While other schools may use behavior modification to reduce challenging behaviors, at Westbridge Academy we provide treatment to address core challenges. Our goal: lifelong change and self-regulation!
The clinical team is at the center of that work. Comprising licensed school social workers, a school psychologist, and the school nurse, the team provides ongoing support services and care to students and their families.
Westbridge is unique in that every student works with two members of the clinical team: one who serves as the student’s case manager and another who serves as the student’s counselor. The case manager is the liaison between the school, home, and other stakeholders; the counselor provides counseling at school.
Counseling lets students work through experiences that may have prevented them from being successful in other settings. The clinical team uses cognitive behavioral therapy, play therapy, and other modalities to help students learn to control their behavior, regulate emotions, develop positive coping skills and executive functioning skills, and express their feelings appropriately.
Always ready for a crisis, each member of the clinical team is highly trained to calm a situation and stabilize a student in crisis until they are able to de-escalate. The clinical team is highly visible and approachable to students all day, every day, from arrival to dismissal.
Because the school is small and offers intensive treatment, students have access to their counselors and case managers throughout the day; they never have to wait.
Case managers provide ongoing support to families, and help them access community-based services and family support agencies such as Perform Care, mobile crisis intervention, and outpatient counseling/psychiatric services. They maintain home, school, and community partnerships and host “Bridges to Home” nights, designed to foster a sense of cohesion and a culture of caring within the school community.
The school nurse is an important part of the clinical team. She attends clinical team meetings, collaborates with case managers and counselors, helps families find medical professionals in their communities, maintains communication with doctors/psychiatrists and educates families on medication(s) their child is taking.
Teamwork makes the dream work!!! The clinical team meets several times a week to assess each student’s needs and life stressors that may impact performance and impede functioning. Case managers update instructional staff decreasing the number of behavior incidents among our students.
The diverse student body is our pride at Westbridge. We provide bilingual services to Spanish-speaking families and students. Having bilingual clinicians enables us to bridge the gap between Spanish-speaking families and mental health services. Families feel heard and understood when they can connect and communicate their concerns and needs. In turn, families are more receptive to treatment and interventions that may be recommended.
