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Boone County Schools expand mental-health supports, hold community forums
Summary
Student services director detailed districtwide mental-health services including 62 counselors, 15 psychologists, 20 family resource centers and a community crisis team; district hosted a forum and scheduled another on March 18.
Boone County Schools officials detailed a range of expansions to mental-health supports and urged families to use community resources after a recent public forum.
Cathy Rootman, executive director of student services, told the board the district maintains 62 counselors, about 15 school psychologists, 20 family resource and youth service centers and more than 15 community partner organizations that provide small-group and crisis support. Rootman said the district convened a community crisis response team with partners, first responders and Boone County Fiscal Court officials to coordinate communications and postvention work.
"Every teen deserves to know they are not alone," Rootman said, and reminded the public about anonymous reporting options and crisis lines. She cited the KCSS stop-tip line on the Boone County website and the national mental-health crisis number, 988, as resources available to families.
Dr. Jesse Hauswald and other board members thanked the community partners and staff who took part in a mental-health forum held two nights before the meeting and promoted a follow-up forum scheduled for March 18 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the district building. Officials said counselors were on-site at the forum to provide individual support and that attendance was strong.
Rootman described ongoing efforts on prevention and postvention, including training with state suicide-prevention coordinators and collaborations with groups such as Ethan's Purpose and Hope Squad. The district also noted a heavy investment in school-based health services and integrated safety measures.
Board members encouraged parents to review the district's informational newsletters on suicide awareness and to reach out to school counselors or administrators when they notice signs of distress in students.
