Let’s face it: we’re all a little stressed out right now. We need to balance our grades, social lives, extracurriculars, and jobs all at once. It’s an overwhelming task, to say the least. On top of that there may be family issues, college applications, etc. If you ever feel like you need a place to confidentially open up to someone about these problems, reaching out to an in-school counselor is a great place to start.

Your Options

There are three primary types of resources available to Science Hill students. The resource most commonly used is guidance counseling. Our seven amazing guidance counselors are the go-to people for almost everything — career guidance, emotional support, class adjustments, conflict mediation, and more. They are also the best people you can go to during a crisis situation. Vising a guidance counselor is recommended if you need any type of assistance whatsoever.

If you begin to feel that you need more rigorous therapy, the in-school Frontier Health counselors are just for you. Our Frontier Health therapists specialize in the treatment of mental illnesses. Unlike most therapists, however, our in-school therapists are free for monthly visits. Frontier Health therapists are ideal for students with mental illnesses such as major depressive disorder, anger issues, ADHD, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, bipolar depression, and schizophrenia, as well as any other disorders which need more consistent clinical therapy. Our in-school therapists are highly recommended for anyone who needs clinical therapy but cannot afford it or does not have time for it outside of school. 

The third resource available to you is our school social worker. She is helpful if you need to find a mental health resource outside of school. She can also help you find resources for other things, such as housing, health insurance, food stamps, and other similar resources. However, she cannot make direct referrals. 

Getting in Touch

You may be wondering; “How am I supposed to get in contact with a therapist?” All three of these resources are available during the school day via appointments. When you schedule an appointment, you will be given the date and time of the appointment. When that time comes, you will be excused from class without receiving discipline. 

There are two ways to schedule an appointment with a guidance counselor. The first is to visit the main office and ask to schedule an appointment. The receptionist can help you determine which counselor is yours. You may be asked which classes you have in an attempt to keep appointments from interfering with core curriculum. You may also be asked for a reason for scheduling the appointment. 

The second way is to email your counselor. The email of your counselor can be found at www.sciencehill.jcschools.org/1/department/counselors. In order to schedule an appointment with our Frontier Health therapists or our school social worker, you must schedule an appointment with your guidance counselor first.

A Quick Recap

To recap, there are three different resources available to you. The first is your guidance counselor, which is ideal for most situations. The second is a Frontier Health therapist, which is ideal if you need consistent therapy and mental health treatment. The third and final resource is our school social worker, which is ideal if you need to find treatment outside of school. All three are free of charge and can be accessed during the school day. Please consider these three options if you need assistance. But most importantly, don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Thank you.

(NOTE: If you have any recommendations for possible changes in the implementation of mental health resources, please contact Dr. English at [email protected]. “We are always looking for ideas on how we can become better. Feel free to come to [us] with comments or suggestions about changes in the system,” Dr. English states.)