Response Early intervention and Assessment in Community mental Health (REACH) is a community-based mental healthcare service set up to help students with emotional, behavioural and/or developmental disorders. Set up in 2007 as a programme under the National Mental Health Blueprint, REACH aims to bring mental healthcare services into the community to improve response time and accessibility of mental healthcare to students by working closely with schools, community partners and voluntary welfare organizations (VWOs).
REACH national comprises North, South, East, and West teams to support students in schools under the Ministry of Education (MOE) registration from Primary 1 to Junior College, and, MOE Special Education (SPED) schools. Each REACH team is designated to each zone under the MOE school allocation of North, South, East, and West zones respectively.
In schools, students are supported by school counsellors who may consult and refer them to our REACH team to manage students' mental health needs. Our multi-disciplinary team, comprising child psychiatrists, psychologists (clinical, educational and counselling), occupational therapist, medical social worker, nurses and administrators, provides the following services:
REACH offers free phone consultations for School Counsellors seeking advice on the management and referral of students with mental health issues.
Upon successful referral to REACH, a mental health assessment is conducted to assess the condition of the student. The assessment is typically conducted in the school to provide greater convenience. An appropriate treatment plan will be formulated and REACH will then collaborate closely with school counsellors and VWOs to conduct suitable school-based interventions. If further specialised assessment or treatment is required for the more severe cases, the student may be referred to Specialised Outpatient Clinics (NUH Neuroscience Clinic) by the REACH team for further psychiatric evaluation and intervention, which may include medications, psychotherapy, and group or family work (standard clinic charges apply).
REACH conducts specialised training sessions for our community partners to enhance their capability in identifying and managing students with mental health issues within the community. Additionally, REACH also provides mental health talks to schools upon request.
Our range of therapy services for students with a variety of mental health disorders include:
Appointments can be made through school counsellors only. Parental consent must be obtained prior to referral to REACH.
Programme Director & Senior Consultant
Senior Consultant
REACH West Team
