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Oak Park Township officials describe 30‑year youth engagement IGA and mental‑health focus
Summary
Oak Park Township representatives presented a 30‑year intergovernmental agreement that provides school‑linked youth mental‑health services; presenters said the program served 76 unique clients last fiscal year and described referral and release-of-information procedures enabling case coordination with district staff.
Representatives of Oak Park Township briefed the board on the youth‑engagement intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that has operated for about 30 years and is now focused on clinical mental‑health services for students.
Megan Trafconnor, director of youth and family services for Oak Park Township, introduced the township team and said the program was refocused toward mental‑health supports after she became director in 2019. "We changed the name to youth engagement from interventionist and we staffed up with clinical mental‑health professionals," Trafconnor said.
Laura Debit, the youth engagement program manager, presented annual caseload data: "In the last fiscal year, we saw 76 unique clients," she said, adding that 62 were Oak Park residents and 14 were River Forest residents and that the program logged 988 service sessions. Debit said 42 students completed the program, 20 met their goals, six were referred to higher levels of care, and several referrals remain pending.
Board members asked how referrals and information sharing work under the IGA. Trafconnor said the IGA covers the referral process and permits school staff to complete a referral form that includes the student and parent names, contact information and presenting issues; once a student is on the program caseload, "we sign a separate release of information that their parents and the students have to sign in order for it to be valid," she said, which enables coordinated communication with school social workers and counselors.
Committee members also asked about program reach and staffing. Debit listed the township clinical staff and interns and described after‑school and in‑school meeting locations; she said the program also coordinates with the park district and libraries for off‑site support.
On funding, Trafconnor said that every Oak Park taxing body contributes to the IGA except the Park District of Oak Park, which rescinded participation two years ago; River Forest taxing bodies participate though the village of River Forest’s specific contribution amount remains under negotiation. The presenters identified Chris Johnson, director of student services, as the district liaison for referrals and coordination.
The committee expressed appreciation for the township’s partnership and asked to continue conversations about funding levels and liaison responsibilities ahead of the next board meeting.
