Social Emotional Support

JTHS is committed to nurturing the whole child by integrating Social Emotional Learning (SEL) into classroom instruction across all grade levels. Our goal is to improve on skills necessary to build self-awareness, manage emotions, develop positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and contribute to a safe and respectful school community.

As part of our SEL curriculum, students engage in instruction throughout the school year, which includes:

• Suicide Prevention Week – Students receive lessons on mental health awareness, how to recognize signs of distress in themselves and others, and how to seek help from trusted adults and resources.
   
• Red Ribbon Week – This national campaign is embraced across our schools to promote drug-free lifestyles, raise awareness about the dangers of substance use, and empower students to make healthy choices.
   
• Substance Abuse Education – Through auditorium presentations, students learn about the risks of substance misuse and strategies to resist peer pressure, with an emphasis on prevention and early intervention.
   
• Mental Health Awareness Month – Each May, our schools highlight the importance of mental well-being through discussions, activities, and resources that reduce stigma and promote positive coping strategies.
   
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Partnership in Health Classes – In collaboration with NAMI, students in Health classes receive instruction and personal insights from trained presenters, promoting empathy, understanding, and informed conversations around mental illness.
   
• Healthy Relationships Presentation for Sophomores – All 10th grade students participate in a comprehensive presentation on building respectful, safe, and supportive relationships, with a focus on communication, boundaries, and recognizing signs of unhealthy dynamics.

These initiatives, supported by teachers, school counselors, school social workers, and community partners, reflect our district’s dedication to student well-being and the creation of learning environments where every student feels supported, valued, and empowered.
 

At JTHS, Triangle Teams are made up of Social Workers, Deans, Psychologists, Counselors, and Administrators who work together to support students. Each team shares a group of common students and meets weekly to discuss individual student needs.

During these meetings, the team may:
 ✅ Identify students in need of support or intervention
 ✅ Monitor student progress
 ✅ Make updated recommendations based on student needs

This collaborative approach ensures that students receive the appropriate support to help them succeed academically, socially, and emotionally.

JTHS has a variety of group resources available to students.  These group resources are managed in pairs by school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, and other staff members.  Please see the details about the different group resources we have available below.

JTHS Tiered Interventions

Trinity Services
Trinity Services offers outpatient mental health services, in addition to crisis and community support services. Furthermore, Trinity has partnered with the Joliet school district to deliver mental health counseling for students during the school day. This program primarily serves Spanish-speaking students at Joliet West and Central High Schools. Additionally, a therapist is available at Joliet Central to provide counseling services for students involved in the AVAC program. All counseling services are billed through the client's insurance or offered through self-pay options.

Guardian Angel
Guardian Angel Community Services' Sexual Assault Service Center offers individual and group counseling services to victims of sexual violence. Services are trauma informed. Counselors use different therapeutic approaches to help reduce stress symptoms related to traumatic experience. 

BELA Recovery
BELA Recovery is licensed by the State of Illinois to offer a range of substance use treatment services, including intervention, intensive outpatient, outpatient, continuing care treatment, and DUI services to the community. Our mission is to provide the highest quality prevention, intervention, and treatment services for individuals and families in our community. 

BELA Recovery specializes in prevention and early intervention for adolescents and their families and provides on-site school-based services, in-person services and virtual options. We provide these services in the form of community awareness and education and outreach to local organizations and educational institutions. We work with schools, churches, and community organizations committed to supporting healthy individuals and families.

BELA Recovery has a particular commitment to serving the underserved and those who traditionally have lacked access to support and  treatment. As a non-profit organization, BELA Recovery will offer these services on a sliding scale basis based on income.

Will County Health Department School Based Program
The School-based Program empowers students to succeed in school and life by helping them address the life issues that can significantly diminish their educational progress and dramatically decrease the chances they will drop out of school and decrease the probability of the student getting in trouble. The program provides therapeutic services with a minimal intrusion/interruption on the students' academic day.

The School-based Program is located at local Will County schools. Our Master level Will County staff provides Individual and Family therapy on an outpatient basis throughout the year. We work in conjunction with the school staff to provide the most consistent services. Our availability follows the school calendar as well as the school day. The times we are available depends on the individual school’s start and end time. We also offer Individual and Family services at the 501 Ella Avenue location during school holidays, school breaks, evenings.

Aunt Martha’s
Aunt Martha’s Crisis Services offer two key programs designed to support youth and families in distress. The Comprehensive Community‑Based Youth Services (CCBYS) program operates 24/7 for children ages 11–17 , providing urgent crisis intervention for situations like being locked out, runaway behavior, homelessness, or physical danger. The school team conducts safety assessments, stabilization planning, family reunification, juvenile justice intervention, counseling, mental health and substance abuse support, and conflict resolution.  Aunt Martha’s also coordinates temporary placements such as shelters or foster care—serving Cook County and several neighboring counties auntmarthas.org.

The Mobile Crisis Response (MCR) program offers immediate emergency mental health evaluations to Medicaid‑eligible youth. Activated via the CARES hotline, it provides screening to prevent unnecessary psychiatric hospitalization, crisis stabilization, connection to outpatient care, discharge planning, and follow-up psychiatric support auntmarthas.org. Both services include referral pathways to primary care, behavioral health, family planning, and care coordination, with dedicated hotlines for each program.

NAMI Will-Grundy
NAMI Will-Grundy is a new partner with Joliet Township High School District 204. NAMI Will-Grundy has provided a variety of support to our district from meeting with our Pupil Personnel Services team of our social workers, counselors, and deans, presenting at JRECC, and most importantly, sharing the Ending the Silence program to 10th-grade students in Health classes. Ending the Silence is an interactive mental health awareness program designed to help teens learn more about the warning signs of mental health conditions as well as what steps they should take to find support for themselves or their friends. Students had the opportunity to ask questions and gain an understanding of an often misunderstood topic. Our goal is to end the stigma around mental health and reduce the statistic that one in five teens ages 13-18 experience a mental health condition in a given year and 80% of them are not currently receiving treatment.

Thriveworks
 JTHS students, families, and staff can access free mental health services through Thriveworks thanks to a partnership with the Joliet Fire Department and the use of JTHS grant funding.  Thriveworks works with the top 4% of providers who can help with relationship issues, mental illness, grief and loss, child/adolescent/teen issues, stress, and more.  To access Thriveworks, call (855) 707-2461 or visit the Thriveworks Website or contact your student’s school counselor or school social worker. 

Click here to view all other support within our community.

At JTHS, we are committed to supporting the academic, emotional, and social success of all students. As part of our Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), students may be invited to participate in Tier 2 or Tier 3 support groups during the school year. These groups are led by school counselors, social workers, or other qualified staff members and are designed to address specific student needs such as:

• Academic support
• Social skills development
• Emotional regulation
• Attendance improvement
• Coping with stress, anxiety, or grief

Participation is based on student data, staff referrals, and/or self-identification. Group sessions are held during the school day (normally 6 to 8 sessions) and are intended to provide short-term, skill-based support in a safe, confidential environment.

This letter serves as passive consent for your child’s participation.

• If you do not wish for your child to participate in any Tier 2 or Tier 3 support groups, please notify us by emailing or calling your student’s school counselor or social worker.

Unless we hear from you, your child may be included in these support opportunities as appropriate throughout the school year.

If you have any questions about the groups or the referral process, please contact your school counselor or the Director of Student Supports Services at 815-724-1765.

Thank you for your partnership in helping all students succeed.

Sincerely,
André P. Bouey
Director of Student Support Services - Joliet Township High School District 204