If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911. Highland’s 24-hour Emergency Service is also available at 256-236-3403.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911. Highland’s 24-hour Emergency Service is also available at 256-236-3403.
CALHOUN & CLEBURNE COUNTIES, ALABAMA
Highland Health Systems brings licensed, master’s-level therapists into schools across Calhoun and Cleburne Counties — so students can get support without leaving campus, and families don’t have to miss work to make it happen.
For nearly 60 years, Highland Health Systems has been the community mental health center for Calhoun and Cleburne Counties. Our School Based Services program connects students, families, and educators with professional mental health care right inside the school building.
Access to Care is open Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM.
THE PROGRAM
School Based Services bring the care of a community mental health center into the place where children and teens spend most of their day. Through our School Based Services program, a Highland therapist works on-site with students, their families, and school staff to provide:
Our program is part of Alabama’s School-Based Mental Health Collaboration, a statewide partnership between the Alabama Department of Mental Health (ADMH) and the Alabama State Department of Education. Started in 2010, the collaboration now links 122 school systems with 19 community mental health centers across the state. Its purpose is simple: help students in both general and special education get access to quality prevention, early intervention, and treatment services.
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS
A growing body of research shows that bringing mental health care into schools helps more students get support — and stay with it. Here is what experts and studies have found:
According to Alabama’s Commissioner of Mental Health, half of all mental illness begins by age 14 and three-quarters by age 24. That makes the school years a critical window for prevention and early intervention.
National youth mental health advocates report that students who receive school-based services are about six times more likely to complete a full course of treatment than those who rely only on community-based care.
A national study of adolescents found that where mental health services were available at school, students were substantially more likely to see a counselor — and the effect was even greater for students in special education.
A peer-reviewed study of community clinicians placed in schools found differences in suspension and attendance rates for students who received services compared with similar students who did not, along with improvements in parent and teacher ratings of social-emotional functioning.
ADMH has reported that school-based mental health is associated with better grades, fewer disciplinary actions, and improvements in self and social awareness.
Individual results vary. Research findings describe general trends and are not a promise of any specific outcome.
DESIGNED FOR RURAL FAMILIES
Many families in our rural, two-county area want mental health support for their children but run into practical obstacles. School Based Services are designed to remove the most common ones:
No need to drive to an office in Anniston, Jacksonville, or Heflin. The therapist comes to the school.
Sessions happen during the school day, so students lose less class time and parents don’t have to take time off for every appointment.
Meeting with a therapist at school becomes a normal part of the school routine, which can make it easier for students to engage.
The school system makes the referral, and our therapist reaches out to the family to schedule the first assessment. Families don’t have to navigate the system alone.
FOR SCHOOLS & EDUCATORS
Highland Health Systems works hand-in-hand with school systems in Calhoun and Cleburne Counties to build a support network around every student we serve. Our therapists become part of the school team — collaborating with principals, counselors, teachers, and special education staff while keeping clinical information private and protected.
School staff recognize a student who may benefit from mental health support and talk with the family.
The referral is sent to Highland Health Systems.
The assigned Highland therapist works with the family and the school to schedule an initial assessment.
If services are a good fit, the therapist, family, and school coordinate on goals, scheduling, and support at home and in the classroom.
Because Highland offers a full continuum of care, students can be connected to additional services — such as Children’s Outpatient or Project Find in-home services — if more support is needed.
This integrated approach supports continuity of care and helps students build lasting gains in academic, emotional, behavioral, and developmental areas.
ELIGIBILITY
School Based Services are available to children and adolescents in Calhoun and Cleburne Counties through Highland's Mental Illness Outpatient Program. As a state-designated community mental health center, Highland gives priority to students who meet the most recent ADMH-approved definition of Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) or criteria for Serious Mental Illness (SMI).
Eligibility is determined through a professional assessment — not by this website. If you have questions about whether School Based Services may be a fit for a student, our Access to Care team can walk you through the next steps.
Highland serves all residents of Calhoun and Cleburne Counties regardless of age, sex, race, creed, national origin, disability, or ability to pay, subject to available resources.
PRACTICAL GUIDANCE
Stay connected with the school. Teachers and counselors often notice changes in mood, focus, or friendships first. Open communication helps everyone respond early.
Ask questions. If the school recommends a referral, ask how School Based Services work, how sessions are scheduled, and how you’ll be involved.
Be part of the team. Family involvement is a core part of the program. Attending family sessions and practicing new skills at home can reinforce what students learn at school.
Talk openly about mental health. Treating mental health like any other part of health helps reduce stigma for your whole family.
Know your school’s referral path. Work with your school counselor or mental health coordinator to understand how referrals reach Highland.
Share observations, not diagnoses. Describe specific behaviors and changes you’ve seen; our clinicians handle assessment.
Collaborate on classroom strategies. With family consent, Highland therapists can coordinate with teachers on supports that carry over into the classroom.
QUESTIONS
Services are delivered by Highland Health Systems therapists — master’s-level mental health professionals working on-site in partnership with the school.
Referrals come through the school system. Parents with questions can talk with their school counselor or call Highland’s Access to Care line.
Yes. Highland follows federal and state privacy laws. Information is shared with the school only as permitted by law and with appropriate family consent.
Highland accepts many insurance plans, including Medicaid, and offers a sliding fee scale based on household income. Access to Care can review options with you.
Highland offers a full continuum of children’s services and can help connect families to the right level of care.
Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
