Kansas City Business Journal: Blue KC and Children's Mercy form pilot program to address mental health issues in KC students

Center High School teacher Diana Elkishawi, Ed.D, may teach a different math skill in her algebra classes each day, but there’s one activity you may not expect to be in her lesson plan.

“I do a daily check-in with the kids,” Elkishawi said. “It has helped me be more aware of the kids’ mental health and helped keep myself in check because sometimes I’m not okay and by communicating that with the students, it helped the students cut me some slack.”

Fast forward to January 2024 when Elkishawi learned about a new mental health initiative that had launched in her district.

The “movement” that Elkishawi is referring to is a three-year early intervention pilot program that Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) and Children’s Mercy Kansas City launched with the Center School District in Kansas City, Missouri, to tackle the mental health crisis among school-aged children.

According to Children’s Mercy Kansas City, more than 15 million children nationwide require mental health services, but many do not receive the care they need. In the Kansas City region, 40-50% of youth go untreated.

Read the full article via The Kansas City Business Journal

Press Release from Children's Mercy, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City

This school-based pilot program is just one of 14 projects of the broader Children’s Mercy Illuminate plan.