Mental Health

At Albertville City Schools, we are deeply committed to the mental health and well-being of our students. Our goal is to provide comprehensive mental health resources and support to help students thrive. Through collaborative efforts with parents and tailored services, we aim to ensure that every student receives the care and guidance they need. 

• Mental Health Facts: Children and Teens
• Getting the Right Start: A Student Guide to Mental Health
• The Teen Brain: 6 Things to Know
• How to Respond to Self-Harm
• Mental Health Literacy
• Finding Help: When to Get It and Where to Go

Mental Health Services Permission

School systems across Alabama are now required to obtain written parent permission to allow students under the age of 14 to participate in school-based mental health services. While Albertville City Schools has historically followed the practice of obtaining written parent permission for ongoing counseling and/or mental health services, we now must have a specific "opt-In" document signed by parents. The information will go home with students in grades K-8 with orientation and beginning-of-the-year paperwork.

Parents can choose to opt-in to the services listed on the form. Please understand that checking the box and signing the form does not mean that your child will receive those services. It means that we can provide those services if they are needed. If a student is determined to need a mental health service listed on the form, parents will be contacted by the school counselor or other staff member. Specific information about the purpose and length of service will be provided to the parent, and the parent will sign additional paperwork giving specific permission.

We always want parents to be aware of how their student is doing in school and of ways in which the school and parents can work together to help students reach their full potential. Students will continue to receive classroom guidance lessons, crisis intervention and occasional as-needed counselor visits, regardless of opt-in status. Please direct any questions to your child's school counselor or Counseling and Mental Health Services Coordinator.

Suicide Prevention

Most suicidal people show signs that they are thinking about suicide. Know the signs, start the conversation and get help. One small act can make a difference.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provide free and confidential emotional support to people in a suicidal crisis or emotional distress in the United States 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

• Here are some ways parents can help prevent teen suicide.
• These behaviors may be some of the signs that someone is thinking about suicide.
• Here are Five Action Steps for Helping Someone in Emotional Pain.
• Marshall County Health Resource List

Known as the Jason Flatt Act, Alabama law requires that schools implement programs and processes to prevent student suicide. In 2021, the Alabama State Department of Education released a model policy for how school districts should prevent and intervene in situations involving suicide. Albertville City Schools follows its Student Safety Protocol when students may be at risk of harming themselves or others.