COUSD Student Services

The Student Services Department continues to grow to serve our students better! Under the direction of the Educational Services Department, the Division of Equity, Access, Outreach & Innovation, and Mental/Physical Health & Behavioral Intervention Support Services is fully operational.

Who is the Division of Equity, Access, Outreach & Innovation, and Mental/Physical Health & Behavioral Intervention Support Services?

Maria Thompson, M. Ed., Director of Student Services, Equity, Access, Outreach, and Innovation mthompson@cousd.net

Donna Maeda-Reyes, Student Services Technician, dmaedareyes@cousd.net
Christine Renouf, LCSW, Mental Health Program Specialist, crenouf@cousd.net
Masters in Social Work (MSW) and Bachelors in Social Work (BSW) Interns

Camille Virata, BSN, RN, District School Nurse, cvirata@cousd.net

Agnes Martinez, LVN, District LVN, eamartinez@cousd.net

Joanne Gonzalez, LVN, Contracted District LVN, jgonzalez1@cousd.net

Araceli Galvan, Health Services Assistant, agalvan@cousd.net

Sarah Mandel, M.A., BCBA, District Board Certified Behavior Analyst, smandel@cousd.net

Behavior Intervention Assistants (BIA)

Jennifer Helguera, COUSD Community Liasion, jhelguera@cousd.net
Greg Solis, PPS, Elementary Counselor, gsolis@cousd.net

Cedargrove ES & Washington ES

Counseling Interns (PPS)
Jennifer Kuramoto, PPS, Elementary Counselor, jkuramoto@cousd.net
Badillo ES, Glen Oak ES, Willow ES

Counseling Interns (PPS)

What is the Division of Equity, Access, Outreach & Innovation, and Mental/Physical Health & Behavioral Intervention Support Services?

Our division facilitates and provides school-based mental health and behavioral intervention support, wrap-around services, and case management for students needing support.

Examples of services are:

• Behavior intervention referrals
• Counseling referrals
• Student health and wellness
• Mental health/therapy referrals
• Community Resource Center
• Family outreach and workshops
• Coordinating services and resources with state, city, and county entities, and community groups
• Foster/Homeless Liaison
• Assisting families with questions and concerns

Please reach out to us if you come across a family needing assistance.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that every Californian can now access free online tutoring available 24/7 through a new initiative offering homework help in every K-12 subject and skill-building resources for adult learners. Newsom also announced $254m in grants to public libraries in 172 cities across 34 counties to renovate and improve facilities across the state. This is the first round of the California State Library’s $439m Building Forward Library Improvement Grant Program – the largest investment in public library infrastructure in the state's history. Real-time homework assistance can now be accessed 24/7 here and on the websites of any of the 1,130 local public libraries around the state – click on the “HelpNow” link to reach a one-on-one tutor. The pilot program led by the State Library offers assistance in Math, Language Arts, and other core K-12 subjects in English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. There’s no age limit to who can use the service. Adult learners can also access writing assistance, citizenship resources and other tools.

https://www.brainfuse.com/highEd/liveTutoring.asp

Jennifer Helguera, Community Liaison

jhelguera@cousd.net

The COUSD Student and Family Resource Center is located on the Royal Oak Campus at

303 S. Glendora Ave. Covina, CA 91724

(626) 967-6354 x50232

Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 3:30 pm Closed 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

• The Center is open and available to assist students and families
• Please use the referral QR or link to refer students and families
• Center staff will reach out to referred students and families to assess their needs

Please send a referral and call ahead at 626-967-6354 ext. 50232 before sending students or families to ensure staff is available to assist them.

• Homelessness/housing insecurities
• Financial or transportation challenges
• Experiencing Foster placement
• Financial & transportation challenges
• Emergency food, clothing & school supplies, and referrals to charities or agencies

Link for the COUSD Student and Family Resource Center referral:

https://bit.ly/3zxQCuo

Greg Solis, PPS gsolis@cousd.net

• Cedargrove Elementary School and Washington Elementary School

Jennifer Kuramoto, PPS jkuramoto@cousd.net

• Badillo Elementary School, Glen Oak Elementary School, Willow Elementary School

Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Interns

Preventative (Tier 1)

Sadness, grief, loneliness

Trouble making friends, bullying issues, inappropriate social interactions

Short-term check-ins or academic guidance

All referrals and requests for assistance must go through the COUSD Mental Health Program Specialist or the COUSD Elementary Counselors. Please do not refer students directly to the PPS/MSW/BSW interns.

We ask that School-Based Counseling referrals are submitted only by school site personnel to ensure proper vetting at the school site.

Referral Link

https://bit.ly/3BFcuGF

Sarah Mandel, M.A., BCBA smandel@cousd.net

Sarah Mandel, M.A., BCBA, COUSD Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), onboards and trains Behavior Intervention Assistants (BIA) who provide students with behavioral support and interventions. Referrals are generated by school site personnel. The Board Certified Behavior Analyst vets the referrals for school-based intervention appropriateness or refers to outside professionals.

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Behavior Intervention Assistants (BIA)

Referrals for:

• Disruptive Vocal Behaviors (shouting, crying, cursing, etc.)
• Disruptive Physical Behaviors (throwing, hitting, eloping, biting, etc.)
• Classroom Management Accommodations

We ask that BCBA referrals are submitted only by school site personnel to ensure proper vetting at the school site: https://bit.ly/3zV8Qao

Christine Renouf, LCSW, COUSD Mental Health Program Specialist, onboards and trains Masters in Social Work (MSW) and Bachelors in Social Work (BSW) interns who provide students with mental health therapy and case management. Therapy referrals are generated by counselors, administrators, and psychologists. The Mental Health Program Specialist vets the referrals for school-based therapy appropriateness and assigns them to interns or refers to outside professionals.

