Mental health counselors were on hand at Elkmont High School Tuesday, just hours after one of the school’s students was arrested on five counts of juvenile murder.

Those counselors met with students, staff and teachers who needed consoling after the tragic shooting deaths of John and Mary Sisk and their three young children. It’s not just during times of grief, however, that mental health services are offered by Limestone County Schools.

Superintendent Dr. Tom Sisk said his system has been proactive in regard to handling students’ mental health needs. It offers traditional counseling, telecounseling and a peer helper program that acts as an intermediary between a struggling student and a teacher.

“The kids are trained to be a buddy a student can go to when they’re upset or when something bad has happened at home. (The peer helper) is trained to know how to focus on those concerns and alert the appropriate person,” he said, adding the program was made possibly through a grant from the Jennifer Claire Moore Foundation. “We rolled (the program) out on a pilot basis last year, and we’re expanding it this year.”

Dr. Brad Lewis, director of curriculum for Limestone County Schools, said about 125 to 150 students take advantage of mental health services. He said the number of students seeking counseling is growing simply because more students and families are becoming aware of what’s available to them.

Some students visit a clinic on Elm Street operated by the Mental Health Center of North Central Alabama. The MHCNCA also offers free school-based counseling.

Parents who want a child to receive the services simply fill out some insurance paperwork and give the school system consent to provide the services.

“Some kids just need counseling once a month or once a week, but there are also some extreme cases,” Lewis said. “One of the main obstacles (for treatment) is getting parents to do the paperwork.”

In case a counselor can’t make it to a school to meet with a student, there is also teletherapy, which works similarly to tele-doc.

“We’ve contracted with a company that, in case of an emergency situation, can talk to a student immediately,” Lewis said.

When asked about the need for mental health services in schools, Lewis said there seems to be a growing need.

“Alabama hasn’t really funded mental health and it’s being left up to police departments, emergency rooms and schools,” he said.

Lewis believes the program has seen some success, especially when a student can stay on his or her prescribed medicine. During summer months, the MHCNCA also follows up with students to ensure they are taking their medication.

How does a school system know when a student might be experiencing mental health issues? Lewis said school officials work closely with teachers and school resource officers to identify students exhibiting dangerous behaviors.

“If we see students are struggling, we work with parents to do a referral (for mental health services),” he said. “We try to look for warning signs, and that’s something our counselors are trained on. We have a couple of behavioral specialists who go through training so they can help teachers.”

An organization that helps provide mental health services at Limestone County Schools and Athens City Schools is the United Way of Athens-Limestone County. The nonprofit provides funds to the MHCNCA to help cover the cost of at-risk counselors.

Kaye Young McFarlen, director of the local United Way, said teachers are often the ones who identify students who may be at risk for mental illness. She said it’s important they be identified early so they can receive the care they need.

“Sometimes (mental health issues) are caused by extreme circumstances within their day-to-day living conditions, or they may be predisposed to certain types of mental illness,” she said.

McFarlen said the mental health counselors provide a resource that goes above and beyond what a traditional school counselor can provide.

“We feel good about being able to provide that extra level of service to support that initiative,” she said. “Young people are often under a lot of pressure and they don’t have the best coping skills.”

Parents who would like more information on how to obtain mental health counseling for a student should contact Limestone County Schools at 256-232-5353 or Athens City Schools at 256-233-6600.