School-Based
Services

School-Based Outpatient Therapy is a program that allows for children, adolescents, parents, guardians, families and school personnel to receive behavioral-health treatment at school.

School locations are licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services as outpatient mental health clinics. Therapists employed by Ponessa Behavioral Health hold master’s degrees in behavioral-health related fields (psychology, social work, counseling). Clinicians use strengths-based interventions to empower their clients to face the challenges that they experience in their daily living.

Who can benefit from School-Based Outpatient Therapy?

Some clients are faced with struggles that interfere with their ability to “do their best.” These struggles can be related to a behavioral-health disorder (depression, anxiety, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, etc.), or the result of environmental stressors (divorce, peer relationships, family relationships, abuse, etc.). Parents, teachers, guidance counselors, and even the students themselves often know that “something just isn’t right.“ As a result, clients may be experiencing some of the following: problems with sleeping, problems with eating, difficulty concentrating or staying on task, feeling sad or irritable, loss of interest in activities that have been fun, difficulty following rules, aggressive behavior, or decline in school performance.

Why choose School-Based Outpatient Therapy?

School-Based Outpatient Therapy is a traditional treatment in a nontraditional treatment setting. Students can receive behavioral-health treatment with minimal disruption of their educational day. Our clinicians work with school personnel so that interruption of core educational classes is kept to a minimum whenever possible. School-Based treatment is especially helpful for students whose parents or guardians are unable to get their children and adolescents to traditional treatment settings, because of employment requirements or transportation difficulties.

How are School-Based Outpatient Services funded?

Funding sources include:

* Please contact the office to see if we participate with your CHIP or private insurance provider.

Licensed Schools

The following schools are currently licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services to offer Mental Health School-Based Outpatient Therapy through Ponessa Behavioral Health: