Specialized Intensive Outpatient
The City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health, in its strategic plan, has identified children and older adolescents as an underserved group when it comes to high–quality, targeted treatment services that help them get “back on track” in school and build a resilient life. To meet this need, WES created High School Health and began providing specialized intensive outpatient services at Philadelphia High Schools in 2005. Underscoring WES’s unique commitment to adolescents, it is the only pilot of its kind in Philadelphia; it is designed to service any student who could benefit from supportive counseling services. Emphasizing clinical engagement and cultural competence, the program provides formal group, individual, and family therapy as well as resilience–building interventions to students and their teachers. Recognizing the need for doing more than simply intervening, students and their families are also afforded help in obtaining community resources such as working papers, and access to sports programs and other concrete resources. A psychiatrist is available weekly for routine appointments, case conferences, or evaluations and daily for emergency services.

The program is staffed by mental health professionals, a Care Coordinator, and a psychiatrist. 

Schools: Frankford High School and South Philadelphia High School