Sioux Falls launches three-year pilot to embed full-time therapists in five schools

Sioux Falls School District 49-5 on Wednesday described a three-year pilot that will place full-time, masters-level therapists inside five schools to expand student access to mental health care.

Kim Sharping, coordinator of student support services for the district, told the board the pilot was developed after an anonymous donor, working through the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation, offered to expand school-based services. "We have counselors in every building," Sharping said, noting the district serves about 24,000 students and that the districtwide student-to-counselor ratio averages about 356 to 1, higher than the American School Counselor Association recommendation of 250 to 1.

The pilot will pair the district with Avera Family Wellness and will begin at Washington High School and its feeder schools — Whittier Middle School, Cleveland Elementary, Rosa Parks Elementary and Terry Redlin Elementary. Each school will have an Avera-employed therapist carrying a caseload of about 20 to 25 students, the district said; Avera and district staff expect the program to serve roughly 125 students in the first year.

Heidi Thomas, a clinical social worker who leads Avera Family Wellness, said embedding therapists in schools reduces barriers to care. "It really removes the barriers for accessing mental health care," Thomas said, citing transportation and scheduling problems that often prevent families from attending off-site appointments. Thomas said the therapists will be in the buildings Monday through Friday and will collaborate with parents, teachers and support staff.

The district said the model was inspired by an embedded school-based mental health program in Hennepin County, Minnesota; Dodie Otten of the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation said the donor was moved by the possibility of earlier intervention and better outcomes. "They have a deep passion for kids, especially those struggling with mental health," Otten said.

District staff described additional features of the pilot: therapists will be part of the school community and participate in staffing and trainings; staff will explore small-group and parent-support options; and some therapists will provide limited summer services while others will work reduced summer schedules. The district said exact summer arrangements are still being finalized.

Board members and staff discussed how the pilot complements existing referral partners, including Lutheran Social Services and Southeastern Behavioral Health, and the districts PATH program. Kim Sharping said the new embedded positions differ from the PATH and other referral services because therapists will be full-time, on-site employees who can provide ongoing therapy and continuity for students.

The board listed the pilot as an informational item during the work session; there was no formal vote. District leaders said they will track attendance and social-emotional outcomes during the pilot and hope the work will provide a blueprint for expanded services if the results warrant it.