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Why should I do it:
IMPORTANT! ONLY speak, interact, contact, correspond, etc, with a student’s counselor, therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, doctor, physician, mental health provider, case manager, etc, when given written consent and permission on a federally, state, and locally approved consent form(s) by the student’s legal guardian, witness, and the relevant party you are seeking to disclose and/or request information from
Provides valuable outside perspective, ideas, strategies, understanding, interventions, etc
Provides additional support for school staff
Injects knowledge and information from an additional professional discipline
Increases the scope and reach of the behavior team
Provides more of a wrap around approach, involving all domains of the student’s life and supports
Provides increased consistency between home and school
Prevents student’s from telling different stories to different people as a way to avoid issues
Helps the school deal with issues that may be beyond the scope and capacity of the school to appropriately address, like suicidal threats
When should I do it:
IMPORTANT! ONLY speak, interact, contact, correspond, etc, with a student’s counselor, therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, doctor, physician, mental health provider, case manager, etc, when given written consent and permission on a federally, state, and locally approved consent form(s) by the student’s legal guardian, witness, and the relevant party you are seeking to disclose and/or request information from
When a student has significant mental and health issues that affect their school functioning
When a student has issues that are beyond the scope and capacity of the school, like suicidal threats and comments, severe anxiety, etc
When a student’s therapist requests to communicate with the school or provides suggestions for how the school could intervene
When a student takes medication for a mental health issue
When school interventions seem ineffective and consequences and rewards do not seem to impact the student’s behavior
When the student’s behavior requires more extensive intervention than the school can provide
When students seem to be telling different stories to different people as a way of avoiding issues or pitting home and school against one another
When a student seems to respond best to their therapist or outside counselor
When a family has a family therapist or case worker involved
When a student’s medication seems to be affecting their ability to function in school
When a student has severe ADHD
When a student has a serious mental health issue, like Bipolar Disorder, Major Depression, etc
How do I do it:
IMPORTANT! ONLY speak, interact, contact, correspond, etc, with a student’s counselor, therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, doctor, physician, mental health provider, case manager, etc, when given written consent and permission on a federally, state, and locally approved consent form(s) by the student’s legal guardian, witness, and the relevant party you are seeking to disclose and/or request information from
Speak with the parent about the need for communicating with the student’s therapist or physician
Have the parent sign a consent form for the school to contact and interact with the therapist and/or physician (sometimes two consent forms may be required, one for the school to release information and another for the school to request information)
Keep a log and notes of all communications with the therapist or physician
Invite the therapist or physician to behavior meetings
Request strategies, interventions, suggestions, tips, etc from the therapist or physician, getting the information sent in written form when possible
Explain to the therapist or physician specifically how the behavior or issues affects the student in school and prevents them from being successful
Relay to the therapist or physician exactly what behaviors or issues are observed in school and what interventions are utilized
Relay to the therapist or physician any observations about medications, apparent side effects, etc
Explain what the school’s goals are for the student and what barriers need to be overcome to achieve them
If a teacher or other staff member is uncomfortable with speaking to the student’s therapist, have the School Counselor, School Social Worker or School Psychologist speak with the outside therapist
Resources & Support for technique:
IMPORTANT! ONLY speak, interact, contact, correspond, etc, with a student’s counselor, therapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, doctor, physician, mental health provider, case manager, etc, when given written consent and permission on a federally, state, and locally approved consent form(s) by the student’s legal guardian, witness, and the relevant party you are seeking to disclose and/or request information from
These resources are mostly geared toward parents speaking to their children’s doctors, but the advice and tips can be useful for teachers, counselors, and other appropriate & relevant school staff speaking and corresponding with student’s therapists, counselors, and doctors
Partnering with Your Child’s School: A Guide for Parents.pdf
The Importance of Counselor and Teacher Communication
Effective Patient – Doctor Communications
How to communicate with your doctor
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