Monday, October 8, 2018
Major shifts are taking place in many Wisconsin school districts regarding student mental health and wellness. In the Ashland School District, this shift has transformed everything from the physical structure of each school building to the way students are referred for services.
For several years, the district has been working toward providing appropriate mental health services for students through the most sensitive and efficient methods available. Scott Griffiths, the district’s Advancing Wellness and Resiliency Education (AWARE) Grant Coordinator, supports the systems at each tier.
One aspect of his work included developing the district’s mental health referral pathway, an online form for staff members, family, and even kids to refer students who may need mental health services. “The need for it is significant. We’ve seen 400 students out of a district of 2,000. 70-80% have been connected to services,” Griffiths said.
When students are identified through the mental health referral pathway, Greta Blancarte, the Ashland School District Student and Family Wellness Coordinator, talks with school staff to get a picture of what life is like at school for the student. She connects that with the family to determine which services may be the right fit. Services can include professional mental health counseling in group, individual, or even family therapy sessions.
Thanks to a successful referendum in 2016, clinical mental health spaces were added to each building. That part of the referendum allowed for the construction of comfortable, confidential, and appropriate areas for kids to see therapists.
Blancarte has found that many families need and appreciate the support she provides for completing the necessary paperwork, navigating insurance, scheduling providers based on students’ schedules, transportation needs, and sometimes, intake in other clinics. “Families can struggle with knowing what to do,” Blancarte said. “Families who have kids who are struggling, if clinics don’t have openings, they don’t know where to turn next, or if a therapist moves away, who to go to next. It can be a confusing and scary process. Having someone at school reach out and walk through the entire process is really a safe way to help navigate a system that can be pretty daunting.”
Jessica Bigboy, a Parent Peer Specialist with Wisconsin Family Ties agrees. As one of several potential services that can be offered through Ashland’s referral process, Bigboy’s role is to advocate on behalf of families to understand what help is available. “A lot of parents don’t know the supports the school can give or they can ask for,” she said. “It helps by giving the families a little more support to go into the school district and not feel intimidated, with more sense of what services they would like their child to be involved with.”
She credits the district for collaborating with community partners to be able to establish such a system and points out broader changes in the district. Thanks to providers in the community and the ability to provide transportation for students who live farther out over the summer months, services are available year-round.
Changes are happening at the classroom level as well. “The district is changing in a more positive way where the teachers, the staff, everybody is going through the proper training. I think that is huge,” Bigboy said.
The district will continue to work on individual supports for students, but this year’s focus is on the universal tier in hopes of lowering the need for one-on-one services. Griffiths said that they are “looking at a district-wide implementation of SEL [social and emotional learning]. If we can start to teach SEL skills, recognize, regulate emotions, resolve conflict in healthy ways-- if we can focus some of our instructional time on those SEL skills, that can make an impact on students and staff.”
The district continues to emphasize the importance of being well in order for students to learn. Educators and stakeholders are committed to making connections with families and removing barriers to access to help students get the services they need.
Recently, State Superintendent Tony Evers visited Ashland to get a sense of what this transformation can accomplish for kids and the community. He reflected on the visit during his 2018 State of Education Address, telling the audience that “sitting with these families in Ashland - hearing their voices and witnessing the power of what they’ve created together - that was perhaps the most important thing I’ve done this year. Real, collaborative solutions to build a better future for our kids.”
Growing state-supported programs to assist with school mental health is a cornerstone of the department's 2019-21 biennial budget request. For existing information, resources, and learning opportunities for mental health from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, visit the School Mental Health website.