Area schools embrace mental health partnership

Partnership could bring clinics to students

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

More than 150,000 school-age children in Wisconsin experience a mental disorder in a given year, according to a report by Pupil Services Director Bridget Kotarak of the Wilmot K-12 Consortium, which is composed of four area schools.

The four area schools – Lakewood, Riverview, Randall and Wilmot Union High School – seek to offer in-house solutions to such problems when they enter into a partnership with Professional Services Group.

The nonprofit group incorporated in 1976 looks to establish a school-based clinic staffed by licensed clinicians through a memorandum of understanding.

Lakewood District Administrator Joe Price states the agreement was made possible through collaboration among all four schools.

“They have done a tremendous job working together on behalf of our students and staff,” Price states. “This is a great step for our schools to work together to address this issue on a unified front.”

Kotarak reports the partnership is part of a School Mental Health Framework developed in 2015 by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, which hopes to improve student performance through addressing mental health challenges.

“If you have a student in our district that could use and need mental health support beyond what the school is able to provide, this is what the partnership is,” Kotarak said in last week’s Lakewood School Board meeting.

“Access to mental health care is a huge barrier for students,” she added.

In the presentation, at least 104,000 of approximately 174,000 students in Wisconsin do not have access to mental health care.

Of the 174,000 students, about eight percent have an anxiety disorder, 10 percent have a behavior or conduct disorder and another 11 percent suffers from mood disorders.

Kotarak, noting data from the DPI and organizations such as the National Alliance of Mental Illness, reports about 20 percent of students in each public school experiences emotional challenges.

“The continuum of services provided by our district student services, in addition to those more intensive therapies provided by licensed clinicians from Professional Services Group, have the potential to impact about 20 percent of the student population in each school,” she states in a follow-up email.

“We are really excited to have this partnership to help our students have better access to mental health care,” Kotarak said.

Better access includes removing a transportation barrier for families and students, Price states.

“This provides a safe level of services for students,” Price said in last week’s school board meeting.

Prior to the Lakewood School Board meeting, Kotarak delivered a presentation at Riverview in Silver Lake, where District Administrator Jon Schleusner reported the partnership drew positive reviews from the School Board.

“The concept was well-received,” Schleusner said.

As the presentation received positive feedback at Lakewood and Riverview, Kotarak plans to address the school boards at Randall Consolidated and Wilmot Union High School on Feb. 8.

“Our school districts believe that these efforts, in concert with our strong academic programs, will further enhance the learning outcomes of our students and their overall social and emotional well-being,” said Kotarak.

As part of the agreement, each school plans to have available space for the clinic.

Furthermore, depending on services provided, families are responsible for assuming the fees assessed.

However, PSG representatives reportedly will work with each family to develop reasonable pay agreements.


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