A parent asks.
You know your child. If something has changed, contact the school office and we’ll help you start the conversation.
Student Support
Care for the whole child, including what they carry inside.
J.W. Reed Christian Academy partners with ForWard Consulting, LLC to bring mental health services onto our campus. Students can meet with a mental health professional here at school, during the school day, in a place they already know.
Why This Matters
A child who isn't okay can't learn.
Academic struggles rarely start in the classroom. Anxiety, grief, family disruption, trouble with friendships, or the weight of things happening outside of school show up first as a child who can't focus, won't participate, or stops showing up as themselves.
Most schools our size can hand a family a list of phone numbers. We wanted to do better than that. Bringing services on-site means a student can be seen without a months-long wait, without a drive across town, and without a family having to navigate an outside system alone.
Who Provides Care
Our partnership with ForWard Consulting.
Mental health services at J.W. Reed Christian Academy are provided by Bianca Henlon, tLMHC, through ForWard Consulting, LLC. She holds a temporary Licensed Mental Health Counselor credential from the State of Iowa and practices under the clinical supervision of Breanne Ward, CRC, LMHC, founder and CEO of ForWard Consulting.
ForWard Consulting is a Des Moines group practice founded in 2014. It also provides contracted on-site mental health services to Des Moines Public Schools.
How Support Starts
Three ways a student gets connected.
A teacher notices.
Our staff are trained to recognize when a student is struggling and to raise it with school leadership.
A student asks.
Students can ask to talk. We want them to know that asking for help is an ordinary thing to do, not a sign that something is wrong with them.
In every case, a parent or guardian is involved before services begin.
What Support Looks Like
Real services, in a place they already trust.
Depending on what a student needs, services may include:
- Individual therapy sessions during the school day
- Psycho-educational groups on campus
- Support with coping skills, emotional regulation, and conflict with peers
- Help working through grief, family change, or transition
- Coordination with families, and referral to outside providers when a student needs more than a school setting can offer
Availability depends on your child's age and needs. Contact the school office and we'll let you know whether on-site services are a fit, or help you find the right resource if they aren't.
Confidentiality and Your Role as a Parent
You stay in the loop.
Services are provided by ForWard Consulting, LLC, not by school staff. That means a few things are worth understanding clearly.
Written parental consent is required.
Nothing starts without a parent or guardian.
Clinical records belong to ForWard Consulting.
Requests for records go to ForWard directly. School staff do not have access to session content.
What is shared, and what isn't.
Therapy works because students can speak freely. ForWard will discuss what will be shared with you and what will be held in confidence, along with legal limits of confidentiality, including concerns about a child's safety.
If you have questions before enrolling your child in services, ask us and we'll connect you with ForWard directly.
What This Is, and What It Isn't
Clear about our role.
School-based services are designed to help students function well at school. For students who need intensive treatment, psychiatric care, or ongoing services beyond the school day, we help families connect with providers in the Des Moines area and stay in touch along the way.
In an emergency: During school hours, contact the school office at (515) 265-6208. Outside of school hours, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.
Questions?
We're here to help you take the next step.
To learn more about student support at J.W. Reed Christian Academy, or to talk about your child, contact the school office.