Encompass has offered school-based services for eight years, reaching over 800 children and dedicating thousands of hours to provide case management and therapy to children in need. This year, 16 Encompass staff will be working in nine school districts/ schools including Norwayne, Orrville, Rittman, Smithville, Triway, Waynedale, Lake Center Christian Schools, Tuslaw Local Schools and the Wayne County Schools Career Center.
Lisa Haberbusch, Regional Program Director, shares what school-based services entail and how a child can access them.
Therapy in the school setting can be challenging as time is limited and it’s not always easy for youth to share difficult aspects of their lives and then return directly to class. We try our best to create an environment to make students feel at ease and encourage them to open up about their thoughts and feelings by offering comfortable seating, inspirational messages on the walls, soft, soothing lighting when possible and plenty of fidget toys. We use therapeutic play as well as cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavior therapy in many sessions. We also engage youth by following the principals of Trust Based Relational Intervention in order to build attachment with children.
In most districts, the guidance counselors and/or principals refer students to our services. Once we receive the referral, we reach out to the parents to set up an intake into Encompass services. After the initial mental health assessment, a treatment plan is created and reviewed with the parent/guardian and the child.
Teachers often face many challenges in understanding the full depth of the mental health needs of their students. Therefore, Encompass staff spend a lot of time supporting school staff by providing education about best practices in behavior management as well as what to expect from a child with a specific diagnosis or situation. Our hope is to support the teachers and staff so they can better focus on teaching. We often receive feedback from school staff telling us they really appreciate the support we provide to staff as well as students. Sometimes, when student discipline is involved, Encompass staff have acted as an advocate and mediator to help create win-win situations between administration and students/parents. When situations can get resolved positively, everyone wins.
Marnie Reber, Clinical Case Manager, shares, "I enjoy working in the schools because there are so many ways we can collaborate with the staff, administrators, and students. If we are truly trying to normalize mental health, it is essential that many entities work together for successful outcomes. We walk alongside our clients as they move from grade to grade. We help the parents advocate for their child so everyone has a better understanding of the individual situation. The trust and rapport between our agency and the school is the foundation for supporting our clients. We are part of the whole team with the added benefit of being an agency that can help with many outside issues that may be impacting the child’s success in school now and in the future."
Another significant aspect of the Encompass school-based counselor’s job is crisis intervention. We don’t just assess clinical dangers including self-harm and harm to others, but we assist families though the process of getting outside help from the local crisis team or local hospitals. Hospital staff have commented to Encompass staff before that they “did not think school-based therapists would go this far to help a client.” School based services are becoming more and more important because youth are struggling with so many mental health needs that it impairs their ability to be successful at school. If we can offer the service at school, students can get what they need to function at a higher level in their schoolwork as well as in their interpersonal relationships. When we work with children in the school setting, we try to send a message of hope, that they are not alone, and that things can get better. For parents, the message is not much different. We want the parents to know they can reach out to us and we can work on their child’s issues together.
Services for these kiddos don’t just end when the school year is over. During the summer, Encompass school-based therapists and case managers plan, organize and execute 8 weeks of summer programming for students in the districts we serve. The programming includes lessons on hygiene, boundaries, emotion regulation, low ropes challenges, and sensory calming activities. Woven throughout the 3-hour sessions are lesson after lesson on engaging in proper social skills as well as a whole lot of fun! Our summer programming allows kiddos to maintain the social progress they made during the school year, so they are ready to continue growing socially as school begins again.
About the Author
Lisa Haberbusch, LISW-S
Regional Program Director
Lisa Haberbusch, LISW-S, is the Regional Director for the Wooster, Ashland and Mansfield locations. Lisa received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services from The George Washington University. She then obtained her master's degree in social work from The University of Michigan. Lisa has over 20 years of experience working in the field of mental health. She provides clinical and administrative supervision to the outpatient, case management and school-based programs at Encompass locations in Wooster, Ashland and Mansfield.
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