By Guest Blogger Abby Schiff

For many kids, receiving mental health services is not something that is easily obtainable. North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, in partnership with Nassau BOCES, has built an expansive initiative known as the Intensive Support Program (ISP) to meet the needs of families in the community.

What is ISP?

ISP is designed to give students who are psychiatrically complex in their needs, meaning they have multiple overlapping diagnoses, access to mental health care. The program is installed in Nassau BOCES schools for this reason.

There can be a variety of factors that contribute to the inability of students to acquire mental health resources, such as time, money, and transportation. “ISP removes barriers that stand in the way of getting mental health services and embeds those services into the school day,” says Alexandra Lo Re, LCSW, Director of Clinical Services of the Intensive Support Program.

ISP is available to elementary, middle, and high school students. As they transition through the years, the program follows them.

“Adolescence is a delicate time for children in general,” says Lo Re. “Throw in a predisposition for mental health challenges and symptoms start to intensify at this stage. It is a delicate time for a lot of individuals. Middle school is where we see the most crises and incidents. It is the largest program and always full.”

When asked about how different kids tend to present their problems, Lo Re says, “The boys generally tend to act out more and have those external outbursts of anger. Girls tend to turn inward, and struggle with self-harm, suicidal ideations, which can be harder to catch unless reported. They are at risk of slipping under the radar.”

What does a typical session look like?

Children who receive help through ISP do not have to leave school or worry about how to get to a clinician. Rather, they get all the help they need during the school day in the school building. Sessions are relatively short, and don’t disrupt learning.

“Sessions are 30 minutes twice a week. They generally focus on whatever the student is going through at that time. A large part of the clinicians’ work is labeling and identifying feelings. They help the student start to name, identify, and learn to work with what they are feeling. They discuss coping skills and how to put them into place. In addition to individual work, the students also have groups once or twice a week,” says Lo Re.

Today’s Challenges

Social media and cellphones are the leading causes of the most prevalent issues in the classroom today. “The inability to put phones down leads to attention spans shrinking, social skills fading, and impulse control weakening,” says Lo Re.

With the growing phone and media use in younger generations, there is a massive increase in social issues stemming from online bullying. Hiding behind the screens, people grow bolder in their online discourse and tend to harm others through hurtful posts.

When asked how phones affect kids’ learning and development, Lo Re says, there is a pressure that comes with having a phone.Kids are never away from the phone, never disconnected and given time and space to build their own identity. She also notes, “In BOCES, there are no phones allowed, and we see improvements within the students’ social interactions.”

Individualized Approaches

Every student is different, and everyone responds to treatment differently. Individual sessions can really go a long way. Lo Re states, “Individual sessions give the students that connection. Many students lack a consistent safe place to talk to about anything. Giving them that space goes a long way in helping them learn they can be who they are.”

Groups are also incredibly helpful for the development of social skills in the students. “Even something as simple as taking a turn in a board game is a struggle for some kids. Playing games during group teaches emotional regulation, frustration tolerance, and how to handle both success and disappointment. They learn how to be resilient and practice good sportsmanship, which cultivates a growth mindset in others,” says Lo Re.

At times, the clinician will give ownership to the group about the activity and let them take the reins. Lo Re recalls, “One group in the middle school invented their own game. They were able to roleplay, act the scene out and work together. It was really lovely to hear about.” The students were able to facilitate their own session and collaborate to have a good time, thanks to ISP. ISP does a wonderful job of accommodating the needs of each specific child when providing resources.

To learn about our lifesaving programs, call the Guidance Center at (516) 626-1971 or visit www.northshorechildguidance.org.