Sheboygan schools present districtwide mental health framework; PATH and new IOP plans detailed

Sheboygan Area School District staff on Monday presented a comprehensive mental health and behavioral-support framework, described the district’s PATH in-school therapy program and reported that 385 students have received PATH services this school year. They also described plans to launch a local intensive outpatient (IOP) program with Rogers Behavioral Health in fall 2025 for sixth- through 12th-grade students.

District officials said the work is organized as an “equitable, multilevel system of support” that embeds mental-health activities into universal academic and behavioral systems, and layers targeted (tier 2) and intensive (tier 3) interventions where students need them. The update was led by Jason Leaderman and school social worker Cassandra (Casey) Lee Pack, with contributions from PATH and community partners.

Officials described universal supports — classroom guidance, PBIS and a districtwide screener — as the foundation. The district uses the BESS teacher-completed screener twice a year; staff reported that the most recent fall screening identified roughly 83% of students (early childhood through seventh grade) as “healthy.” District staff said the screener helps direct classroom- and building-level interventions and gives districtwide data on student strengths and needs.

On targeted supports, Leaderman and Lee Pack described evidence-based small groups, behavioral intervention plans and an expanded attendance-check program that meets students bimonthly. Community mentoring partnerships such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and student-led peer programs (Peers for Peers, Source of Strength and Regen Grama) were cited as part of the tier 2 continuum.

The district’s PATH program — an in-school therapy partnership with Lakeshore Community Healthcare and other community providers — was a focal point of the report. Staff said PATH now deploys 17 PATH therapists across schools and has delivered roughly 4,600 therapy sessions year to date. “385 students have received received PATH services this year,” a presenter said, and staff characterized this as approximately 4% of the district’s student population. PATH now includes a short-term family-therapy option when clinicians judge family involvement would advance student progress.

District staff stressed confidentiality for students who receive more intensive supports. “Everything’s confidential,” Leaderman said during a question-and-answer exchange about how discreet tier 3 supports are. The presenters explained that parent permission and routine communication are part of tier 2 and tier 3 interventions, and that release-of-information forms are used to coordinate with outside providers when families consent.

Officials also described specialized programs: SBIRT (screening and brief intervention/referral) for substance use, a “Catch My Breath” educational program addressing vaping that starts from school-level referrals (including incidents found by bathroom sensors), and a suicide task force that developed a uniform suicide-assessment protocol for pupil-services staff.

On new and expanding services, district staff described plans with Rogers Behavioral Health to host a locally based intensive outpatient (IOP) program on district property starting in fall 2025. The proposed IOP would serve middle- and high-school students (grades 6–12) in small cohorts (capacity 8–10 students at a time) for up to three hours during the school day, with the remainder of the school day spent at their home school. Staff said the typical program length would be individualized but often 6–8 weeks and that weekly progress reporting between provider, family and school would support reintegration. The district said the IOP arrangement would not carry a direct district cost for services; families would be billed through insurance or other payer sources, and Rogers has a foundation that may help cover costs for families who cannot pay.

Board members and staff repeatedly credited community partners and funders, including United Way and county health services, and emphasized the effort to reduce barriers such as transportation and out-of-community referral waits. Presenters said the PATH program reduces out-of-school treatment barriers by offering services during the school day and covering co-pays so families do not incur extra costs.

The presentation closed with staff noting work to measure outcomes and quality: the district uses SHAPE (School Health Assessment Performance Evaluation) and other tools to assess systems and guide continuous improvement. Board members voiced support and asked about sustainability; district staff said the program mix is funded through a combination of grant dollars, partner contributions and district resources and that they believe core elements can be sustained.

District staff asked the board to note the ongoing nature of the effort and the planned fall 2025 start date for the Rogers IOP. No formal board action to approve the Rogers partnership was recorded in the presentation segment; staff said contracting and board-level approvals would follow the pilot planning.