Social Services
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The mission of the Social Services team is to work with all stakeholders to address barriers that impact a student's social emotional wellness and academic success. This mission calls for a variety of services including, but not limited to:
- Brief case management
- Referrals to outside services and resources
- Direct student services (student check-ins, individual student support, and group counseling
- Assisting parents/guardians with applications for free/reduced lunch and state benefits
- Home visits
- Coordination of programs that support students within the school district
- District Flight Team Response members
Meet the Social Services Team
Ms. Bianca De La Cruz- Gonzalez, MSW, LSW
School Social Worker
Susquehannock High School
Bianca.Gonzalez@sycsd.org
(717) 235-4811 Ext. 4599
Mrs. Shabrie West, MSW, LSW
School Social Worker
Shrewsbury Elementary/Southern Middle School
Shabrie.West@sycsd.org
(717) 235-4811 ext. 4671
Ms. Jennifer Zienkiewicz, MSW, LSW
School Social Worker
Friendship Elementary/Southern Elementary School
Jennifer.zienkiewicz@sycsd.org
(717) 235-4811 ext. 2522
Ms. Jill Platts, School Counseling, M.S., HSV Certification
Social Services Coordinator/District Attendance Officer
District-wide Support
Jill.platts@sycsd.org
(717) 235-4811 ext.4571
Crisis Intervention
Crisis Intervention offers services to people by way of conducting a crisis screener to address an immediate emergency and can do the following:- Help you get through your crisis
- Help you to get the services you or your family may need
- Be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Provide evaluation for inpatient hospitalization and help find a hospital to provide psychiatric services if it is determined to be needed
- Can offer options to family members who have a relative in crisis
- Can create and implement a safe, appropriate plan for next steps or future treatment
- Provide emotional support, help identify coping skills, and reduce your tension
Crisis Intervention Resources:
- Sheppard Pratt Psychiatric Urgent Care: Address: 6501 N. Charles Street, Towson, MD; Phone: (410) 938-5302 https://www.sheppardpratt.org/care-finder/psychiatric-urgent-care/
- Wellspan Behavioral Crisis Intervention - York: Address: 1101 S. Edgar Street-Suite C. York, PA.; Walk-ins welcome Monday - Friday; call for hours. Phone: (717) 851-5320 or (800) 673-2496
- Wellspan York Hospital Crisis Intervention - York Hospital: Address: 1001 S. George St., York, PA 17403. Available 24/7 for walk-ins through the Emergency Room. Phone: (717) 851-5320 or (800) 673-2496
- CRISIS Text Line: Text HOME to 741741, https://www.crisistextline.
org/ - National Suicide Prevention Hotline: Dial 988, https://988lifeline.org
- Family-Based Services
- Intensive Case Management Services
- Community Treatment Plan
Mental Health Resources
School-based Services:- Student Assistance Program: The SYCSD Student Assistance Program (SAP) is a systematic team process that utilizes school resources to remove barriers to learning. SAP is designed to assist in identifying issues including alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and mental health issues that pose a barrier to a student’s success. The primary goal of the Student Assistance Program is to help students overcome these barriers so that they may experience social emotional wellness and academic success. SAP teams exist in all five buildings within the Southern York County School District. Referrals may be made by contacting the student’s school counselor or building administrator. Hyperlinks are available for parents to make direct referrals for Southern Middle School and Susquehannock High School students as listed below. Click on the building name to access the link.
Southern Middle School Susquehannock High School - PCBH (PA Comprehensive Behavioral Health Services) – School Based/Outpatient & In-home counseling: The SYCSD/PCBH School Based Counseling Program utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach to bridge the gap between young people who need mental health care, and young people who receive mental health care by providing coordinated mental health services at a licensed satellite office of PCBH in the familiar environment of the school setting. Southern York County School District is fortunate to have PCBH offer satellite offices in all five of its school buildings. Requests for services may be made through the student’s school counselor, school social worker, or building administrator.
