How can I as a student access mental health counseling at GIS?

First of all, I am so proud of you for having enough insight and awareness to know when you need extra support. 

You may either let your parents or a trusted teacher know that you would like to see me OR you can complete the Student Self-Referral Form so that the school counselor may know more about the issue you need support with. 

How private is the information that I as a student share with the school counselor?

Great question! The counseling relationship between students and their school counselor requires an atmosphere of trust and confidence. Students must trust the school counselor to be able to enter into a meaningful and honest dialogue with the school counselor. School counselors keep student information confidential unless legally required or if a breach of confidentiality is required to prevent serious and foreseeable harm to the student or others, or if dictated by school policy.

For further information please read:

https://www.schoolcounselor.org/Standards-Positions/Position-Statements/ASCA-Position-Statements/The-School-Counselor-and-Confidentiality

I am a parent and I am worried about my child's mental health, OR there is an issue that I would like to discuss further with the school counselor. What can I do?

You can either request an appointment with the school counselor via email at: arugk@granadaschool.org OR you can complete the Parent/Guardian Counselor Referral Form so that the school counselor may know more about the issue you need support with.  The school counselor will contact you regarding next steps.

My child has more/higher needs than available at GIS can offer at this time. What can I do?

I applaud you as a parent for taking the initiative to try and meet your child's needs even when their needs are beyond the scope that the school can offer. 

For longer-term therapy or for students with higher needs than can be met at GIS, it is recommended to seek out therapy based on individual insurance coverage.

How can I as a teacher at GIS refer a student that I feel needs individual counseling?

You can either request an appointment with the school counselor via email at: arugk@granadaschool.org OR you can complete the  Teacher Counselor Referral Form so that the school counselor may know more about the issue you are referring about. The school counselor will contact you regarding the next steps.

How can I get access to long-term therapy as a student at GIS?

Although the school counselor at GIS is NOT able to provide long-term therapy for students, she IS able to provide short-term, problem-focused therapy depending on individual student needs. For longer-term therapy or for students with higher needs, it is recommended to seek out therapy based on individual insurance coverage.

I think my child may have a learning disability. What should I do in terms of the next steps?

Good news! Public schools are required by federal and state laws to provide services for children with identified or suspected disabilities. If you suspect that your child may have a learning disability, you should get them evaluated by your local school system by contacting them and asking for an evaluation. This is something that your local school system should provide for free by having a school psychologist evaluate your child for learning disabilities or other mental health concerns. The earlier that they get evaluated the better so that they get intervention as soon as possible. 

Further information can be found here: 

https://www.first5california.com/en-us/articles/public-school-preschooler/

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/special-ed-support.html

As a parent, teacher, or student at GIS can I talk to the school counselor further about an issue that I have?

Of course, you can! You can either request an appointment with the school counselor via email at: arugk@granadaschool.org OR you can create a referral form and the school counselor will contact you about scheduling a meeting. 

Does the school counselor at GIS have regular office hours that I (as a student, a teacher, or a parent) can drop in to see her?

Not at this point in time, but the staff at GIS are working on making this happen in the near future. When we are able to establish regular drop-in office hours, we will update this information on this website. The best way to contact the school counselor at this time is via email at: arugk@granadaschool.org OR you can create a referral form and the school counselor will contact you about scheduling a meeting.