NYSAC News
You Are Here:
County Collaboration Helps Children
By Michael G. O’Leary, DSW
Director of Community Services
Columbia County
Columbia County is celebrating twenty-years of operation of the School and Community Services Project, a unique collaboration that began with the Task Force on Integrated Projects sponsored by four State agencies. The School and Community Services Project provides counseling services to children in school regardless of presenting primary diagnosis. The program’s child-centered approach was intentionally developed to contrast the traditional diagnosis-focused approach. Twenty years later this view is more widely accepted in recognition of so-called “cross-systems” children.
The School and Community Services Project continues today as a school-based prevention-intervention program licensed by the New York State Office of Alcohol and Substance
Abuse Services. The program has a presence in six Columbia County school districts. The collaborative brings together staff from the Catholic Charities of Columbia & Greene Counties, Twin County Recovery Services and the Columbia County Mental Health Center. Funding is likewise shared through State aid from the NYS Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services, contributions from school districts as well as Columbia County. This collaborative brings together the expertise of three specialty agencies and accepts referrals from teachers and school administrators who identify children who are at risk for substance abuse problems and likely out-of-home placement.
During the school year the School and Community Services Project provides school-based individual, group and family counseling, advocacy, case management and linkage to community
resources. During the summer months, the Project provides a positive alternative program that includes hiking, caving, low and high ropes and other outdoor adventure activities. These students typically would not have any recreational outlet if they were not involved with the Project.
But beyond recreation, this program assures pro-social experiences that are generalized to other domains of the child’s life.
The School and Community Services Project emphasizes activities that present varying levels of individual and group challenge. Participants build self-confidence and improve skills of trust, communication, problem solving and team work. Group leaders assist participants in the transfer of these skills to promote improved functioning within the home, school and community. It is through this process that participants learn about appropriate risk-taking from which further growth and responsibility occur. Additionally, given the fact that this program is not limited to the school year, counselors are able to monitor students during the risky summer months.
The results are impressive with increased school attendance, improved social affiliations and improved academic performance.
The key has been collaboration: State support, school district support, private sector involvement and county leadership.