Community, County, State Mental Health Resources:
- TrueNorth Wellness Services – Mental Health Services/Autism Services/Counseling/Amazing Kids Club/Substance Use Treatment
- Suicide Prevention of York PA
- NAMI of York - Adams Counties PA
- Prevent Suicide PA
- PA Department of Education - Mental Health and Well-Being Resources
Grief and Loss
- Olivia's House: A Grief center for children located in both York and Hanover. Olivia's House is dedicated to having the capabilities to support the growing needs of the community by facilitating healing through grief and loss education. The center offers a variety of services including grief counseling referral services, grief groups for children and teens, a library of resources, etc.
- Highmark Caring Place: The Highmark Caring Place, A Center for Grieving Children, Adolescents and Their Families, is a safe place where grieving children and families can come together and be with others who understand what they’re going through. An essential community resource, the Caring Place offers services at no charge to grieving families from throughout the community.
- Wellspan: Grief support resources for adults and children.
- Grief Share: Provides a list of grief recovery support groups meeting weekly in York County, primarily for adults and older teens.
- Grief Awareness Presentation: Highmark Caring Place Presentation on Grief (2023).
McKinney Vento Homeless Act and Housing Assistance
McKinney Vento Act Information for Students and Families Experiencing Homelessness:- SYCSD Students/Families Experiencing Homelessness
- SYCSD McKinney Vento Board Policy 251 - Students Experiencing Homelessness
- BEC 42 U.S.C& 11431 et seq.
- ECYEH - Education for Children & Youth Experiencing Homelessness (Resources for homeless families)
- BEC: Surrogate Parents for Unaccompanied Youth
- Surrogate Parent Guidelines
Housing and Rental Assistance
- Finding Your Way in PA App - offers resources and information for families experiencing homelessness in Pennsylvania
- The Next Door Program – Bell Socialization Services – Low income housing assistance
- Community Progress Council - Emergency rental assistance
- York Housing Authority - Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Rental Assistance Program
- HealthChoices Housing Program - Housing program for adults with serious mental diagnosis
- PA State Homeless Assistance Programs - Statewide resource list
- Southern Community Services / YMCA - Utility, Financial, Food Assistance & Holiday Program
Homeless Shelters in York County/Statewide:
Food Assistance Resources
- Southern York County Food Pantry List
- Free and Reduced Meal Information
- Free and Reduced Meal Information Sheet - Spanish
- York County Assistance Office - Medical Assistance, Food Stamps, Cash Assistance
- Compass In PA - Apply for state SNAP benefits (food assistance)
- PA 211 – PA State Resource Call Center - Dial 211 from any phone in PA or use link to access local resources
Utility & Financial Assistance
- Southern Community Services/YMCA Shrewsbury: The YMCA operates Southern Community Services (SCS) out of its Shrewsbury location to provide essential food and other supportive services to residents of Southern York County living in the Southern, Southeastern, Dallastown, and Red Lion school districts.
- Compass in PA - Emergency Energy Assistance, Liheap,& Financial Assistance
- PA 211 - State Resource Hotline and Website
- Community Progress Council - Self-Sufficiency Program
State Health Insurance Programs
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Compass in PA - State website on which you may apply for Medical Assistance, CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program or PENNIE (PA’s Health Insurance Marketplace) insurance programs.
State/County Agencies and Resources
- PA Birth Records
- PA 211 Community Resources Database
- York/Adams Drug and Alcohol Commission - Drug and Alcohol Treatment Resources
- York County Children, Youth, and Family Services - Child Abuse Reporting
- York County Human Services - Overview of Agencies and Services in York County
- York County MH/DD - Mental Health Case Management
Childcare and Early Childhood Intervention Resources
- Community Connections for Children - CCC helps parents find and evaluate child care options and offers financial assistance through the Child Care Works Subsidized Child Care Program
- Community Progress Council- Early Childhood Education/Head Start
- York County Assistance Office - Medical Assistance, Food Stamps, Cash Assistance
- The W. Dale Brougher Foundation YMCA - Y Kids Club Before/After Care (school-aged children)