Pine Rest School Consultation Services

Each year over 20 Christian and other west Michigan schools benefit from the services of Pine Rest clinicians. They spend an average of four hours per week working with students and families struggling with divorce, bullying, social skills, death of a loved one, and other personal issues. Students are met with individually, in groups, and as part of classroom exercises.

In addition to working directly with students, clinicians also assist teachers and school administrators in addressing difficult situations, proper techniques to use with hurting children, and hard-to-solve student concerns. They also serve as professional resources for both staff and the community, often providing phone consultations with parents, in-services, and referrals if additional counseling is needed.

Surveys indicate school administrators are very appreciative of the service these Pine Rest clinicians provide their students and community. Comments include:

• "Some of the students we serve come to us with broken lives. They need someone they can share with, that is not a teacher or a parent. Having a social worker on campus gives these kids someone to talk to that understands and can help them."

• "Many of our special education or ADHD children deal with problems getting along with peers and [our Pine Rest clinician] has been a valuable resource in providing counseling for them and support for their teachers."

• "The impact [our Pine Rest clinician] has on our school is remarkable. Not only does she help many of our students, but also she is able to give great insight to our teachers in dealing with difficult students."

"We are very pleased to be able to offer this service to area schools," says Tom Graham, MA, CSW, LLP. "It is a key part of our healing mission. With the financial assistance of the Pine Rest Foundation, we are able to help these schools and their students with a service they might otherwise not be able to afford."