Helping students Nulton partners with NL for mental health services

Nulton Diagnostic & Treatment Center in Slatington is offering mental health services to students in a convenient way.

Since March, the clinic partnered with Northern Lehigh School District to provide mental health services for students during the school day.

The school-based outpatient program is available for any grade level.

Dana Egan, a licensed behavioral specialist, goes into each school Monday through Friday.

Guidance counselors, principals or teachers will identify students who potentially need services. The school will contact the parents, explain the situation and are given options to continue. If so, the office manager will contact the parents regarding insurance and basic information.

Egan will perform the intake of the child at the school, and she will assess if the student needs additional care. Parents do not need to be present during the school sessions.

Initial intakes take approximately an hour. Additional sessions are 30-45 minutes, depending on the student’s attention span.

The idea of this program is for children to learn to manage their lives better, which will ultimately lead into following the right paths as they grow. The sessions cover an array of social issues such as coping skills and becoming more open-minded.

“My goal for these kids is eventual discharge, for them to not need me anymore,” Egan said.

During the summer months, students will have their sessions in the Slatington office. If the student is over 14 years old, they can attend the appointment by themselves. A lot of the patients are able to walk there. Younger children can walk to the clinic, too.

“It’s a sense of convenience,” Egan said.

This is the first school-outpatient program for Nulton Diagnostic. The Slatington office plans to partner with additional school districts in the area.

Even though the people at Nulton are extending their services, they are fortunate to have a good relationship with the Northern Lehigh School District.

“Northern Lehigh has been amazing. They’ve accepted our program with open arms by working around everyone’s schedules so these kids have the help they deserve,” Egan said.

Egan, along with a licensed clinical social worker, plans for bigger expectations for the upcoming academic year. They hope more families become aware of these services to help more children.