What is the difference between Masters in Social Worker (MSW) and School Counseling/PPS interns?

The MSW/BSW intern program differs from the School Counseling (PPS) intern program. PPS/Counseling interns provide Tier I short-term academic and counseling services and check-ins.

MSW/BSW interns provide Tier I and Tier II long-term (6-8 week) mental health therapy, wrap-around service referrals, and case management.

How to make a therapy referral:

• Ensure the school site administrator, counselor, and school psychologist have been informed of the student's needs.
• An SST is recommended before referral to give a holistic picture of the student and his/her needs.
• Check if an IEP already addresses mental health needs or if an IEP needs to be held to add mental health support. The MSW program focuses on general education students who need school-based mental health support.
• Only site administrators, counselors, and school psychologists can access the therapy referral form. Please download the form to complete it. It is a PDF fillable: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yYMxmOjpE95hNFHakJ-6CwW7ZdRnhPmh/view?usp=sharing
• Complete the form as thoroughly as possible.
• Email the form to mentalhealthreferrals@cousd.net.
• The COUSD Mental Health Program Specialist will review the referrals and contact parents for information and consent.
• An intern will be assigned to the case.
• The COUSD Mental Health Program Specialist will communicate the status of the case with the administration, counselors, and/or psychologists

Some important notes:

• All referrals and requests for assistance must go through the COUSD Mental Health Program Specialist. Please do not refer students directly to the MSW/BSW interns.
• We ask that School-Based Mental Health Therapy referrals are submitted only by school psychologists, counselors, or administrators to ensure proper vetting at the school site.
• We are located on the Adult Education campus in Room C4.
• Please email Christine Renouf at crenouf@cousd.net or call at 626-938-0280 x98226

Charter Oak Unified School District is partnering with Care Solace, an online research tool that assists individuals in finding local counseling-related services to promote mental health and ensure the well-being of the District community. Care Solace services are available at no cost to COUSD students, families, and staff.

To use the program, individuals answer 10 questions and are directed to an extensive list of referrals for care providers. A search algorithm matches individuals with mental health care resources within seconds.

Care Solace generates referrals considering various insurance policies, including private insurance, Medi-Cal, Medicaid, and Medicare. If uninsured, Care Solace also identifies local care providers that allow individuals to pay out-of-pocket for services. The site does not require a username, home address, phone number, or date of birth. Click on the Care Solace logo to be connected or go to www.caresolace.com/cousd

If there is an immediate crisis, call 911. If your child needs an emergency mental health evaluation, you can call the LAC DMH Psychiatric Mobile Response Team 1-800-854-7771 or take your child to the local emergency room. Covina Police Dispatch is 626-384-5808. Glendora Police Dispatch is (626) 914-8250. San Dimas Sheriff Dispatch is (909) 450-2700.

If you are feeling very anxious or are struggling emotionally, contact a mental health professional, maybe via telehealth. You can dial 988 to connect with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (the complete number is: 1-800-273-TALK) or one of our local mental health agencies listed on this page. All these hotlines and referral agencies are open to take your call.

CA Peer-Run Warm Line (1-855-845-7415)Non-Judgmental Emotional Peer Support
As the CA Peer Run Warm Line is staffed 24/7 by trained Peers with specialized training in supporting mental health challenges, we are already seeing a number of callers with concerns surrounding the virus and associated news reports.
The California Peer-Run Warm Line expanded its services state-wide in October of 2019. We are a toll-free service and operate 24/7 and can be reached at:
Toll-Free Number: 1-855-845-7415Web Chat: https://www.mentalhealthsf.org/peer-run-warmline/

Please remember physical distancing doesn’t mean social isolation. It’s more important than ever, right now, to stay connected to family, friends, co-workers, classmates and others through phone calls and online. We can be there for each other and provide mutual support without coming into physical contact. Engaging in activities that are meaningful to you, personally, can also help.
Please contact 211 for assistance with basic needs and other resources at https://211la.org/search-resources

McKinney-Vento Students Best Practices

• Reach out to your McKinney-Vento students and families to ensure they know who you are, your contact information, and how you can assist them.
• Helpful suggestions:
• Use the personal touch:
• Home visits
• A phone call or text
• Zoom
• Snail mail
• Check on their education status:
• Do they know when the school year starts? Have they registered?
• Are there any issues around the School of Origin (SOO)? Do they want to return to a prior school?
• How will they be attending in the fall? In-person or virtually?
• If virtual, do you know what their connectivity status? Do they have working devices?
• Are they fully enrolled in classes and all eligible meal programs
• On track for graduation?
• IEP support needed?
• 504 updated?
• Transportation Plan?
• Know when their birthday is and acknowledge it in a small way!
• Are they connected with local resources in your area?

Please contact Maria Thompson, COUSD Homeless Liaison, or Jennifer Helguera, COUSD Community Liaison, if you have any questions regarding students experiencing housing insecurity/homelessness.

Located at the Charter Oak Adult Education Campus (Room C4)

626-938-0280

Maria Thompson, M. Ed. - Director, Student Services, Equity, Access, and Innovation x98224

Christine Renouf, LCSW - Mental Health Program Specialist/MSW/BSW Intern Supervisor x98226

Donna Maeda-Reyes, Student Services Technician, dmaedareyes@cousd.net

Email: mthompson@cousd.net
Website: www.cousd.net
Location: 1115 East Puente Street, Covina, CA 91724, USA
Phone: 626-938-0280
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/COUSDStudentServices
Twitter: @COUSDServices