Dear Ettrick Elementary Families,

Mental Health Resources for Students & Families in Need

CCPS is fortunate to have a strong, unified student support services team which includes school counselors, social workers, school psychologists, mental health support specialists, mental health intervention specialists, school nurses and behavioral intervention specialists. These trained staff members collaborate to support students’ social-emotional and mental health needs in a variety of ways.

Our PK-12 schools offer ongoing trauma-informed student supports, such as social-emotional classroom lessons and schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. Preventative and responsive mental health intervention is an integral part of all students' virtual, hybrid, and face-to-face school experiences. As student needs for additional support are determined, appropriate and timely interventions are offered to students and families. Student needs can be communicated to student support services team members by educators, parents, or from students themselves. We ask parents to contact your student’s school by phone or email to share concerns about your child.

All teachers and staff have participated in annual required mental health awareness training to help identify students with possible mental health needs. A monthly student mental health professional development series offers additional training to teachers, administrators, and the student support services team to assist with the identification of and response to students who are struggling to facilitate school-based support for students, collaboration with families, and referrals to outside organizations as needed. Additionally, PK-12 local school and county level student support services team members continue to monitor Gaggle Alerts to involve parents immediately when a student writes about potential safety to self or other concerns on their school-issued Chromebook.

PK-12 mental health support specialists are available to help families identify additional community-based mental health resources for students with needs that go beyond the scope of school-based mental health support services. Examples of community agencies with whom CCPS collaborates regularly are:

• Chesterfield County Prevention Services (804)768-7212

• Chesterfield County Mental Health Services (804)748-1227

• Chesterfield County Crisis Services (804)748-6356

• Chesterfield Domestic and Sexual Violence Resource Center (804)318-8265

• Chesterfield Department of Social Services 804)748-1100

• Area hospitals

Chesterfield Mental Health Prevention Services provides free parent phone mental health-related consultation services. The following fliers detail more information: English Flyer Spanish Flyer

A number of local and national organizations partner with CCPS in support of student mental health and wellness. For additional information about resources to access when school is not in session during the Winter Break, please review Community-Based Mental Health Supports for Students & Families in Crisis.

Take care,

Dr. Smith