Mental Health & Wellness

With the safety and well-being of our students as a top priority, we recognize that strong mental health plays a vital role in a student's growth and success. Lakota offers a variety of services and supports to meet the mental health needs of our students.

If a person needs immediate assistance:

Immediate Crisis Response and Consultation
Mobile Response Stabilization Service: 844-427-4747

Consultation Support and Referral/Intake
Children’s Hospital Psychiatric Intake Response Center (PIRC): 513-636-4124

Crisis Numbers

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
Butler County Crisis Hotline: 844-427-4747 or call 911
Ohio Crisis Text Line: Text 4HOPE to 741741

Guidance Department

Every student at Liberty Junior has access to DeMarco Robinson, the School Counselor. Mr. Robinson supports the social, emotional, career and academic needs of students. Should more intensive support be needed, Michelle Williamson, the school-based therapist, can work individually with students who are referred to her service. This is like traditional therapy and is billed through your health insurance, but with the convenience of being within the school.

Sources of Strength

Sources of Strength (SOS) is a building-wide suicide prevention program that uses Peer Leaders to enhance protective factors associated with building mental wellness, reducing suicide and increasing the connectedness between students and the adults in the building. The advisors for SOS are Michelle Williamson, Tiffany Rexhausen, Maddie Barnhill and DeMarco Robinson.

Additional Resources

LJS offers multiple groups, including Companions on a journey (COJ) and the Envisions group, to assist students with meeting their needs. These groups are facilitated by outside providers and a referral has to be made to participate in these groups. COJ is a group to help students with the grieving process of losing a loved one. Envisions group can assist with learning coping skills and life skills to navigate junior high.

School Based Therapy

We want all of our students to be healthy and ready to learn, and we recognize that strong mental health and wellness play a vital role in a student's growth and success. Students who are struggling with stress, anxiety or other concerns cannot focus on school work. That's why we’ve partnered with Catalyst Counseling and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to help increase student access to high quality and affordable mental healthcare.

In addition to their network of school-based providers, MindPeace also manages a comprehensive community database of all the mental health providers in our region, along with other helpful resources to meet the needs of students and their families. Visit the MindPeace website to view the comprehensive list of providers and resources.

What is MindPeace?

MindPeace is a non-profit that serves as a facilitator for connecting its network of professional mental health providers with schools. This allows our district to offer School-Based Therapy through various agency partnerships.

MindPeace’s model involves a needs assessment in each school, followed by a rigorous interview and selection process by a team represented by MindPeace and school administrators, teachers, support staff and parents. Depending on each school's individual needs, the partner organization may be different from one school to the next. One a partnership is selected, the agency will find various therapist candidates to our buildings to make sure they are a good fit for the building.

How does treatment work?

Once a referral to the partnering agency is made, parents will be contacted by an agency staff member to discuss the process and how to get started. Students are able to see the school's licensed therapist during the school day, when it fits best for them within their schedule, or after school hours, as needed. For convenience and ease of access, there is no need for a student to leave school or for parents to miss work to get to another appointment. All services are confidential and are not part of your student's school records.

When should I make a referral?

If you notice any of the following warning signs, consider making a referral for your child:

Excessive fidgeting
Recurring or long lasting anxiety, worries, or fears
A sudden behavior of isolation
Forgetfulness
Impulsivity
Mood swings
Oppositional/defiance
Changes in eating habits
Changes in appearance/dress
Sleep disturbance/new sleep patterns
Hygiene neglect or compulsion
Body dysmorphia
Self-image concerns
Interrupting or having trouble paying attention
Feels or fears judgment
Stressful or traumatic experiences be it current, recent, or past
Hyper-vigilance
Change in friend groups
Statements/negative comments about self
Self-harm behavior
Gender or sexuality is affecting daily normal functioning

What costs are involved?

Families can cover the cost of therapist visits through insurance, Medicaid or private pay options. Each partner accepts different insurance plans and has different costs and fee schedules. Parents will need to discuss payment options and details with our therapist.

For buildings partnered with Children’s Hospital, additional links are provided for financial questions. Please visit Cincinnati Children's website to view a list of frequently asked billing questions and options for financial assistance.

Who are Lakota's partners?

All buildings at Lakota have an in-school therapist available for treatment. See the list at the right to visit the website of any school with an active mental healthcare partner.

What if you are on a waitlist?

How do I refer?

Does my child's information remain confidential?

What is the difference between a school counselor and a licensed therapist?

School counselors serve the entire student population, supporting their social emotional needs while helping them prepare for their future.

Licensed Therapists, based in a school, are called School Based Therapists. The therapist serves students who have been referred for therapeutic services to provide more intensive 1:1 support based on the identified mental health, emotional and behavioral needs.

We want all of our students to be healthy and ready to learn, and we recognize that strong mental health and wellness play a vital role in a student's growth and success. Students who are struggling with stress, anxiety or other concerns cannot focus on school work. That's why Liberty Junior partners with Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center to help increase student access to high quality and affordable mental healthcare.

In This Section

Lakota's Counseling Services

Lakota's Mental Health Services

Meet Our Therapist

Andrea Mallory

Therapist

Andrea Mallory is a CCCHMC therapist working at Liberty Junior School. She started working with CCHMC four years ago on an inpatient psychiatric unit for adolescents, Andrea transitioned to CCHMC OhioRISE program before joining the school-based team last school year.

Prior to coming to CCHMC, she worked as a therapist with Lighthouse Youth Services and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru. Andrea enjoys working with young people and supporting them during difficult times.

Andrea use a strengths based approach to help student see their potential and work towards their goals. Andrea uses a variety of different therapies including cognitive behvioral therapy, dialectal behavioral therapy, motivation interviewing, and trauma informed care to meet the student where they are and help them chart a path for where they want to go.