ICCSD Learning Supports: Mental Health

Coreen Frank, M.S.Ed.Coordinator of Mental Health ServicesIowa City Community School District

Overview of Presentation

Introduction Learning Supports Framework Supports available for students

Mental Health specific supports Other Learning Supports

Connections & K-6 Kirkwood Program Next steps

Learning Supports Framework The district has been providing various Instructional (or

Learning) Supports over the past 15 years, but with the Safe Schools Healthy Students (SSHS) federal grant that was received in 2008, the district was given the opportunity to assess and develop a more systemic approach.

Provides supports for students with & without IEPs Development of this system wide approach to supporting

student learning continues in three major areas: District Wide Systems of Support Building Level Programs & Staff Partner Agency Support Services

Student ContinuumMotivationally ready and

able to learn

Encounters some barriers

Encounters many barriers

InstructionClassroom Teaching & Enrichment

Increased Learning &

AchievementBarriers to Learning

LearningSupports

Learning Supports Model

District-Wide Systems of Support Student Support Teams

Process for instructional support staff, administrators, teachers, AEA, parents, and community resources to identify students with concerns, meet as a team, and determine interventions and supports.

Coordinate with individual IEP teams

District-Wide Systems of Support Positive Behavioral Interventions

and Support (PBIS) District-wide decision making framework

that guides selection, integration, and implementation of the best evidence-based academic and behavioral practices for improving important academic and behavior outcomes for all students.

District-Wide Systems of Support Coordination of Services

District-wide positions provide administrative oversight, professional development, and collaboration with community partners, building principals, teachers and other district staff.

Includes Director of Health & Student Services, Youth and Family Development Coordinator, Mental Health Services Coordinator, Homeless Liaison, and Clinic Coordinator

Partner with other ICCSD departments including Special Education

Supports available for students Mental Health specific supports:

Coordinator of Mental Health Services Student & Family Advocates (SFA) School-based Mental Health Psychiatry Services School-based Therapy Services School-based Substance Abuse Services

Other Learning Supports: School Guidance Counselors School Nurses Health Kids Community Cares (HKCC) School-based

Health Clinic Student Advisory Center/Juvenile Court Liaisons

Mental Health Specific Supports Coordinator of Mental Health

Services Support development of comprehensive

mental health services within the district Manage partner agency support programs Supervise SFA staff Building level consultation & resource for

questions/concerns Allocation of available funding for services

Mental Health Specific Supports Student & Family Advocates (SFA)

Previously known as Family Resource Centers (FRC) or Mental Health Case Managers

Every building has an SFA & they are available to support any student/family in the building

Referrals to SFA come from everywhere Liaison between families and school, facilitating

parent engagement and involvement with the school, and assist teachers to connect and develop relationships with parents.

Connect students and families to school & community resources, including supports for: basic needs, mental & physical healthcare, homelessness, parenting, etc.

Mental Health Specific Supports School-based Psychiatry Services

Offered through the Healthy Kids Community Care Clinic Open to all students in the district that are uninsured or

need expedited access to psychiatric care. Staffed by UIHC Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist (Dr. Nancy

Beyer)• Provides psychiatric evaluations and medication follow-up

appointments 2 mornings per month in the Healthy Kids Clinic.• UIHC provides this service at a reduced rate.

UIHC Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Resident Educational Rotation • Core & Elective options (Elective option is new this year)• Core - Resident is available to observe; offer feedback, thoughts,

suggestions, resources; participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings; consult generally about cases.

• Elective – Includes components of Core Rotation plus, Resident is available for psychiatric evaluations, medication follow-up, and psychotherapy all under the direct supervision of Dr. Beyer.

Mental Health Specific Supports School-based Therapy Services

Interagency agreements & contracts exist with two agencies to provide BHIS & therapy on-site to students who would otherwise be unable to access these services &/or have a need for these supports during the school day.

Four Oaks serves City, SE & Tate Family Systems serves all our elementary schools, NW, NC

& West• These agencies won their contract through a competitive bidding process that

was completed so we are better able to control the many agency staff that come & go from our buildings.

• This was not done to limit a parent’s choice of provider - parents should never be told that they have to use the provider on-site but rather that one option is for therapy or BHIS is to access the school-based contracted providers as appropriate.

• Agencies bill insurance when available; some HKCC funds are available to cover students who are uninsured.

Part of the SFA staff role is to coordinate & provide oversight to the school-based mental health services in their building(s). • Establishing a pattern for checking in with families about school-based mental

health services & how things are going.• This is in addition to the required family communication that your provider is

doing as part of BHIS or therapy services.

Mental Health Specific Supports School-based Substance Abuse

Services Mid-Eastern Iowa Council on Chemical Abuse

(MECCA) District-wide consultation services Substance Abuse Counselor available to

secondary students for assessment, counseling and education.

On-site individual counseling, groups, crisis consultation & evaluation at Tate and TREC through a contract with the district.

Connections Program& K-6 Kirkwood Program

Connections Program Developed to support 7-12 grade students who had increased

levels of internalizing behaviors that were impacting their ability to be successful in the traditional educational environment

Serves students with & without IEPs History of program development Currently part of TREC programming

K-6 Kirkwood Program Partnering with Special Education Department to develop

programmming Similar goal as Connections to serve students with increased

levels of internalizing behaviors Serve only students with IEPs

Next steps Opportunities for Professional Development with ICCSD

staff & partner agencies Opportunities for Parent Education Connect to the SFA who serves your student’s building for

individual support Development of integrative programming for students with

mental health or social-emotional-behavioral concerns continues to evolve

Increase data driven decision making & outcomes that specifically connect mental health support to student learning

Feedback on district-wide programming efforts in the area of Mental Health: Coreen Frank Frank.coreen@IowaCitySchools.org 688-1000 ext. 2683