Counseling

C.F. Rowley Alternative School Counseling Program

C. F. Rowley Alternative School partners with several other agencies to provide in-school mental health and substance abuse treatment. Our goal is to support as many students as possible by connecting them with needed treatment and assisting them with breaking down barriers to gain mental health treatment. Below are some of the services offered on-site at C. F. Rowley Alternative School.

LSU Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) — Ms. Mel Selby provides year-round, individual therapy to students every Wednesday and Friday. Ms. Selby also provides support and mentoring to staff members on Wednesdays to focus on staff needs or to work with staff to best address individual student needs.

Methodist Health System Foundation — (MHSF) provides three (3) full-time therapists at Rowley – two (2) of which are provided by Louisiana Department of Education grant funding. These therapists work in coordination with the school therapists and the school social worker. They offer mental health counseling to students in group and individual formats, assist in crisis interventions, and educate staff. The therapists receive referrals through the Rowley school counselor (via a screening tool) and by student request. The MHSF Rowley therapists and the Rowley school social worker work in concert to assure that the students' psycho-social needs are met. Ultimately, they assist with the goal of equipping students to thrive in the mainstream school system.

Mental health services are provided to assist with the transition to mainstream schooling at four St. Bernard Parish Public Schools (three middle schools and one high school). Services also include counseling for students who are deemed “at risk” and transfer to the alternative school as a preventative measure.

Group therapy is offered to students at Rowley based on the expressed needs of the school administration, mental health team, and perceived needs of the MHSF therapists. Group offerings during the 2022 - 2023 school year include: cultural adjustment (Spanish speaking students), art as therapy, coping skills via play as therapy, empowerment / career skills, conflict resolution, female self-esteem / social skills, and substance abuse.

Please speak with the school social worker or an administrator if you would like your child referred for weekly individual or group therapy sessions through MHSF at school.