Crisis Services

Elementary Schools

Crisis Quick Tips:

A Psychiatric Emergency/Crisis includes any of the following:

Statements about wanting to die; engaging in talk or actions about activities which could result in serious harm or death, including posts on social media
Statements about wanting to seriously hurt or kill someone else
Out of control behavior: explosive, aggressive behavior which cannot be controlled and/or refusal to follow rules which poses a safety concern, i.e. running away, destroying property

Should a psychiatric emergency arise, your options include:

Call 911 when there is risk of imminent and serious harm to your child or someone else
Take your child to the nearest emergency room, or call Police if they are making threats to hurt him/herself, making threats to hurt someone else or are displaying out of control behavior
Contact county PESS - Psychiatric Evaluation Screening Services (See below)

PESS - Psychiatric Evaluation Screening Services

24-hour emergency mental health care, including risk assessments, screenings, crisis intervention and stabilization, psychiatric emergency services and access to mental health resources; mobile outreach also available, for Bloomfield the local PESS is Clara Maass Medical Center 973-844-4357.

About Elementary Crisis Services

Bloomfield Public Schools employs state licensed mental health professionals for all grade levels. Our Elementary Crisis Counselors provides crisis assessments and intervention for identified at-risk elementary students (K-6).

Our purpose is to support the social, emotional and physical well being of every student through positive relationships, safe environments and inclusive student climates. Crisis services focus on suicide prevention and trauma informed principles that increase protective factors and promote stronger school connections.

The Elementary Crisis Counselors works closely with each school's counselor, who acts as the primary contact for the students in their building. When a school counselor has met with a student who is presenting with emotional or behavioral concerns that may require crisis intervention, he or she will consult with the Crisis Counselor who will then assess the situation. If a student presents as a potential danger to self or others, the Crisis Counselor will evaluate the student and work with the school and family to make recommendations which may include referrals to community resources or possibly to the hospital for an emergency crisis screening.