Board reviews wellness-policy updates and mental health grant work; wellness rooms logged 2,440 visits
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Summary
First reading of a revised district wellness policy highlighted updated social-emotional well-being language tied to the district mental-health grant. Grant coordinator reported 2,440 wellness-room visits and plans for caregiver training and father-support groups.
Cassandra Hartley, coordinator with Healthy Kids Healthy Communities, presented the first reading of an updated district wellness policy and summarized the School Health Advisory Committee’s review. Hartley said the SHAC met monthly and focused each month on a policy section aligned with the New Mexico Public Education Department’s wellness scoring rubric. “There was only one major update to the wellness policy,” Hartley said, identifying the social-emotional well-being section on page 33 as updated to reflect progress on the district’s mental health grant.
Joyce Barela, the district’s mental health grant coordinator, presented data on the district’s wellness rooms and interventions. Barela reported 2,440 total wellness-room visits to date and said Care Solace is used to document interventions. Of the logged interventions, the team recorded 642 interventions covering 112 students (these are students for whom consent has been obtained). The top challenge categories for students using wellness rooms were family/home concerns, behavioral concerns, self-esteem, academic and personal/emotional issues.
Barela said the wellness-team PLC reviewed how interventions are tiered and agreed that short, informal re-set visits are tier 1, group activities tier 2 and students with consented regular sessions tier 3. She reported work to expand supports for kin caregivers (grandparents/relatives raising children) and to develop a father-support group at the middle school; district staff plan meetings with community partners to coordinate.
Barela also reported 48 students currently identified under McKinney-Vento supports and said campus renovations to wellness spaces at Silver High, La Plata Middle and Harrison Elementary have produced positive student reactions. The SHAC will bring a second reading of the revised wellness policy at the next board meeting and then seek board action.
Board members asked for and received clarification on the specific policy update and current staffing. Missus Clement asked: “The change states that the goal is to employ eight mental health providers. How many do we currently have?” Hartley deferred to administration and Barris replied, “Seven.” No formal vote was taken on the policy at this meeting (first reading only).