Schools Fall Short: Lack of Therapeutic Continuum of Care in Public Schools

Authors

  • Katherine De Vito Rutgers University

Keywords:

attachment theory, School Social Work, school-based counseling, Attachment Theory, insecure attachment, Disruption in Therapeutic Services, behavioral disabilities, special education, affect regulation, solution-focused therapy, disrupted therapeutic care, therapeutic alliance, gangs, summer break

Abstract

Public schools usually provide mental health counseling as a service during the school year. However, most do not provide counseling throughout school breaks. The risks from interrupted care may become more evident when summer break arrives. This may pose great risk for students, especially those with a history of attachment difficulties, who may decompensate over the lengthy summer break without consistent therapeutic support. This paper discusses school-based counseling, its effectiveness, and what happens when counseling services are disrupted, especially in the case of a student with attachment issues. I will use a case study to illustrate the decompensation of one student over the summer break and why it is vital that public schools offer continued mental health counseling throughout the summer months.

Author Biography

Katherine De Vito, Rutgers University

Katherine De Vito, LCSW, received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Journalism/Mass Media from Rutgers University. She had a career as an editor in magazine and children’s book publishing prior to entering the field of Social Work. She then received her Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University School of Social Work. Katherine has worked as a School Social Worker for the past ten years at Rahway Board of Education at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Currently she is a Child Study Team social worker working for the RahwayPublic Schools arranging and providing training for staff and students, crisis intervention, case management services to special education students, counseling to both general and special education students, and working closely with parents and staff. She also is the advisor of the student newspaper, The Academy Times. Prior to her work at the Rahway Board of Education, Katherine worked at the Mental Health Association in Essex County providing needs assessments, individual counseling for children, adolescents, and their families, as well as individual and group school-based counseling at elementary and middle schools in Montclair. She also provided group counseling at schools in Newark and East Orange. Her interests include interventions in schools for students who self-harm and gang prevention/intervention.

Downloads

Published

2018-04-20

How to Cite

De Vito, K. (2018). Schools Fall Short: Lack of Therapeutic Continuum of Care in Public Schools. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 23(4), 4–19. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/1544

Issue

Vol. 23 No. 4 (2017): Volume 23, Number 4 (Fall 2017) Published April 2018

Section

General Submissions

License

REFLECTIONS:
NARRATIVES OF PROFESSIONAL HELPING
SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY, PUBLISHER 

PUBLICATION AGREEMENT

1. COPYRIGHT: If the manuscript you submit to this site (the “Manuscript”) is selected for publication in Reflections, the author(s) of the Manuscript hereby agree to transfer copyright of the Manuscript to Salem State University, including full and exclusive rights to reproduce the Manuscript in all media now known or later developed, including but not limited to electronic databases and microfilm, and in anthologies of any kind.

2. AUTHOR RE-USES OF MANUSCRIPT: As a professional courtesy, the author(s) retains the right to reprint the Manuscript again after publication in Reflections, in any work the author(s) is sole author, or in any edited work for which the author(s) is senior editor, though the author(s) is required to cite the Manuscript as a prior publication in “Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping.” No further permission is necessary in writing from SSU, nor will SSU require fees of any kind for this reprinting. This statement is intended to provide a copyright release for the purposes set forth in this Section 2, and a photocopy of this Publication Agreement may be used when another publisher requires a written release.

3. READER RE-USES OF MANUSCRIPT: The author(s) acknowledge that registered readers of Reflections and others with access to the Manuscript may use the Manuscript consistent with applicable law including, but not limited to Fair Use under 17 U.S.C. § 107.

4. AUTHOR WARRANTIES: The author(s) represent(s) and warrant(s):

a.) that the Manuscript is the author's (authors') own work;
b.) that the Manuscript has been submitted only to this journal and that it has not been previously published;
c.) that the Manuscript contains no libelous or unlawful statements and does not infringe upon the civil rights of others;
d.) that the author(s) are not infringing upon anyone else’s copyright.
e.) that the author(s) are responsible for any individual or organizational names that are mentioned in the Manuscript, as SSU disclaims responsibility for references to individuals, organizations, facts, and opinions presented by the published author(s) in the Manuscript.
f.) That the author(s) have taken care to ensure that the Manuscript does not contain any identifiable information about clients or patients except as pursuant to appropriate permissions and forms of informed consent as provided for in all relevant laws and codes of ethics.
g.) That the Manuscript in no way violates any individual’s privacy rights.

The author(s) agree that if there is a breach of any of the above representations and warranties that the author(s) will indemnify SSU, including the publisher and editor of Reflections, and hold them harmless.

5. AUTHOR RETENTION OF PATENTS: The author(s) may have, within the Manuscript, descriptions of the author's (authors') own proprietary patents. Nothing herein shall be construed as a transfer of any proprietary right in such patents. Accordingly, the author(s) retains all proprietary rights in any such patents described in the Manuscript, but such reservation in rights does not include ownership of the Manuscript, and SSU shall retain full and exclusive rights to the Manuscript as set forth herein.

6. NOTE FOR U.S. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES: Any Manuscript authored by a U.S. government employee(s) as part of the employee's official duties, must be noted with your submission.

7. JOINT WORKS: Any Manuscript written by two or more authors with the intention that the Manuscript will be merged into one inseparable or interdependent parts of a unitary whole are considered a “Joint Work” under § 101 of the U.S. Copyright Act. This Agreement must be signed by all contributing authors to any Joint Work.

8. “WORK FOR HIRE” AUTHORS: If the Manuscript was written by an author(s) who was hired by another person or company to do so, the manuscript is considered a “Work Made for Hire” under § 101 of the U.S. Copyright Act. This Agreement must be signed by the “employer” who hired the author(s), as well as the author(s).

9. NO AMENDMENTS: This form is not valid if the author(s) add(s) any additional constraints and amendments. Please submit the article elsewhere for publication if the author(s) do not sign the form without alteration.