BAYVIEW, Va. Beginning this fall, every middle school in the Chesapeake Shore region will have an Osprey Point counselor on campus.
A three-year grant announced this week will fund the expansion of the organization’s school-based counseling program from three pilot schools to all nine middle schools across the region’s school divisions.
School-based counselors see students right where the school day happens. A student can meet their counselor between classes, without a car ride, a waiting room, or a missed afternoon.
“The pilot taught us something simple,” said Dr. Amara Fielding, Osprey Point’s executive director. “When the counselor is down the hall, students actually go. Attendance at first appointments in our pilot schools was nearly double our clinic rate.”
What families can expect
- Counseling happens at school, during school hours, in a private room
- Parents and guardians give consent and stay involved in care
- There is no cost to families for school-based sessions
- Students needing more support are connected to Osprey Point’s full services, with the school counselor walking alongside
The program focuses on the middle school years deliberately. Early adolescence is when many mental health needs first surface, and early support changes the trajectory.
Families with questions can talk with their school’s front office or call Heron Point Family Services at (757) 555-0189. Enrollment information will come home in September backpack mail.