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Board approves MOU to place GrowCommunity therapists at district wraparound center
Summary
The Waukegan school board on Feb. 11 authorized a memorandum of understanding with GrowCommunity to provide appointment-based mental-health services at the district's wraparound center, approving a plan to refer students to the nonprofit's clinicians and to expand services as demand grows.
The Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Board of Education on Feb. 11 voted to authorize the superintendent to enter a memorandum of understanding with GrowCommunity to provide appointment-based mental-health services at the district's wraparound center.
The MOU, recommended by district administration, cleared the board after representatives from GrowCommunity described their program and how referrals would be handled. "I just love the fact that we get the opportunity to work with the wraparound center and being able to just provide that resource for our young men here in Waukegan," said Rashaad Media, regional state director for GrowCommunity.
The agreement matters because the wraparound center is intended to be a hub for behavioral and social supports for students and families. Bridget Dodson, identified in the meeting as director of the wraparound center, told the board that district staff already have students waiting for services and that the district planned to use its existing referral system to connect students with GrowCommunity. "They have their outreach already in place," Dodson said.
GrowCommunity representatives described the scope and methods of their services during the meeting. Jamin Barconia, a therapeutic mentor with the organization, said GrowCommunity focuses on cognitive behavioral and problem-solution therapies and provides one-on-one mentorship and community-based sessions. "Therapy could be conducted at a park. Therapy could be conducted at a nature preserve," Barconia said. Therapist Elvis Stillett added that the group aims to provide services both inside and outside schools: "We are prepared to provide services to our boys and men, not just in the school system, but the entire community."
Board members asked about staffing, scheduling and how the agency will recruit and sustain clinicians. Media and Barconia said GrowCommunity currently has two therapists in Waukegan and a regional supervisor; the organization said it expects to scale staffing to meet demand and to prioritize culturally responsive clinicians who speak Spanish. Dodson confirmed the district and GrowCommunity would coordinate whether clinicians work on-site at the wraparound center, in specific schools or a mixture of both.
The board motion to authorize the superintendent to execute the MOU passed on a roll call vote. The MOU describes GrowCommunity providing space at the wraparound center for appointment-based mental-health services and using the district's referral process; the document as presented at the meeting did not specify a fiscal impact.
Representatives said the services are intended to reach young men and boys who have historically been underserved, though GrowCommunity said its services are available to the broader student population. The organization also highlighted community supports such as resume-building and career-exploration programs linked to its therapeutic work.
The board approved the MOU in the same meeting that it discussed other district contracts and capital items. District and GrowCommunity staff said they would return with operational details — including scheduling, referral workflows and any program metrics — as implementation proceeds.
