School to Pipeline Intervention Project
The GBLS School to Prison Pipeline Intervention Project helps keep students in school by protecting their educational rights, advocating in suspension and expulsion cases, and ensuring students receive needed special education and mental health supports to reduce involvement with the juvenile justice system.
Who We Help
The purpose of this project is to keep students in school, with their education and behavioral health needs being well served. Students who are in school are less likely to become involved with the juvenile justice system. GBLS’ focus is to provide high-quality legal advocacy to protect our clients' school discipline and related special education legal rights. Our advocates represent students in their school suspension or expulsion hearings, with the goal of returning students to their educational placements as quickly as possible. Our advocates also ensure that students with disabilities get all special education and related disability support services that they are entitled to. We advocate for quality home-based mental health services and supports that our clients and their families may need. These School to Prison Pipeline Intervention advocacy priorities provide optimum results for kids who would otherwise fall through the cracks or become entangled in the juvenile justice system.
Our Priorities
GBLS Education advocates prioritize supporting students with their special education services and school disciplinary hearings. Often, once GBLS Education advocates investigate these initial matters, they discover that other legal issues in the child’s school, or related behavioral health support needs, must be addressed. GBLS Education advocates also represent students and families in addressing issues of school safety, such as bullying, racially hostile school environments, and discrimination. The Education advocates support students with complex special education needs by collaborating with MassHealth-funded, home-based Children’s Behavioral Health Initiative Services (CBHI) service providers to support students and their families. If the student does not have CBHI services, Education advocates help interested families apply for these services.
Contact Us
If you would like to request an intake, make a referral, or have any questions about the School to Prison Pipeline Intervention Project, contact GBLS Client Screening Unit at (617) 371-1234. The Intake Hours are from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm Monday through Friday. Walk-In Hours are from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm on Mondays and Thursdays. GBLS Intake Workers speak: Cantonese; English; Haitian Creole; Mandarin; Portuguese; and Spanish.