Dear Parents and Guardians:

As the school year begins we would like to remind you of a unique service provided within each of the District Buildings – The Satellite Mental Health Clinic.  We have renewed the contract with Astor to provide fee-based individual and family therapeutic services.  This year we will continue to incorporate Substance and Alcohol abuse responsibilities within the Astor contract. 

School based services will include group work, such as “Banana Splits,” anger management groups and various intervention responsibilities.  Confidential sliding-scale fee based services (based on income) include individual and family therapy, psychiatric consultation, medication review, and a wide range of supportive interventions routinely available in all Astor clinics.  Much of the cost related to therapy services provided to families last year was billed through Medicaid and health insurance companies.  Each of the 3.5 therapists are available at least one evening weekly to accommodate families who cannot access services during the school day.  Astor therapists receive weekly clinical supervision.   

The clinic must follow all the regulations required by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).  The clinic started in our district nine years ago.  Each of the therapists usually has a full caseload by mid- to late-November.  This project has been recognized as a model program by the NY State Education Department and the Department of Mental Hygiene. 

To access the Astor services, contact the building’s therapist directly. 

The Astor Therapists working with us this year are:

• Lynn Gillard (On-site Supervisor) - Stissing Mountain Junior/Senior High School
• Allison Hults: Full Time Therapist - Stissing Mountain Junior/Senior High School
• Meredith Bodenstab: Full Time Therapist - Cold Spring Early Learning Center
• Amy Duncan: Full Time Therapist - Seymour Smith Intermediate Learning Center

The Pine Plains Central School District is a recipient of a grant to replicate this program in selected school districts throughout the state.  We believe this clinic benefits families and our community.