A few years ago, leaders of Stafford Schools USD 349 thought some of their students might benefit from a state-sponsored pilot program for young people with mental health issues.
It turns out they were right.
The Stafford School District is in its third year of participating in the Mental Health Response Team (MHIT) project. This is one of the many districts that got involved at the start of the program, which has shown positive results, said Wendy Lockwood, director of program development at the Counseling and Counseling Center in Great Bend.
Locally, MHIT is a partnership between Stafford Schools and the Center, which serves Stafford, Barton, Pawnee and Rice counties.
Statewide, the program empowers school districts and community mental health centers to address challenges that are part of the daily lives of some youth. Services are offered on site in schools.
It all started in 2018 but is now struggling to grow in Stafford.
“The state has not added funding to expand this year – neither for the school nor for the Center,” Lockwood explained. “Funding has remained at the previous allocation, but we need more staff to meet the ever increasing needs. “
The legislature determines funding from year to year and will likely discuss it in the next legislative session, Lockwood noted.
“This program has been very successful in Stafford and other school districts across the state,” she said. “This allows us to identify and meet needs, even during the summer and other school breaks. “
Statewide statistics indicate that more than 70 percent of students improved their school attendance; over 71 percent improved their behavior at school; and over 69 percent improved their studies.
“These are remarkable numbers and we need to continue to meet the needs of students, which don’t go away when funding isn’t there,” Lockwood said. “The needs are just not being met, which leaves schools with more challenges. “
The Center provides therapists and a case manager, while working in close collaboration with the school liaison. Services include case management, psychosocial groups and therapy sessions.
“Case management provides behavioral health intervention and helps develop age-appropriate social skills,” Lockwood noted. “The services help children and families struggling with behavioral issues that can impact the learning environment. Support for managing behavioral disturbances in the classroom is also offered.
The Stafford Liaison is Destiny Johnson, a social worker, for toddlers through high school.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Destiny Johnson,” Lockwood commented. “Stafford has been great to work with; we have a very strong partnership.
By mid-December, 49 Stafford students had participated in one way or another in MHIT. Thirty-three are now actively involved. The population of the district is approximately 227.
“It is evident that MHIT is needed because most of the students have shown improvements in at least one area of concern, allowing them to be successful in and outside the classroom,” said Johnson. “But, we have a significant portion of our population with high needs.
“For example, many live in poverty and have traumatic histories, mental health issues or difficult behaviors. With all of these concerns, we recognized that we needed support inside the school.
These are the reasons the school district applied for the MHIT grant a few years ago.
Although the Stafford program has been very successful, “it continues to be a struggle to adequately serve the number of students who could benefit from it,” Johnson said. “With the combination of high needs and current staff shortages, it has been difficult for the Center to obtain and retain qualified staff.
“Due to the shortages, it is particularly difficult for them to appoint more case managers or therapists only in our schools. “
The district has Johnson and a counselor to deal with mental health issues. “We do our best to serve our children, but it’s easy to get bogged down. We are doing a lot, and yet it is not enough to meet the needs. “
Johnson also noted that MHIT is breaking down barriers for families by providing on-site access to services.
“These families desperately need the support they receive from the school and the Center. They could not receive this support if they had to find information on their own or travel to other cities for appointments, ”she explained. “MHIT allows much easier access to services, which is crucial for success. “
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