Services
- Educationally Related Mental Health Services
- Juvenile Court Related Services
- Special Multi Agency Resource Team
- Wrap Around Treatment
- Family Preservation
- Programs in Nevada County High Schools
Educationally-Related Mental Health Services are mental health services that are provided to special education children in schools. These children have Individual Education Plans (I.E.P.) stating that the child needs mental health services in order to learn and benefit from their education setting.
Treatment
The child’s school and his/her parents determine if the child needs to be assessed for mental health treatment. Once this has been determined an Individual Education Plan is written. The schools hire their own staff or Nevada County Behavioral Health staff to provide treatment to these children.
Treatment may include:
Individual Counseling
Counseling may focus on a variety of areas such as education, career, and personal; or be with parents or staff members regarding learning problems or guidance programs for students. Individual counseling supplements the regular guidance and counseling program provided by the schools.
Group Counseling
Counseling in a group setting, provided by a qualified individual pursuant to an IEP. Group counseling typically includes social skills development, but may focus on other aspects, such as educational, career, and personal; or be with parents or staff members addressing learning problems or guidance programs for students.
More Information
Find more information on Educationally Related Mental Health Services by the California Department of Education.
Youth Empowerment Services ("YES") Court
The “YES” (Youth Empowerment Services) Court is a voluntary program for youth who have committed a crime where their mental illness and/or substance use has contributed to that crime. It is a yearlong program involving youth and families in intensive treatment in their homes and community. The program requires regular appearances at court, random drug testing, individual, group, and family counseling and a variety of other recovery activities.
Youth report to the Superior Court on a bi-weekly basis to review their attendance and progress in treatment.
Successful completion of treatment may result in dismissal of the original charges and a recommendation that the Juvenile's file is sealed. 75% of participants in YES Court are able to graduate the program. YES Court is a partnership with the Superior Courts, Probation, Behavioral Health, Community Recovery Resources and Nevada County Schools.
About SMART
SMART (Special Multi-Agency Resource Team) is a multi disciplinary team that meets weekly to discuss high risk children in the community. The child’s family is invited to the meeting.
The Team
The team consists of Behavioral Health, Probation, Child Welfare, Public Health, the Schools, Cal-Works, Family Preservation and Nevada County Wraparound providers. Children are referred through the schools.
Purpose
The goal of the team is to keep children safe in the community and succeeding in school. The SMART committee and the family talk about the child’s strengths, the family and community’s concerns and they come up with a plan to help the child. If a family is interested in such a meeting they should speak to their child’s school administration.
About Wrap Around Treatments
Nevada County Behavioral Health offers Wraparound to children and youth with serious emotional and behavioral problems and are at risk of not being able to continue to live with their families. Wraparound is done with a team of Behavioral Health professionals and individuals who are relevant to the well-being of the child or youth (e.g., family members or other natural supports).
The team collaboratively develops an individualized plan of care, implements this plan, and evaluates success over time. Services are provided in the family home, the child's school or in the community.
The Wraparound plan typically includes formal services and interventions, together with community services and interpersonal support and assistance provided by friends, family and other people drawn from the family's social networks. The Wraparound process, and the plan itself is designed to be culturally competent, strength based and organized around the family members' own perceptions of needs, goals and likelihood of success of specific strategies.
Plan Success
The team convenes frequently to measure the plan's components and relevant indicators of success. Plan components and strategies are revised when outcomes are not being achieved. Treatment typically last for 18 months. Nevada County has a Wraparound Treatment provider, Victor Community Support Services.
Support Services
Some of the key types of community and system supports include:
- Intensive psychotherapy sessions provided by a professional therapist. These services are provided to the child and the family in a non-clinical, community setting such as the home, school or other community setting.
- A Behavioral Specialist who is trained in behavior strategies. The consultant works with the family, school, and others to develop a behavioral modification plan specific to each child.
- Parent Partner, someone with lived experience of having a loved one with mental illness who supports the parent.
About Family Preservation
Nevada County offers Family Preservation to families who have been referred to Child Protective Services (CPS) for neglect or child abuse. This service offers in-home parenting education, family therapy, case management and child psychotherapy with the goal of keeping children safely in their homes.
These services are usually twice weekly, for six months and are provided by Sierra Forever Families. The Family Preservation Program is a key element of Nevada County Child Protective Services Differential Response program and focuses on high-risk families with complex needs that do not meet criteria for CPS intervention. All referrals must be approved by CPS or the Children's Behavioral Health Department of Nevada County.
The Team
The team partners with the family and utilizes the best practices in meeting the unique needs of each family. The team includes a supervisor, therapists, case managers, trainers and a family partner. Services are enhanced by using local community resources to strengthen the family in their community and to build natural supports.
Suicide Prevention
Nevada County Behavioral Health partnering with the high schools have created a peer to peer suicide prevention program, called “Sources of Strength” Youth who are considered leaders are asked to join “Sources of Strength” and are taught how to help their friends seek out help when they are in danger of hurting themselves or others. If you or someone you know is interested in suicide prevention please call Children's Behavioral Health at 530- 470-2736 or email us.
Mental Health Screening
What's Up? Wellness Checkups teen screenings are being offered at your high school.
About the Program
What's Up? Wellness Checkups is based on Columbia University's Teen Screen program which screens high school students for suicide risk, depression, substance abuse and other emotional health challenges.
Screening is provided with the parents consent. The screening is entirely confidential and the parents are notified of the results.
If you are interested in having you child screened please contact Children's Behavioral Health at 530-470-2736 or email us.