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A Program by MHSNC

Where Families & Schools Unite

PTS Support (Parent Teacher Student Support) is a practical, trusted support group created by Mental Health Services of NC (MHSNC) to strengthen the connection between parents, educators, and special needs students—especially families who do not have access to formal services.

Why PTS Support Exists

Support Changes Outcomes

For many families, the hardest part isn't caring—it's navigating the system. PTS Support exists so families and educators don't have to carry that weight alone.

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Safety in Every Setting

Students with I/DD and mental health needs often feel isolated in peer settings. PTS Support creates a predictable space where safety is shared, planned, and protected—in the classroom, at lunch, and in the community.

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Clear Advocacy Skills

Step-by-step support for IEP and 504 preparation, behavior planning, documentation, crisis navigation, and communication strategies that actually work in difficult meetings.

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Peer-to-Peer Support

Families build relationships with others who truly understand the journey. A buddy system ensures no parent or caregiver feels alone—because lived experience is one of the most powerful resources we have.

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Warm Handoffs & Resources

PTS Support connects families into MHSNC’s broader ecosystem—3rd Thursdays, Pink Diamonds, Special Hoops, and Game Changers—so support doesn’t stop at the meeting room door.

Special needs students are bullied at three times the rate of their peers

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Month structured program with one consistent monthly meeting

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Core protective factors built through every session: the 5 C's

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Families who should ever have to navigate this alone

Who We Serve

Built for the people closest to the student

PTS Support is especially helpful for families who are new to the IEP process, feeling unheard or overwhelmed, experiencing bullying concerns, managing behaviors without formal services, or trying to build a better partnership with the school.

This is not a lecture and it's not a complaint session. It's a working support network built around real needs and real solutions.

Audience
Program Structure

A 12-Month Plan Built Around Consistent Community

Trust and progress are built over time. PTS Support follows one repeatable monthly meeting model—intentionally consistent, always evolving.

Core Outcomes

01 — Parents

Clear Advocacy Skills

Step-by-step support for IEP and 504 preparation, behavior planning, documentation, crisis navigation, and communication strategies that actually work in difficult meetings.

02 — Families

Practical Advocacy Skills

Step-by-step support for IEP/504 prep, behavior planning, documentation, communication, and crisis navigation—tools you can use immediately.

03 — Educators

Teacher Capacity Building

Simple, realistic tools for supporting students with I/DD and mental health needs—without burnout or guesswork. Stronger partnerships with less conflict.

04 — Students

Confidence & Self-Worth

Students practice self-advocacy, learn how to speak up and ask for help, and build the self-worth that makes them resilient in peer settings.

05 — Community

Warm Handoffs & Connection

PTS Support bridges into MHSNC’s full program ecosystem—3rd Thursdays, Pink Diamonds, Special Hoops, and Game Changers—for year-round belonging.

06 — Everyone

Shared Language & Safety Plan

Home and school use the same strategies, language, and goals—so students experience consistency across every environment, every day.
The 5 C's of Bullying Prevention

How PTS Support Reduces Bullying

Bullying prevention isn't only about rules—it's about protective factors. PTS Support strengthens the exact things that reduce bullying risk in real life.

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Connection

Students and families feel seen, heard, and supported by a community that genuinely cares.

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Communication

Students and families feel seen, heard, and supported by a community that genuinely cares.

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Confidence

Students and families feel seen, heard, and supported by a community that genuinely cares.

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Consistency

Students and families feel seen, heard, and supported by a community that genuinely cares.

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Community

Students and families feel seen, heard, and supported by a community that genuinely cares.

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From Easy Target to Empowered and Connected

That's how we help students move from vulnerable to protected, empowered, and bully-proof—not through rules alone, but through the relationships, skills, and systems that make resilience possible.

"PTS Support exists to support and advocate for parents, teachers, and special needs students—especially those without access to formal services. We build a trusted, practical network where families can lean on one another."

— PTS Support Mission Statement · Mental Health Services of NC