Counseling and Mental Health
Meeting the social and emotional needs of people is a high priority of Franziska Racker Centers. Counseling for School Success offers programs in partnership with Tompkins Seneca Tioga TST and Onandaga Cortland Madison OCM BOCES and the local school districts to help young people with emotional and behavioral needs. Among our services, we offer psychological assessments, individual and group counseling, family support, classroom consultations, psychiatric services and supported after-school activities in the community. Our programs offer opportunities for the development of a better understanding of the needs of students and improved interpersonal skills, problem-solving abilities and management of strong emotions. Our hope is that our support will lead to increased school success for the students we serve.
Counseling for School Success includes the following programs: 
Turning Point (TST and OCM BOCES)- A day treatment program licensed by the New York State Office of Mental Health, we work with students referred by their school districts who have had a significant history of emotional and behavioral needs. Our students are in need of comprehensive mental health services that are integrated into their academic program. Our high level of staffing allows us to provide an intensive level of assessment, mental health support and skill building. The goal is to offer longer term services and transition students when they are likely to be successful in their home schools.
Cortland After Hours - The After Hours program offers students with social emotional needs a supported after school activity in the community. Our goal is to assist students who would otherwise not be able to pursue an area of interest that may be highly motivating to them. Financial support, transportation and case management support is offered to students who participate.
Lighthouse Classroom - This voluntary program provides a short-term school alternative for kids experiencing emotional trauma or crisis in their lives. Students in this program work in a BOCES classroom with a certified teacher, a special education monitor and clinical social worker. The goal is to stabilize the student and lay the groundwork for future academic success so that the student can be safely transitioned back to his or her home school.
Possibilities Program- A sister program to the Lighthouse classroom, Possibilities provides outreach and intensive intervention to the many kids in crisis who are best served by remaining in their original classroom setting. Students in this program still receive some additional services, such as assessment and diagnosis, intensive case management and referral services, and goal-oriented, short-term counseling.
Resources:
Mentalhealthconnect.org offers easy access to a variety of referral resources, forms, and information about effective strategies for caring for young people with mental health concerns. The site also contains news articles, contact information for service organizations and a local calendar of events. The website is the first dynamic resource of this kind throughout this region serving mental health professionals, teachers, school districts and other community providers.
"Problems or Possibilities?" Now on DVD
A performance art piece developed through the collaborative efforts of our staff and other mental health professionals in our community, the original performance was documented by the Park School of Communication at Ithaca College to create a learning tool for health professionals, families and students. To learn more click here
