Guide to Mental Health, Food, Housing and Family Help From Exeter Township School District

Much of the guide is written for a parent trying to get help for a child. Each listing gives the organization's name, address and phone number, and often what insurance it takes. The guide explains how each program works but does not enroll you in any of them; you contact the agency yourself.

The mental health section starts with insurance, because the type, provider, and cost of mental health treatment may be determined by the child or family's medical insurance:

• Private or commercial insurance: call the toll free number on the back of your insurance card and ask what the steps are to get mental health treatment for your child, and check with your place of employment for instructions.
• Medical Assistance or Medicaid, sometimes called MA or Access: contact Community Care Behavioral Health at 1-866-292-7886, which can help you find a mental health agency for an evaluation and treatment.
• Private insurance and Medical Assistance together: seek services through your private insurance first, although Medical Assistance might cover services or costs that private insurance does not.
• No insurance: apply online through compass.state.pa.us, based on family income, and children with disabilities may be eligible for Medical Assistance based on medical need, not family income.

The guide then describes the levels of care and how to start each one. For the Student Assistance Program, contact the school counselor (guidance counselor) at your child's school to have your child assessed by the SAP liaison or take part in SAP services; that program is not billed to your insurance. For school-based therapy, the district contracts licensed therapists through Concern Counseling who come into the school and meet with students one on one during the school day; ask your child's school counselor, and the cost is billed through your insurance. For case management, Service Access and Case Management can determine eligibility and help you find an agency at 610-236-0530. Wrap-around services (Intensive Behavioral Health Services) and family-based mental health services require Medical Assistance, on its own or alongside private insurance.

For community therapy, the guide suggests asking an outpatient office to check your insurance and tell you your copay, and, if you cannot afford the fees or have no insurance, asking whether they have a sliding scale or offer any pro bono work. Most agencies schedule an intake session first, where they discuss concerns and collect a detailed history of the child and family. Among the listed counseling agencies, Clear Water Wellness at 4 Park Plaza Suite 371, Wyomissing, 610-750-9096, has a sliding pay scale; Family Guidance Center at 1235 Penn Ave. Suite 206, Wyomissing, 610-374-4963, and Berks Counseling Center at 645 Penn Street, 2nd Floor, Reading, 610-373-4281, accept Medical Assistance and offer income-based sliding scale fees for uninsured clients; FairView Counseling at 1255 Perkiomen Ave., Reading, 610-396-9091, accepts most insurances and sliding scale fees but not Medical Assistance.

For drug and alcohol help, the Treatment Access Services Center at 19 N. 6th St., 610-375-4426, provides assessment, referral, and coordination services immediately, and the Council on Chemical Abuse, 610-376-8669, offers information and referrals for drug and alcohol and co-occurring treatment.

The food section lists pantries and meal programs run by other organizations, each with its own address, phone number, distribution day and rules, including the Exeter Area Food Pantry at the Laush Administration Building, 200 Elm St. Reading, 19606, 610-572-2344. Helping Harvest, 117 Morgan Dr. Reading, 19608, (610) 926-5802, can be called to find a pantry or soup kitchen near you. The housing and shelter sections list, among others, the Family Promise UTurn Program at 325 N 5th St. Suite 1, Reading, 19601, 610-373-3323, which provides services to any Berks County student ages 17-21 who is not residing with their parent or legal guardian, and Safe Berks, with a 24-Hour Hotline at 844-789-7233 for victims of domestic violence or sexual assault and their children. Rules, hours and costs differ by organization, so check with the one you choose.

The hotlines section includes PA211, which you reach by dialing 211, texting your zip code to 898-211, or visiting pa211.org, for crisis intervention and resource connections, and ruOK, where you text ruOK to 484-816-7865 for secure anonymous communications for 24/7 mental health response.

For help finding more resources, the guide lists two district contacts: Alycia Lenart, K-12 Student Support Coordinator, alenart@exetersd.org, 610-799-3060 Ext 2128, and Ashley Rinehart, LSW, School Social Worker, amrinehart@exetersd.org, 610-816-2470.

Source: exetersd.org/250138_2, read September 18, 2026.

The details

In Exeter Township School District’s words

ETSD Resource Guide Updated automatically every 5 minutes Table of Contents Mental Health Resources 3 How to Seek Mental Health Services 3 Identify What Insurance Your Child Has or Needs 3 Outpatient Counseling Cheat Sheet 3 Types of Mental Health Services and Levels of Care 5 Counseling 5 Drug & Alcohol Abuse 10 LGBTQIA+ Resources 1 2 Intensive Behavioral Health Services (Wrap-Around) 1 3 Homelessness 1 5 Food 1 5 Housing 1 5 Emergency/Shelters 17 Flooding Resources 19 Family Resources 19…

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