Low-Income African-American Caregivers' Experiences of Being Referred to Mental Health Services by the School Counselor: Implications for Best Practices

Tucker, Catherine PhD, Professional School Counseling

Referring students for mental health care is a core job function for school counselors, and one that is often stressful for all parties involved. In this phenomenological study, six low-income African-American caregivers were interviewed about their experiences of having a son or grandson referred for mental health care by the school counselor. Issues of how the participants viewed the school, mental health care, and the process of being referred were explored. Key findings include the caregivers' experiences of alienation in the face of a rigid system for parent involvement in educational decision making, caregivers' perceived lack of power, and caregivers' lack of understanding of …

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Publication information: Article title: Low-Income African-American Caregivers' Experiences of Being Referred to Mental Health Services by the School Counselor: Implications for Best Practices. Contributors: Tucker, Catherine PhD - Author. Journal title: Professional School Counseling. Volume: 12. Issue: 3 Publication date: February 2009. Page number: 240+. © 2009 American School Counselor Association. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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