, inclusive, adopt a policy on pupil suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. In response to this mandate, and in an effort to reduce suicidal behavior and the impact on students and families, Riverside County Office of Education has developed strategies for suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention, and the identification of the mental health challenges frequently associated with suicidal ideation and behavior.

These strategies are part of our Suicide Prevention Plans and Behavioral Health Crisis Response Protocol. If at any time a student expresses suicidal ideation or behavior, a risk assessment is completed in 4Student Lives. The outcome of the risk assessment determines the appropriate course of action. Interventions for a student who may be at risk for suicide may include: on-site counseling, safety plan, parent/guardian contact, crisis referrals and resources, Law Enforcement contact, and assessment for a 5150. Following any risk assessment, administrators and counselors follow up with the student regularly, providing frequent check-ins and support. Recommended best practice indicates that LEA’s review it’s suicide prevention policy and update, if necessary, every 5 years.

Collaboration is key to the process of ensuring student safety through aligning policies and/or procedures with local county departments of behavioral health. Access to resources, awareness of risk factors, warning signs, protective factors are necessary to reduce risk of suicidal behaviors.

For more information on AB 2246 Pupil Suicide Prevention Policies, please visit the California Department of Education site at CDE Suicide Prevention Page.

Additional resources include: 988 Hotline and NASP School Safety.