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Cheltenham SD outlines expanded student-services supports and warns a key grant may end
Summary
The district's Office of Student Services described school-based mental-health staffing, community partnerships and referral data (crisis interventionists, counselors and contracted clinicians). Presenters said a PCCD grant may end and recommended building internal capacity to sustain services.
Cheltenham School District’s Office of Student Services detailed current mental-health, counseling and attendance interventions and urged attention to sustaining grant-funded positions.
Miss Keane, who led the presentation, summarized the office’s mission and the roster of supports: district social workers and mental-health and wellness counselors, crisis interventionists for elementary and secondary grades, contracted Lakeside counselors and a school-based outpatient clinic operated by Child and Family Focus in K–4 buildings, and other clinical partners including 4 Walls, Triumph Counseling and a clinician from We Are Hope. She also listed community partners providing material support, including Cradles to Crayons and the Glenside Rotary Club.
Keane gave usage figures for the school year: "Our crisis interventionist has worked with a 100 students this school year. Our secondary crisis interventionist has worked with 96 students. 4 Walls, combined with the 2 clinicians, are seeing 20 students. Child and Family Focus has had 7 referrals. The drug-and-alcohol counselor has worked with 11 students, and the staff counselor has seen 80 students." She cautioned some programs accept only Medical Assistance (insurance), which limits referrals for families without that coverage.
The presentation noted the district has used grants (PCCD and others) to expand services; Keane said the PCCD grant supporting crisis-intervention positions is ending and the district is training staff and building capacity so supports can continue if grant funding lapses. Multiple board members urged the administration to consider sustaining successful grant-funded pilots with local budget capacity if they prove effective.
Board members asked about overlap in referral counts and whether the numeric totals represented unique students or repeat contacts. The presenter explained referrals are tracked at the individual level for many services but acknowledged some overlap can exist when crisis intervention results in referrals to longer-term partners. On discipline and drug infractions, the presenter said referral to law enforcement depends on legal thresholds; most referrals are handled within school disciplinary procedures or community partner programs.
Board members praised the expansion of counseling and crisis supports, recommended clarity on top funding priorities and asked for follow-up details on program costs and sustainability. Presenters noted ongoing professional development (suicide-risk assessment training via Project AWARE, Title IX training for counselors) and plans for continued progress monitoring tied to IEP and MTSS processes.
The board did not take a formal vote on these program recommendations during the meeting. The session concluded with a motion to adjourn approved by voice vote.
