New mental health care under review
AMITY >> A Reading firm has offered to provide additional mental health services for district students.
Zachariah Milch, M.Ed, outpatient director at Progressions Behavioral Health Services Inc., said Progressions can provide the school district with mental health care not provided by school guidance counselors and psychologists.
He presented to the Daniel Boone School Board at its Dec. 5 Committee of the Whole meeting, the in-school, outpatient behavioral health services/therapy program provided by Progressions.
Located at 144 N. 6th St. in Reading, Progressions offers behavioral health services for children, adolescents, adults and fam-ilies.
Its in-school, outpatient behavioral health services program is provided to 800 students in 33 schools, located in six Berks County school districts.
“That is 800 students that wouldn’t get therapy if it wasn’t for this,” said Milch.
“Our goal is to help students make progress, and to do it with the school.”
He said Progressions works with school psychologists and teachers to develop Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
“We are a resource to your students — to your staff — who have emotional needs. Having it in your building, you know students are getting the recommended services.”
“If it can prevent a student harming themselves or another, it is worth it,” said board member Richard Martino.
District Superintendent James P. Harris said the benefits are twofold of Progressions having a licensed satellite office in the High School and Daniel Boone Middle School: in addition to all students having access to mental health services, students wouldn’t need to leave school to obtain 30 to 60 minutes of treatment.
“The High School and Middle School are concerned that students are leaving and most times they don’t return,” said Harris.
“For full time working parents, who can’t take off work, students either don’t get services or parents have to drive them,” said board President Michael D. Wolfe.
Milch said there is no out-ofpocket cost to students; everything is billed through health insurance.