District presents mental-health partnerships, staff say providers are near capacity
Loading...
Summary
District student-services leaders told the school board on Feb. 10 that five school-based providers are serving roughly 83 students and operating near capacity, and that referral, background-check and MOU requirements guide in-school clinical services.
Nysita Thomas, executive director of student services for Roseville Area Schools, told the board Feb. 10 that the district is expanding school-based and school-linked mental-health partnerships to reach students who face barriers to outside care. "My name is Nysita Thomas. I'm the executive director of student services here in Roseville Area Schools," she said as she introduced the presentation.
Keila, the district’s crisis mental-health and behavior lead, described a tiered system of supports and named community partners including Natalist, LifeStance and the Ramsey County Children's Mental Health Collaborative. She said five community clinicians work across four school sites and provide ongoing, usually weekly therapy to about 83 students at no cost to families through grant funding or, when families have insurance, by subsequent billing. "There are 5 providers then that are also providing service to 83 students," she said.
Presenters said in-trimester checks show provider caseloads at about 90% of capacity and some sites already have wait lists (the presentation named a wait list of about 12 at Ross). District staff described referral and intake procedures: providers who come into schools must be routed through the office of student services, pass background checks and typically enter a memorandum of understanding with the district before services begin.
Board members pressed staff on equity and access. One director asked whether culturally responsive, BIPOC providers are available; presenters acknowledged shortages and said recruiting culturally responsive clinicians is a priority. On whether services are free, presenters said partnerships funded by grants and by Suburban Ramsey coverage allow some students to receive several sessions without insurance; LifeStance may bill family insurance after the grant-covered initial sessions.
Staff also described nonclinical supports, including a volunteer dog-therapy program coordinated with schools and led by community nonprofit teams that visit on a schedule determined by the school and volunteer partner. Keila described work with principals and school teams to refine referrals and to collect demographic data to check who is using services and whether students from particular groups are being missed.
The presentation noted an upcoming state statute change requiring mental-health instruction for grades 4–12; staff said they are coordinating with health leads to align curriculum and pursue grants to sustain and expand partnerships. "Our goal is to build these comprehensive mental-health systems so students and families know how to access supports," Thomas said.
The board thanked presenters and encouraged continued outreach to secure funding and culturally responsive clinicians. The board did not take formal action on this presentation; staff said next steps include continued data collection and grant-seeking to expand services.
