YES partners with the Lake Washington and Bellevue School Districts to provide on-site, dually-licensed mental health and substance use counselors to support student mental health and substance use challenges.
Not all of the services and programs are offered within each school. To learn more about what is available at your child’s school, please contact the school administration or school counselor.
Services are available to all students at no cost whether you have previously met with the YES Counselor at your school or not.
SCHOOL-YEAR SERVICES & PROGRAMS
IN-SCHOOL COUNSELING SERVICES
YES behavioral health support specialists, dually-licensed in both mental health and substance use, work within the Lake Washington and Bellevue School District middle and high schools to provide a full spectrum of services to students free of charge.
Services include on-site screenings and assessments, short-term individual and/or group counseling, response to disciplinary infractions, suicide risk assessments, and educational presentation on mental health and substance use challenges to students, school staff and parents.
ALCOHOL DRUG EDUCATION CLASS (ADEC)
A three-hour intervention class that teaches youth and their parents/caregivers about the impact of substance use, including nicotine, alcohol, cannabis and other substances. The class is open to the community and is FREE.
Upcoming dates:
Saturday, March 25, 2023
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Saturday, April 22, 2023
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Saturday, May 20, 2023
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Saturday, June 17, 2023
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Classes are from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (currently virtual only)
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
IN-SCHOOL SUPPORT GROUPS
YES offers school-based Wednesday support groups to help students with substance use challenges.
Groups are open to all high school and high school level choice school students in LWSD.
Recovery Group
Students who are working toward or are in recovery from substance use. Learn healthy coping skills and tools, along with mindfulness strategies on how to support present and future goals of not using substances. This is an ongoing group, you can join at any time.
Affected Others Group
This group is for students who are affected by others’ substance use. A confidential space to explore and express feelings, build community, and reduce feelings of isolation. Also, a space to feel empowered and have fun. This is an ongoing group, you can join at any time.
Quit Vaping Now
Students who are wanting to work towards not using nicotine products of any kind. Building motivation to quit by recognizing triggers, learning mindfulness strategies to reduce stress, and creating steps for success with realistic goals. The 4-week series starts again on the first Wednesday of every month.
To participate in any of these groups contact your school counselor and they will make a referral to the YES Behavioral Health Support Specialist or Prevention Intervention Specialist at your school.
LONGER-TERM, FEE-BASED COUNSELING
In order to decrease the barriers to accessing services outside school grounds YES also provides longer-term, fee-based 1-to-1 counseling by Masters-level therapists and professional Masters-level interns. This weekly intensive individual counseling supports students who are unable to access services outside of school.
Fee-based counseling is dependent on availability and is billed to insurance or Medicaid.
Web Series
DBT SKILLS WEB SERIES
Join YES counselors Cailyn and Delaney in creating a toolbox full of skills to use in everyday life in this pre-recorded 16-week web series.
Start by building a foundation with Mindfulness, then establish your own shelter to weather the storms with Distress Tolerance, then discuss Emotional Regulation to feel more at home in your own head, and end the series looking outside ourselves with Interpersonal Effectiveness to link to our communities.
This web series is rooted in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and involves activities, worksheets, and helpful tips. Each webisode includes 30-40 minutes of content.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SUPPORT SPECIALISTS
Behavioral Health Support Specialists are dually-licensed mental health and substance use counselors who work within elementary, middle, and high schools to provide a full spectrum of services to students at no charge.
Services and programs may include:
- Screenings and assessments for mental health and substance use issues
- Early intervention – Through programs such as SBIRT, universal mental health, and substance use screenings
- Support groups including Affected Others, Recovery, and Nicotine Cessation
- Short-term individual and/ or group counseling and support
- Response to disciplinary infractions
- Suicide risk assessments
- Educational presentations for school staff, students, and parents on mental health and substance use-related issues
- Referrals to community resources, including ongoing care at YES
- Parental support through consultation, education and resource referrals