Mental Health Support & School Providers

Mental Health

Mental Health is a person's emotional, psychological and social well being.  It is how people think, act and feel. Mental Health determines how people handle stress, relate to others, and make choices.

Social Emotional development is fundamental to academic, behavioral, and social skills growth.  Strong development of these skills leads to students having self-awareness, social-awareness, emotional regulation, responsible decision-making, and relationship-building competencies.  School Mental Health professionals focus on supporting students to manage and resolve social, emotional, academic, and behavioral concerns that interfere with their learning and functioning at school.  (DCSD Mental Health Services Flyer)

DCSD Intervention team

Our Intervention Team

Social/emotional support and intervention is a collaboration between administrators, teachers, parents, nurses, counselors, school social workers, and school psychologists.  By building student skills in communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity, we prepare students for learning and for life. Our work covers prevention, as well as targeted and intensive intervention for those who need additional support.  

Each school has a building-level mental health team that responds when a safety concern arises and they complete safety assessments in collaboration with their school administrators.  If the crisis is more intense or widespread, the building may also engage the district crisis team.  

District Mental Health Crisis Team

In the event of a student, parent, or staff member death or other traumatic situation, the Douglas County School District's Crisis Team takes action. The school mental health professionals and administrators work in conjunction with DCSD's District Crisis Team, Community Relations department and Safety and Security department, as well as Douglas County law enforcement entities when needed to provide assistance to our school communities.

How to find support and intervention

Each school employs a mental health team.  Elementary schools have at least one school counselor and a school psychologist and/or school social worker.  Each secondary school has multiple school counselors, school social workers, and at least one school psychologist.  To locate your school’s mental health team, please check the building's website. 

Process for Contacting Staff Members:

1. Contact the Mental Health staff member at your school (see your school's website)

2. Contact the school administrator who oversees the mental health staff

3. Contact Stephanie Crawford-Goetz, Mental Health Director: 
[email protected]  720-841-5226

Resources:

988 Suicide Lifeline
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Colorado Crisis Services

Latest Research on Suicide:
National Institute of Mental Health

Back to School: 
Back to School Care Package -
Big Life Journal


Executive Functioning:
Executive Functioning Basics for Parents - English
Executive Functioning Basics for Parents - Spanish

School Psychology Internship
DCSD internship Information and Application Process

School Social Work Internship
DCSD internship Information and Application Process

 

Animal Assisted Intervention

DCSD School Social Work and School Psychology Careers
DCSD Hiring Information and Application Process

Our district is a mutual fit district.  After receiving applications to the social worker and psychologist candidate pools for all open positions in the district,  our first step is a phone screening interview to learn more about your experience, credentials, and preferences.  Once candidates are in the pool, the hiring process moves to buildings.  Principals and their teams reach out to external candidates whose preferences and experience may be a fit to arrange interviews.  Interviews provide an opportunity to make sure there is a fit on both sides for open position(s) in the building. Staff are not hired centrally and assigned to buildings.  

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

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In compliance with Titles VI & VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and Colorado law, the Douglas County School District RE-1 does not unlawfully discriminate against otherwise qualified students, employees, applicants for employment, or members of the public on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, religion, ancestry, or need for special education services. Discrimination against employees and applicants for employment based on age, genetic information, and conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth is also prohibited in accordance with state and/or federal law. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees, and members of the public. The School District's Compliance Officer and Title IX Coordinator to address complaints alleging sexual harassment under Title IX is Aaron Henderson, 620 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, [email protected], 303-387-0127.

Outside Agencies

Complaints regarding violations of Title VI, (race, national origin), Title IX (sex, gender), Section 504/ADA (handicap or disability), may be filed directly with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 1244 North Speer Blvd., Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204. Complaints regarding violations of Title VII (employment) and the ADEA (prohibiting age discrimination in employment) may be filed directly with the Federal Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 303 E. 17th Ave., Suite 510, Denver, CO 80202, or the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1050, Denver, CO 80202.

NOTICE OF DESTRUCTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION RECORDS

Special Education records which have been collected by Douglas County School District related to the identification, evaluation, educational placement, or the provision of special education in the district, must be maintained under state and federal laws for the period of five (5) years after special education services have ended for the student. Special education services end when the student is no longer eligible for services, graduates, or completes his/her educational program at age 21, or moves from the district. This notification is to inform parents/guardians and former students of Douglas County School District's intent to destroy the special education records of students who exited special education services as of June 30, 2016. These records will be destroyed in accordance with state law unless the parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student notifies the school district otherwise. After five years, the records are no longer useful to the district, but may be useful to the parent/guardian or former student in applying for social security benefits, rehabilitation services, college entrance, etc. The parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student may request a copy of the records by requesting the records at this link ( Douglas County School District Transcripts and Records Requests ).