School & Community-Based Prevention & Screening Programs

Programs & Services
Written By Gavin Mahaley

The purpose of mental health prevention and education services is to promote healthy development and formation of healthy lifestyles and behaviors in children, adolescents, and families.

Trillium’s Prevention and Screening Program addresses the following objectives:

  • Increase awareness of positive health behaviors

  • Promote positive change through outreach and referrals

  • Increase access to mental and behavioral health services through outreach and referrals

  • Identify health risks through screening

  • Reduce stigma associated with mental and behavioral health issues

  • Promote cross-cultural understanding of mental health

  • Address caregivers’ concerns about their children

  • Improve parenting skills and parent-child communication

  • Provide critical information on healthy child development, adult health maintenance and specific mental health issues such as mental health literacy, depression, and bipolar disorder, anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse, smoking cessation, nutrition, domestic violence, and trauma recovery.

The Trillium Prevention program is delivered through school and community-based programs and is currently serving the following school districts:

Multnomah County:

  • David Douglas School District

  • Reynolds School District

  • Centennial School District

  • Parkrose School District

  • Portland Public Schools

  • Gresham-Barlow School District

Clackamas County:

  • Estacada School District

  • Molalla River School District

  • North Clackamas School District

Benton County:

  • Alsea School District

  • Philomath School District

  • Corvallis School District

Marion County:

  • Cascade School District

  • North Santiam School District

  • Jefferson School District

Each Prevention Specialist serving area sites is a master’s level therapist with a solid knowledge base of mental health related issues. We provide high quality healthcare guided by the goals and objectives of the grant. In addition, we individualize services at each site to best reflect a unique portrait of each district and programs needs.

Typical services included:

  • Behavioral health screenings

  • Grief, anger management, transitions, social skills groups

  • Health class presentations: anti-bullying, depression and suicide, healthy relationships, exercise and mental health, substance abuse awareness

  • Referral to formal mental health or alcohol and drug treatment

  • Consultation to school and community teams on developing therapeutic interventions for schools to use instead of relying on suspension or expulsion.

  • Consultation to school and community teams on mental health and wellness issues.

  • Facilitation of student support team meetings

  • Check-ins with students around peer relationships, difficulties with family, or other short-term problems that do not require traditional mental health therapy.

  • Facilitation of the Photovoice Project aimed at decreasing stigma around mental health issues

  • Crisis debriefing and suicide risk assessment

  • Involving students in Habitat for Humanity and other community benefit projects

  • Facilitation of the Chrysalis Group for trauma survivors

  • Writing mental health and wellness blogs for school districts

  • Facilitating the Incredible Years Parenting Group in English and Spanish

  • Providing youth Mental Health First Aid classes to teachers and staff

  • Providing parenting education and support groups

Gavin Mahaley https://gavinmahaley.com
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