Finding Help
Serious
Mental/Emotional
Disturbance
Mental/Emotional
Disturbance
SCHOOL PROGRAMS
If your teen is experiencing or is diagnosed with a serious mental illness and requires a specialized
education environment, contact your school or district office to request an Individualized Education
Program (IEP) meeting. Depending on special education needs, your teen may qualify for classroom,
exam, or assignment accommodations, counseling-enriched classes, or therapeutic day school Compass
Academy in Novato. All of the following is ONLY accessible as referral from the IEP.
Students with psychiatric disabilities are entitled to reasonable academic accommodations, which allows
students equal access to academic courses and activities. The following are typical classroom, exam, and
assignment accommodations that may be recommended in an IEP:
Classroom Accommodations
- Preferential seating, especially near the door to allow leaving class for breaks.
- Assigned classmate as volunteer assistant.
- Beverages permitted in class.
- Prearranged or frequent breaks.
- Tape recorder use.
- Notetaker or photocopy of another student's notes.
- Early availability of syllabus and textbooks.
- Availability of course materials (lectures, handouts) on disk.
- Private feedback on academic performance.
Examination Accommodations
- Exams in alternate format (e.g., from multiple choice to essay; oral, presentation, role-play, or portfolio).
- Use of assistive computer software (e.g., Optical Character Recognition, allowing scanned text to be read aloud by the computer's sound card; or speech recognition for converting the spoken word to printed word on the computer screen).
- Extended time for test taking.
- Exams individually proctored, including in the hospital.
- Exam in a separate, quiet, and non-distracting room.
- Increased frequency of exams.
Assignment Accommodations
- Substitute assignments in specific circumstances.
- Advance notice of assignments.
- Permission to submit assignments handwritten rather than typed.
- Written assignments in lieu of oral presentations or vice versa.
- Assignments completed in dramatic formats (e.g., demonstration, role-play, and sculpture).
- Assignment assistance during hospitalization.
- Extended time to complete assignments.
Counseling Enriched Classrooms (CEC)
The Counseling Enriched Classroom (CEC) program meets the needs of students overcoming significant
social and emotional challenges. The program combines the expertise of a special day class teacher and
a licensed therapist. Students in the CEC have access to educationally-related mental health services,
including individual, family and group therapy.
Many, but not all, Marin County middle and high schools offer CEC. Check with your school district
regarding availability.
Compass Academy, Marin County Office of Education
Located on its own campus in Novato, Compass Academy is an alternative elementary/middle/high
school for student with underlying mental health or emotional struggles. The goal is to provide educational
supports to enable the student to return to a more traditional school environment. We utilize a positive
behavior model that focuses on students making correct choices. Compass Academy is a comprehensive
learning environment with intensive mental health supports. Classroom sizes are small. Students at
Compass Academy learn the skills necessary to thrive in the public school environment. The program
description is as follows:
- Promote positive socialization
- Develop pro-social coping skills
- Facilitate behavior management
- Foster growth and success in academic skills
Compass Academy utilizes a systematic approach that incorporates a point and level system. Each
period, students earn points. At the end of the day, these points are totaled to give the student their level
for the next day. Depending on the level of the student, students earn various privileges. Please see the
point system and level system for more information.
Compass Academy serves students from Marin County in grades K-12. Students are referred to
Compass Academy through their home school districts.
Students complete their core academic subjects through both teacher-instructed and self-paced
curriculum. Individualized computer-aided instruction allows students to research, learn, and enhance
their academic ability. Compass Academy staff provides individual, group, and behavioral counseling.
Students also participate in therapeutic social skills/life skills curriculum.
Compass Academy students will receive academic and other services based on need. Compass
Academy offers a comprehensive educational program in addition to therapeutic services that includes
individual counseling, group counseling, and family counseling. In addition, speech language and
occupational therapy may be provided. This is dependent on the IEP services.
Irene M. Hunt School, Side by Side
The Irene M. Hunt School (Hunt School) is a nonprofit day school that provides students in grades K
through 12 with an IEP experiencing social, emotional, and/or behavioral challenges too acute for them to
function in traditional schools. For those teens who require intensive therapeutic support and an
education plan fitted to their needs.
By referral only from school districts and County SELPAs.