Program Summary

School Based Program

  
Program Manager:
Jessica Martins, Psy.D.
 
To Contact This Program:
Call (925) 223-8047.
 
This Service is Offered at:
School Districts in Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and Pittsburg and at our Fremont Clinic and Pleasanton Satellite Clinic.
 
Languages:
Services are available in English and Spanish.
 
Download our Brochure:
 
Services are Provided by:
Staff and trainees receiving supervision by licensed psychologists.
 
Archived Headlines about This Program:
 
Summer Program Description and Registration

School Based Program

A student's social, emotional and academic development is successfully accomplished when there is a partnership between the persons involved in the student's life. A student spends the majority of their time in an educational setting or related environment when they are not in their home. Often persons in education become secondary caregivers. When the people who interact with the student (i.e. administrator, teaching staff, and caregivers) have a common understanding of the student's needs and strengths and what is necessary for the student to achieve success, they can begin to reinforce the student in a manner that will ensure the positive and healthy development of the student's social, emotional and academic goals. To help the people involved in the student's life, and ultimately the student, successfully deal with challenges that may arise, The Hume Center has developed the following services:

Administrative Consultation

In a school system, every principal knows how to manage the school for the benefit of the students. It is the organizational/system pressures and interpersonal tensions among the staff, parents, and students that are hard to deal with. The purpose of Organizational development and Mental Health Consultation is to strengthen the structure, processes and procedures of the school system in order to strengthen the organizational functioning and to understand the dynamics of problematic situations or interactions between people and to develop a response that will alleviate negative outcomes.

Mental Health Consultation to Teachers

The Mental Health Consultant tries to understand the psychological significance of the student's behavior in collaboration with the teacher. They come up with a response that will help manage the student in the classroom. Thus the student is able to continue his/her mental and emotional progress which allows the teacher to instruct more effectively because he/she will spend less time dealing with disruptive behavior. This results in more effective use of administrative and counseling time as students are not referred to those offices as often. The student also develops better self-esteem by being able to function more effectively in the class.

Peer Consultation Groups

The Mental Health Consultant is available to create and facilitate a peer consultation group for teachers, principals, and counseling staff. The purpose of such a group is to present a student who manifests problematic behavior in order to develop a common understanding of the psychological significance of their behavior and develop a response to deal with the presenting behavior. The advantage of such consultation is that everybody who deals with the student is on the same page regarding how to respond to the student and to the people who have a stake in the well-being of the student. It also helps in team building and boosting school morale.

Parent Peer Consultation Groups

Those of us who are parents, or have any understanding of the trials and tribulations of parenting, know that parenting is a very complex process. Each parenting situation is unique to a particular parent-child relationship. In this group, the Mental Health Consultant creates a safe environment where parents can learn from understanding the behavior of their own children and promote a supportive network among the parents. Individual forums are also available.

Student Peer Consultation Groups

In these groups, the Mental Health Consultant creates a safe environment where the students can learn communication and friendship skills in a supportive environment among their peers or to develop ideas and interests while at school.

Early Intervention Services

No matter how much we try to resolve problematic behavioral situations through Mental Health Consultation, there will be students who need more help to deal with their experiences. Through early case findings and collaboration with primary and secondary caregivers we offer brief treatment and crisis intervention services for those students who do not meet medical necessity or who may need services in order to prevent prolonged suffering.

Treatment Services

At times, there are individual needs that may require ongoing or long term treatment. Once a student is assessed and it is determined due to medical necessity that there is an apparent mental health condition, onsite treatment sessions are offered, contingent upon acceptable health insurance coverage and service authorization. Otherwise, referrals to providers and/or clinics in the community are provided.

Staff

This program is staffed by highly trained clinicians. The Hume Center is a recognized internship site and services are provided by trainees (Practicum students, Doctoral Interns and Post-Doctoral fellows) who are supervised by licensed clinicians.

History of This Program

This program started in 2000 with our prevention program through CalWORKs at adult schools and community colleges. After 9/11, we received a grant from Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services (ACBHCS) to implement prevention strategies to schools dealing with the aftermath of this event. Thereafter, collaborations with school districts in Contra Costa County were developed to enhance classroom support in the Pittsburg Unified School District, which led to our present work in other schools in the district. In 2009, with funds from the Mental Health Services Act and the Tobacco Master Settlement Fund (Measure A) awarded by ACBHCS and Health Care Services Agency, we developed comprehensive school based services in the Tri-Valley area. In 2011, through additional MHSA and Measure A funds, we expanded to other schools in the Tri-Valley.