The Martin City & South KC Telegraph: Center reports fewer referrals thanks to mental health partnership
By Sara Wiercinski
Center School District kicked off this academic year with a new, trauma-informed mental health pilot program conducted in partnership with Children’s Mercy and Blue Cross Blue Shield. The goal: to create school communities that enhance the mental wellbeing for students and provide mental health resources before a full-on crisis occurs.
After just one semester, seven out of Center’s eight schools have seen a reduction in office discipline referrals.
The Center pilot is one of 14 projects under Children’s Mercy’s five-year Illuminate Plan, which aims to improve mental health among area youth through a variety of strategies, including investing in research and expanding availability of specialty services.
“Right now there’s a national mental health provider shortage, and in Missouri especially,” said Emily Thorpe, Manager of School Health Initiatives for Children’s Mercy. “Because we don’t have the resources to provide 1:1 therapy for each child, we look to the schools–where kids spend the most time.”
The program rolled out during the summer, with teacher training on restorative practices through RestoreEd, a consulting group made up of two former teachers who also ran the Restorative Justice Department in the Kansas City Public School District. Emphasis is placed on the classroom as a community, with tools for direct communication, conflict resolution and building trust.
Read the full article via The Martin City & South KC Telegraph