The SCSMHC is licensed through the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS) to provide outpatient mental health services, including adolescent alcohol and drug treatment and prevention services. Operating under the direction of the Office of Student Equity, Enrollment, and Discipline (SEED), the SCSMHC provides treatment and support for students who are struggling with behavioral and emotional challenges by working collectively with school staff and families.

History

Founded in 1969 as a state-chartered program of legacy Memphis City Schools, the Memphis City Schools Mental Health Center (MCSMHC) received the inaugural Award for Excellence for School Psychological Services Programs awarded jointly by the American Psychological Association’s Division of School Psychology (APA-Division 16) and the National Association of School Psychology (NASP) in 1982.

In 2007, MCSMHC was cited in the book School Psychology, Past Present and Future (Fagan, T. and Wise, P.S.) as a model urban school mental health program. Joining with the merger in 2013, the center evolved into the Shelby County Schools Mental Health Center (SCSMHC) and currently employs 70+ licensed school social workers, school psychologists, alcohol & drug counselors, licensed Health Service Providers (HSP) in psychology and Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSW).