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Mental Health » Coordination of Services for Students (COST)

Coordination of Services for Students (COST)

What is COST?

Coordination of Services Team (COST) is a team that serves to provide academic, behavioral, mental, emotional, and overall wellness support and assistance to the students in our learning community.   Our services range from providing referrals to therapeutic services, arranging parent meetings, or finding basic needs support for families. Each school site has its COST team, the team is designed to work together to help teachers, students, and families with a variety of services.

COST teams are comprised of administrators, teachers, counselors, our school site social worker, medical and mental health providers, and partners. A school site team meets every 1-2 weeks (depending on the site) to discuss student and family referrals. The team decides on an intervention and then the person who filled out the form is made aware of the next steps. Each referral is assigned to a team member to help with connecting or supporting the student or family. 

**If there is an immediate safety concern, call 911**

Who is on the COST Team?

The COST team membership varies by site.
  • School Social Worker
  • Principal
  • Assistant Principals
  • Counselors
  • Teacher Leads
  • Attendance Office Personnel
  • District Child Welfare and Attendance
  • Social Work/ Psychology/Counseling interns
  • Site Therapists
  • School Community Liaisons
  • School Psychologists
  • Community Agencies (REACH, Project Eden, La Clinica)

What are the reasons for COST referrals?

  • Academic: tutoring, change in motivation/grades, senior at risk of not graduating
  • Behavioral: tardies/absences, disrespectful/non-compliance, changes in behavior, conflicts/fighting
  • Socio-emotional: changes in student, possible depression, substance abuse, socially withdrawn, therapy referral
  • Home/family/medical concerns
  • Basic needs: housing, food, resources

Who can make a referral?

  • Anyone can make a referral! Typically, teachers are the ones to recognize the need for help, but students / families / staff / CSOs / counselors can also make a refererral.
  • If appropriate, some previous intervention should have been tried before referring to COST (student/guardian contact).
  • The more information we get, the better equipped we are to provide appropriate intervention.

How do I make a referral?

  • All COST referrals are done through a Google form. Visit your school's website to access the COST form link.
  • Most schools have the form on their website. You can also ask a teacher or office staff to help you fill one out.
  • If you, your family, or your student is experiencing difficulty with learning, reach out to your District social worker to complete a COST referral form. Contact Your District Social Worker.
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