Social work or mental health services instead of guidance counselor?

[Mandypenn76]

we are in Coatesville school district (PA) for reference. We have been trying for years to get a relationship with our son and his guidance counselor in each of the schools he’s been in. It’s been an SDI that he can go see the guidance counselor when he wants, we’ve introduced them, etc., etc. But what we can’t get is for the guidance counselor to bring him in or to speak with him. One of the goals on his IEP is to learn to self advocate, which is proving troublesome too because collecting data is difficult for that. But he is not going to request to go talk to somebody, someone’s going to have to pull him in and talk to him
 

The big issue we have is that he’s been bullied in almost every school he has been in. His emotional age is younger than his physical age and now in eighth grade he’s still playing with action figures and getting comments from the kids. Our son will not tell us if he’s being bullied, the only time we know about it is his friend’s parents will let us know if they overhear something. He doesn’t tell teachers, and the teachers don’t report anything (at all!!)  to us.We requested a meeting every other week with the guidance counselor. This was the response I got the other day: 

“I also spoke to the guidance counselor. Unfortunately, they are told not to put specific meeting times in IEPs due to the number of students they serve. But he is on her radar and will schedule an informal recurring 1:1 with N. If we feel something needs to be placed in the IEP, we will have to look towards social work services. Did N ever work with a mental health therapist IN school? We can consider adding a social work screener to determine whether he would qualify for in-school sessions. However, I can see him acing the screener because he is so good at masking his emotions. Let me know your thoughts.”

I don’t know much about social work screeners or working with mental health within the schools because it’s never been an option provided to us. They really just don’t have anyone. Also, he does perform when he knows he’s being screened so having a relationship is the most important thing.

 

I am very aware that I need to request a NOREP about the guidance counselor. But what should I do next?

[JSD24]

"It’s been an SDI that he can go see the guidance counselor when he wants, we’ve introduced them, etc., etc."  This doesn't sound like a good SDI.  He should be accessing the GC when he NEEDS to talk to someone and not when he WANTS to talk to someone.  If he doesn't use this (I think it's an accommodation in the SDI section of the IEP), it should be removed...and possibly replaced with something that will actually work to help him.

So he has a self advocacy goal.  It sounds like this is needed to he can use the SDI/accommodation to go to the GC when needed.  Who has been providing SDI to teach him the skills needed to reach this goal?  How long has he had this goal?  What does the progress report say about  progress toward this goal when you get it (which is everytime he gets a report card)?  From what you posted, you inferred he's not making progress toward this goal.  The person providing the SDI needs to change up what they are doing or perhaps he needs to work on this more often so he can make some progress.

With bullying, it sounds like you have concerns.  You need to write this out into a parent letter of concern (because if it's not in writing, it didn't happen).  It sounds like when teachers see he's been bullied, they need to share that with you.  (Kids are stealth.  This could be happening in stairwells, locker rooms and bathrooms where there are no adults present.)  This accommodation can go into the IEP.  It sounds like he needs help dealing with this so you, the school social worker or GC or an outside therapist needs to help him with this (sounds like he might be internalizing how this makes him feel) so he can work on this.  You could put an SDI into the IEP on this or have him go to an outside therapist - or both.  IBHS through Medicaid could have an MT working with him at home if getting him to a therapist is an issue.  I'm not sure if CASD has clinical people working with students - I'm in WCASD and they have hired clinicians via CCIU to work with students.  A GC isn't considered to be clinical (some may have the training in addition to school certifications but it's not required).  Also, GCs are spread thin and CASD doesn't want to be out of compliance with an IEP so that's part of why meeting with a GC wouldn't be in an IEP.  LCSW & MSW are clinical.

What to do next is write out your concerns & request an IEP meeting.  I don't feel there's a NOREP headed your way given it sounds like you didn't have an IEP meeting.  Do be aware that bullying can be reported anonymously using Safe2Say in PA.  Not sure if this might be a good way for him to report bullying.