SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELORS
Working in partnership with the Mercer Island School District, professional mental health counselors are on site at each public school to provide counseling services for children, adolescents and their families regarding personal difficulties, emotional and interpersonal development and substance abuse services.
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COURT DIVERSION
Diversion is a legal process whereby youth alleged to have committed certain misdemeanors are offered an alternative to the formal Juvenile Court system. In addition to the formal diversion process, MIYFS has worked with the Mercer Island Police to develop the Early Intervention Program.
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1713
student counselling sessions
5
recidivism rate
1400
consultations
98
Seniors Helped
Frequently Asked Questions
MIYFS has served Island residents since 1973. It became a City Department in 1976. In 1989, the MIYFS Foundation was established to raise private funding to augment the services funded by the City of Mercer Island.
MIYFS Foundation funding is critical to the breadth and quality of services MIYFS can deliver. It provided about 10% of the funding for the MIYFS social services operating budget in 2018, as well as special project funding in the amount of $119,165.
The school-based mental health counselors at each of the Island’s elementary, middle and high schools are MIYFS employees. These counselors work in collaboration with school staff and the school’s academic counselors.
Please contact Senior Services and Geriatric Specialist Betsy Zuber at 206-275-7752
Fees are charged for mental health counseling services at the Luther Burbank office. These fees are calculated on a sliding fee scale and no one is turned away due to an inability to pay. There are no charges for any of the school-based services.
Counseling takes place in the brick building in Luther Burbank Park. Youth and Family counselor offices occupy a quiet upstairs wing.
