Boulder County Prevention and Intervention Program at Monarch High School
BCPIP is a collaboration between Boulder Valley School District, Boulder County Public Health, Boulder County Health and Human Services, and Mental Health Partners. The program was founded in 1987 to promote resiliency in pre-teens and adolescents by providing school-based, mental health-related prevention and intervention services. These services are focused on strengthening students’ capacities to succeed academically by supporting their social and emotional well-being.
What is an Interventionist?
Interventionists are Master’s-level mental health professionals who are subject to ethical and legal statutes and practice guidelines outlined by their professional bodies and state and federal law. What do they do differently than a school counselor?
Interventionists work in collaboration with the school community to provide a variety of services including: mental health crisis assessments; substance abuse assessments; brief solution-focused counseling; school/community trauma response; referral and follow-up to community agencies or outpatient services, and coordination of community-based services offered on-site at schools; consultation and action planning with school staff for prevention and intervention efforts; peer counseling and mediation programs; psycho-educational support groups; youth leadership/empowerment program support; classroom presentations; provide consultation for in-service training for faculty and staff, as well as provides graduate-level intern training; and consultation for parents around mental health issues. Typically, Intervention staff can provide more time to work in-depth around social/emotional health with students and families, than school counseling staff are able to commit given guidance, scheduling, and testing responsibilities.
Who does the Interventionist see?
Student/family participation is voluntary (cannot be mandated/student must agree to be seen). Services are available to all students in the school community, and are provided free of charge. BCPIP’s philosophy is to involve parents whenever possible. Intervention services are not restricted to students who are struggling academically. However, they may focus on a variety of mental health issues that, if unaddressed, could impact student academic success. A student may seem to be well adjusted socially and academically and still receive services. Some examples include (but not limited to) students with issues related to: adjustment reactions, depression, suicidality, anxiety, grief, social stress, family issues, eating disorders/body image, sexual orientation, and substance use issues.
What is consent to treat and confidentiality?
If a student would like to receive formal mental health treatment in school, and it is determined that they would benefit from this after several sessions with the Interventionist, they can open that student as an ongoing client. A consent to treat and relevant release forms would then be signed. Interventionists must then follow federal laws that outline confidentiality guidelines, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. Anyone over the age of 12 is protected by this regulation and may also seek services on their own. Anyone under 12 must have parental consent to receive services. Excluded from this protection is information that discloses the intent to harm oneself or others, an incident of child abuse/neglect, or sexual assault. The program maintains strict clinical protocols that Intervention staff are required to follow regarding student/school safety concerns.
Monarch High School’s Interventionist:
Karin Dudek
[email protected]
720-561-5643
BCPIP is a collaboration between Boulder Valley School District, Boulder County Public Health, Boulder County Health and Human Services, and Mental Health Partners. The program was founded in 1987 to promote resiliency in pre-teens and adolescents by providing school-based, mental health-related prevention and intervention services. These services are focused on strengthening students’ capacities to succeed academically by supporting their social and emotional well-being.
What is an Interventionist?
Interventionists are Master’s-level mental health professionals who are subject to ethical and legal statutes and practice guidelines outlined by their professional bodies and state and federal law. What do they do differently than a school counselor?
Interventionists work in collaboration with the school community to provide a variety of services including: mental health crisis assessments; substance abuse assessments; brief solution-focused counseling; school/community trauma response; referral and follow-up to community agencies or outpatient services, and coordination of community-based services offered on-site at schools; consultation and action planning with school staff for prevention and intervention efforts; peer counseling and mediation programs; psycho-educational support groups; youth leadership/empowerment program support; classroom presentations; provide consultation for in-service training for faculty and staff, as well as provides graduate-level intern training; and consultation for parents around mental health issues. Typically, Intervention staff can provide more time to work in-depth around social/emotional health with students and families, than school counseling staff are able to commit given guidance, scheduling, and testing responsibilities.
Who does the Interventionist see?
Student/family participation is voluntary (cannot be mandated/student must agree to be seen). Services are available to all students in the school community, and are provided free of charge. BCPIP’s philosophy is to involve parents whenever possible. Intervention services are not restricted to students who are struggling academically. However, they may focus on a variety of mental health issues that, if unaddressed, could impact student academic success. A student may seem to be well adjusted socially and academically and still receive services. Some examples include (but not limited to) students with issues related to: adjustment reactions, depression, suicidality, anxiety, grief, social stress, family issues, eating disorders/body image, sexual orientation, and substance use issues.
What is consent to treat and confidentiality?
If a student would like to receive formal mental health treatment in school, and it is determined that they would benefit from this after several sessions with the Interventionist, they can open that student as an ongoing client. A consent to treat and relevant release forms would then be signed. Interventionists must then follow federal laws that outline confidentiality guidelines, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations. Anyone over the age of 12 is protected by this regulation and may also seek services on their own. Anyone under 12 must have parental consent to receive services. Excluded from this protection is information that discloses the intent to harm oneself or others, an incident of child abuse/neglect, or sexual assault. The program maintains strict clinical protocols that Intervention staff are required to follow regarding student/school safety concerns.
Monarch High School’s Interventionist:
Karin Dudek
[email protected]
720-561-5643
