Core Team Members

Site Coordinators direct the collaborative action plan at each site and provide administrative coordination. He/she is responsible for oversight of several aspects of the program, including managing the office, organizing staff schedules, and convening regular staff meetings. The site coordinator plays a key role as the point person facilitating communication between the school staff and the Linkages team. Site coordinators plan community outreach efforts, special events, and prevention programming and help orient and train new staff.

Case Managers share in delivering direct services and in administrative responsibilities. He/she accepts referrals, completes initial assessments and provides on-going social services and supportive counseling. The case manager provides referrals to outside resources, follows up on these referrals, and consults with other community agencies. The case manager is a critical member of the Linkages team and is usually involved in the planning and implementation of groups, workshops and special events.

Mental Health Counselors provide a range of clinical services to children and families. These may include mental health assessments, individual, marital and family therapy, and psycho-educational groups for children or adults. The counselor also consults with outside providers and/or school personnel to coordinate care for his/her clients and make referrals, when necessary. The counselor may work with the case manager to help families obtain needed assistance. Finally, the counselor may be responsible for providing supervision to other site staff and/or interns.

Family Service Aides help the case manager in providing social service assistance to Linkages clients. For example, he/she may help parents to identify needed resources, make referrals for food, clothing or housing, or provide information about summer camps. The family service aide may provide or facilitate translation and/or transportation services for parents. The family service aide may also assist parents with applications for medical/dental care services.

School Counselors most often serve as the contact person/gatekeeper responsible for enabling school-initiated referrals to the Linkages program. He/she may also participate in meetings with Linkages staff to coordinate care for students, and to facilitate communication between the Linkages team and other school personnel. The counselor may also help with planning events for parents such as Family Nights or special presentations.

Student Interns support the Linkages team at several sites as part of their graduate training. Interns generally serve in the program for one academic year, and may assist with social service assistance, mental health services, or somatic health care. Licensed, experienced staff members supervise interns.

School Community Health Nurses are responsible for the delivery of routine school health services, including first aid and emergency care for sick and injured students, medication and treatment administration, oversight of vision and hearing screenings and follow-up, immunization review and referral, health education, counseling and case management. Health room technicians assist in delivering routine school health services, and support the school nurse by providing first aid and emergency care and by administering medications and treatment. School community health nurses and health room technicians, employed by Montgomery County Health and Human Services School Health Services, are important members of the Linkages team.

At the two school-based health centers, the school nurse works with the Nurse Practitioner and Physician to conduct physical exams and EPSDT screenings, provide lab testing, administer immunizations, manage acute and chronic illnesses, and provide parent and student health education and counseling.