Referring students for mental health care is a core job function for school counselors, and one that is often stressful for all parties involved. In this phenomenological study, six low-income African-American caregivers were interviewed about their experiences of having a son or grandson referred for mental health care by the school counselor. Issues of how the participants viewed the school, mental health care, and the process of being referred were explored. Key findings include the caregivers' experiences of alienation in the face of a rigid system for parent involvement in educational decision making, caregivers' perceived lack of power, and caregivers' lack of understanding of school administrative processes. Recommendations for school counseling practice are given, along with suggestions for school counselor education.