School avoidance, also known as school refusal, is an increasing concern for students, parents, and school counselors alike. Students who avoid school often experience severe anxiety or other mental health problems that make attending school feel overwhelming. For school counselors, identifying and addressing school avoidance early is crucial to preventing long-term academic and social challenges for these students. When traditional interventions don’t work, recommending more intensive mental health services, such as a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP), like those offered by Innerspace Counseling, can be a necessary and effective step toward getting students back on track.
Understanding School Avoidance: Signs and Symptoms
School avoidance can manifest in a variety of ways, and not all students will display obvious signs. School counselors should be aware of the subtle cues that may signal a deeper issue. While it’s normal for children or adolescents to express occasional reluctance about school, school avoidance becomes a significant problem when students begin missing school frequently and display an emotional or psychological resistance to attending.
Some common signs of school avoidance include:
Frequent unexplained absences: Students may regularly miss school with vague excuses like headaches or stomachaches, or they may have excessive tardiness.
Anxiety-related symptoms: Students may exhibit signs of anxiety, such as excessive worrying, restlessness, or physical symptoms like nausea, especially in the mornings before school.
Fear of leaving home: Some students express an intense fear of leaving their parents or the safety of their home, resulting in prolonged absences.
Drop in academic performance: Chronic absenteeism and disengagement from school often lead to a decline in grades or incomplete assignments.
Social withdrawal: Avoidance of peer interactions or extracurricular activities may be another red flag for underlying mental health issues.
As school counselors, you are often the first to spot these signs and may play a key role in providing interventions. While some cases of school avoidance can be resolved through school-based support like check-ins with the student, access to a school psychologist, or academic accommodations, some students may require more structured, clinical treatment options. This is where a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) becomes a potential solution.
How Innerspace Counseling’s PHP Can Help Students with School Avoidance
For students struggling with severe anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues contributing to school avoidance, Innerspace Counseling offers a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) that provides the intensive care they need while also helping them remain connected to their education. At Innerspace Counseling, our PHP provides a comprehensive, five-day-a-week mental health program that offers group therapy, individual therapy, family sessions, medication management, and more. Here are some of the ways our PHP can help students address their school avoidance:
Group and Individual Therapy: In our PHP, students participate in group therapy where they can learn from peers facing similar challenges, and individual therapy to dive deeper into their specific struggles. Therapies like Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) help students develop essential coping skills to manage their thoughts and feelings surrounding school, anxiety, and other mental health disorders.
Medication Management: For students who need medication to manage their mental health issues, our PHP provides regular medication management by psychiatrists who can work closely with the student’s treatment team to ensure the best outcomes.
Family Support: Family dynamics often play a significant role in school avoidance. That’s why Innerspace Counseling includes family therapy as a key component of our treatment plan. We also offer monthly support groups for families, providing them with the tools to support their child or adolescent through their treatment journey.
Educational Support through the LearnWell Program: One of the unique aspects of Innerspace Counseling’s PHP is our partnership with the LearnWell program, which ensures students don’t fall behind academically while they work on their mental health. Every morning from 9-11 a.m., students receive academic instruction from a certified teacher and a mental health paraprofessional. The LearnWell team maintains regular communication with the student’s school counselors and teachers to ensure their coursework is kept up to date. This academic continuity helps reduce the anxiety that students often feel about missing school and can aid in a smoother transition back to their regular school environment once they’ve developed the coping skills they need.
Customized Treatment Goals: One of the primary goals of our PHP is to help students work through their school avoidance and return to school. However, the specific goals of each student are tailored to their unique needs. With the help of our team of experienced therapists and psychiatrists, students collaborate to set achievable goals, whether that means returning to school, transitioning to a different learning environment, or developing alternative coping strategies.
Talking to Parents about the Need for PHP
As a school counselor, approaching parents about the possibility that their child may need a Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) can be delicate. Parents may feel defensive, overwhelmed, or confused when they hear that their child might require more intensive treatment than the school can provide. However, with the right approach, you can help parents see PHP as a supportive, hopeful step toward resolving their child’s school avoidance and improving their overall well-being.
Here are some tips for talking to parents about PHP:
Start with compassion: Begin the conversation by acknowledging the challenges the student and family have likely been facing. Reassure parents that school avoidance is not uncommon and that many students experience similar struggles with anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues.
Focus on the student’s well-being: Frame PHP as a necessary support for the student’s mental health rather than a disciplinary measure. Explain how the program will address the underlying emotional and psychological issues that are keeping the student from attending school and functioning at their best.
Highlight the benefits of PHP: Parents may be concerned about their child falling behind academically. Emphasize the academic support offered through the LearnWell program, which allows students to keep up with schoolwork during treatment. Stress that the PHP’s combination of therapeutic and educational support can help the student develop coping skills while staying on track academically.
Provide clear next steps: Offer parents information about how to contact Innerspace Counseling, and let them know that you can help them navigate the process of enrolling their child in the PHP. By being proactive and organized, you can alleviate some of the stress parents may feel about seeking outside mental health care.
The Importance of Early Intervention
School avoidance, if left unaddressed, can lead to a variety of long-term problems, including academic failure, social isolation, and worsening mental health issues. As school counselors, your ability to recognize the signs early and connect students to the right treatment options can make a significant difference in their lives. Innerspace Counseling’s Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) offers a structured, therapeutic environment where students can work on their mental health while receiving the educational support they need.
By working together, school counselors, parents, and the team at Innerspace Counseling can help students overcome school avoidance, regain confidence, and build the coping skills necessary to succeed in both their academic and personal lives. Innerspace Counseling’s PHP provides a pathway for these students to address their mental health issues head-on, setting them up for a brighter future.
Conclusion
For students struggling with school avoidance, the stakes are high. School counselors play a critical role in identifying these students and connecting them with appropriate treatment options. Innerspace Counseling’s Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) offers a comprehensive solution that combines therapeutic care, educational support, and family involvement to help students return to school or find the path that works best for them. With programs like our LearnWell initiative, DBT group therapy, and personalized treatment plans, students receive the guidance and support they need to overcome the barriers keeping them from school and from thriving.
If you believe a student is struggling with school avoidance, don’t hesitate to reach out to Innerspace Counseling. Together, we can help them find a path toward healing and success.