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BARR model pitched to Wyoming task force as an upstream approach to K–12 mental health; implementation cost and local results discussed
Summary
The BARR Center presented the Building Assets, Reducing Risks model to the task force, citing randomized-control evidence of academic and behavioral improvements (including reduced suicide ideation/attempts at original sites). Principal Josh Omang described site-level declines in chronic absenteeism and failure rates; Barr/Governor's staff cited a baseline implementation price of roughly $80,000 per school per year for a three‑year package, and task force members requested more cost‑benefit detail.
Representatives from the Barr Center and the governor's office told the Mental Health & Vulnerable Adult Task Force on Aug. 1 that the Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) model is an upstream, system change approach that uses teacher teams, routine data and relationship-building to identify and intervene early on student needs.
Rob Metz, deputy director of the Barr Center, summarized decades of research, including randomized controlled trials, that Barr says show consistent positive effects on student engagement, teacher retention and academic outcomes. Metz told the task force that in Barr’s original school monitoring, "thoughts of suicide among both boys and girls went down significantly more when compared to the state average," and that reductions in attempts were also observed.
Beth Heimer described BARR's practical elements: two days of implementation training before the school year, a dedicated Barr coach assigned to each school for three years (weekly coaching calls and multiple on‑site visits), professional learning communities for administrators and coordinators, and fidelity tools and rubrics. The model relies on community connect teams to align school interventions with community resources.
Principal Josh Omang (Detroit Lakes High School, MN) gave a site example: his school reduced chronic absenteeism and ninth‑grade failure rates after adopting BARR, improved early identification and referral processes, and established collaborative relationships with county partners (judges, social workers, attorneys) that sped access to services. Omang shared concrete student stories, including a student who went from missing more than 60% of school in eighth grade to 60% attendance in ninth grade after coordinated supports.
Cost and implementation: the governor's office and Barr representatives cited a baseline cost figure of about $80,000 per school per year for Barr's three‑year engagement (largely driven by coaching and on‑site supports), with role/volume pricing and options to cluster rural schools to reduce per‑school costs. Metz argued districts often recoup considerable savings by reducing summer school, alternative‑school placements and remediation needs.
Members probed the evidence on mental‑health outcomes, equity for Indigenous students and per‑school cost justification. Metz and Omang emphasized the preventive effect: "when teachers collaborate and use real‑time data on students' behaviors and attendance, teachers catch problems earlier and create nonacademic interventions that remove barriers to learning," Metz said. The task force asked Barr and staff to provide further cost breakdowns and district‑level ROI (savings) examples for Wyoming contexts.
Quote: "We're intentionally focusing on strengths and building supportive relationships," Beth Heimer said. "That structure allows schools to identify student mental health concerns early and connect families with community resources if they choose."
