School-Based Counseling And Teletherapy Services

Our school-based counseling programs are a collaborative effort between YFS, communities, schools, and families to ensure our youth’s success. These programs include the Healthy Start Building Bridges Program at Roosevelt Middle School, Sherman Academy, and Ocean Beach Elementary as well as the TIDES Program at select schools in central San Diego.

We have a dedicated team of licensed and pre-licensed clinicians, including marriage and family therapists, social workers, and clinical counselors, that are ready to help. We also have a team of clinicians trained in Disaster Mental Health who are on hand to support the community in times of disaster. We strive to meet every individual and family where they are to create treatment plans based on an individual’s strengths and needs.

School-based counseling services are now virtual, accessible across San Diego County and are also available in Spanish.

Services include:

  • Case management – connecting families and students to needed resources
  • Individual and family counseling via teletherapy
  • Group counseling via teletherapy – including social skills, anger management and school motivation
  • Parent support
  • School personnel support
  • Consultation services for educators

WHAT IS TELETHERAPY?

Teletherapy is the online delivery of therapeutic services in a live video-conferencing format. Teletherapy has been around for many years and is an alternative format for a therapist and client to work together. It can be as effective as in-person therapy, and sometimes has advantages over traditional face-to-face sessions. The sessions are confidential and comply with HIPAA requirements to protect your personal health information.


Healthy Start Building Bridges

Healthy Start was established in 1991 through Senate Bill 620, the Healthy Start Support Services for Children Act, to improve student learning and support families. The Building Bridges program is a collaboration between YMCA Youth & Family Services (YFS), communities, schools, and families. This collaboration provides free individual, family and group counseling, case management, parent education, and teacher support to students attending: Roosevelt Middle School, Sherman Academy, and Ocean Beach Elementary.

Cost: FREE to children who attend these specific schools.


TIDES

TIDES is a Medi-Cal funded Full-Service Partnership, EPSDT (Early Prevention, Diagnostics, and Treatment) program that offers support to youth and transition-age youth (TAY) and their families by providing a variety of counseling services.
We serve students and community members (ages 5-21), and their families, who are struggling with emotional or behavioral problems. TIDES therapists work closely with school personnel and community agencies to enhance the effectiveness of therapeutic services. Additional services include:

  • Crisis Intervention
  • Medication Evaluation
  • Medication Monitoring

TIDES Counseling Services are offered to students and families at several elementary, middle, and high schools in Central San Diego.

Elementary Schools

  • Birney Elementary
  • Clay Elementary
  • Ocean Beach Elementary
  • Perkins Elementary
  • Sherman Academy
  • King Chavez Primary (K-2)
  • King Chavez Art Academy (3-5)
  • King Chavez Athletics Academy (3-5)

Middle Schools

  • Roosevelt Middle
  • King Chavez Preparatory Academy

High Schools

  • San Diego High School
  • East Village High School

Cost: FREE for families who receive Medi-Cal.

Contact Us Today

Contact us for more information about eligibility for free services or sliding scale fees. Cost should not be the reason families cannot get the support they need to thrive. We work with families to identify an affordable payment plan.

Contact Us


This program is funded by the County of San Diego Health & Human Services.