Upper Arlington Schools partners with Syntero, a grant-funded program through the Franklin County ADAMH (Alcohol Drug and Mental Health) Board, for school-based behavioral and mental health prevention services in grades preK-12. Licensed clinicians are assigned to each building in the district and offer a three-tiered approach to support for our students and families through school-based services for all students and families such as parent workshops and classroom presentations; specialized group services for students with at-risk behaviors; and individualized counseling and assessment for students with high risk behaviors.

The goals of the prevention services offered by Syntero are to:

• Develop knowledge and skills to make good choices or change harmful behaviors;

• Increase the utilization of basic coping strategies;

• Reduce incidents of mental health disorders; and

• Reduce the onset of substance use in youth.

Any referrals for Syntero services will be initiated by communication with the school counselor.

Upper Arlington Schools is proud to partner with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Behavioral Health Services and Office of Student Life to provide students and families with additional access to behavioral health services. The partnership seeks to integrate OSUWMC-employed behavioral health clinicians into Upper Arlington High School’s unique culture to provide a seamless and collaborative experience for students, families, staff and administrators.

Through this partnership, Upper Arlington Schools will have two on-site psychotherapists who will provide both in-person and virtual services, and students and families will also have priority access for clinical services. The school-based behavioral health clinicians will provide time-limited, targeted evidenced-based mental health assessment and psychotherapy to students for a variety of mental health concerns. 

In addition, this partnership also provides our district with a Health Promotion Manager, who will be located at Upper Arlington High School. This manager will be responsible for creating well-being programs for our district; collecting and assessing data related to students’ mental health and well-being; and developing a comprehensive wellness promotion strategy for the district.

The OSUWMC staff in our schools will have a strong collaborative relationship with our school counselors, related staff and mental health professionals from Syntero to ensure an overall continuity of services for our students.