Supports that can be accessed by referral or by reaching out beyond the school level include low incidence services, and specialized divisional staff for consultation and assessment. Additionally, MHCBE collaborates with community organizations to ensure students with more complex needs are supported holistically.
Contracted Low Incidence Services
- Complex Communication Needs Speech Language Pathologist (CCN SLP): Provides consultative SLP services focusing on language and literacy development for students with Complex Communication Needs. Generally these consultations are done collaboratively with the Learning Support Teacher and/or the Learning Services Coordinator.
- Physical Therapists (PT) and Physical Therapy Assistants (PTA): provide support to students with school-based gross motor functioning or equipment needs.
- Teacher for the Visually Impaired (TVI): provides support for learners who have low vision or are blind. They provide training and consultation on issues such as access to the learning environment, assistive technology, braille literacy, and orientation and mobility.
- Consultants for Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH): provide support in optimizing the learning environment for students with hearing loss.
Specialized Division Staff
- Division Psychologists: Students who require support at an individualized level may be referred to for a psychological assessment. A psychological assessment evaluates thinking, learning, behaviour and/or social emotional adjustment. The assessment may include interviews, observation, testing, and consultation with parents/guardians, school staff and/or community partners. Upon completion of the assessment, a student support plan is developed with a collaborative team.
- Learning Services Coordinator: One of the roles of the division’s Learning Services Coordinator is educational consultation to work collaboratively with school-based teams to develop inclusive educational programs for students with complex disability related needs who require short or long-term specialized and/or individualized support (educational, regulatory, and/or social-emotional).
Community Collaboration: The most effective collaborative support doesn’t disappear when a student walks off the school grounds. For students who require support beyond the school setting to be successful in school and life, MHCBE will work with all relevant parties in the identification, development, and implementation of support plans and to reduce barriers that may exist between services. Partners that MHCBE collaborates with include:
- Family Support for Children with Disabilities
- Alberta Health Services
- Doctors, Pediatricians, Child Psychiatrist
- Regional AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) Team
- Clinics (examples: FASD Clinic, Behavioural-Diagnostic Clinic)
- Children’s Allied Health Service (formerly known as CHADS)
- Addiction and Mental Health
- Alberta Children’s Hospital
- Child and Family Services
- Medicine Hat Police
- Community Agencies (examples: Bridges, McMann, CMHA and more)
- Others as needed