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PATH Prevention urges county support for parent-focused truancy, opioid-restorative work
Summary
PATH Prevention told Scott County officials it has shifted to a parent-focused model that it says boosts school attendance and reduces juvenile placements, and outlined program costs and a request to train schools as frontline partners to sustain services after foundation funding sunsets.
Lisa Welter, a presenter identifying herself as affiliated with the Catallasso Group and PATH Prevention, told Scott County officials that her program has shifted from youth-only interventions to a parent-focused model to prevent truancy and support families affected by opioid use.
"We have served 41 families for opioid use," Welter said, adding that the group’s family mediators work in homes and with extended family to draft safety plans. She told commissioners PATH Prevention served about 122 students in the last year and more than 600 students over three years across partner school districts including Belle Plaine, Burnsville and Shakopee.
The presenter said program outcomes are encouraging: about 83 percent of students in PATH Prevention programming showed moderate to significant improvement, and a small parent‑coaching pilot produced attendance increases of 70 percent or more for the parents who participated.
Why it matters: PATH Prevention described how those early interventions can avert court involvement and juvenile placements by reconnecting families with school supports. Welter said the organization is now proposing to move from direct service toward a training and consultant role with schools so local staff can deliver more of the front-line prevention work.
Funding and next steps: Welter described current funding sources and a near-term budget. She said prevention services this year were supported by HHS and a Sauer Family Foundation grant at about $80,000, and that opioid-restorative work totaled $25,600, putting the combined line-item budget at roughly $105,600 based on figures presented. Welter said PATH is in a one-year capacity-building phase to train school staff and will continue to provide consultant support for complicated cases.
County members asked for more data and for coordination across partners. Commissioners and staff suggested overlaying program activity with truancy and child-protection statistics to identify districts and interventions producing the biggest gains. Welter said PATH Prevention will continue to refine referral mechanisms so school social workers and counselors can make prompt referrals into parent coaching and restorative circles.
The presentation closed with a request that county leaders consider investing in training for school staff to sustain the model and reduce the need for ongoing, intensive outside intervention.
