Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Mental Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
District says three in‑house mental‑health counselors are supplemented by DMH, private contractor and online services
Summary
Board members were told the district employs three school‑based mental‑health counselors and supplements them through the Department of Mental Health, a private partner (Stepping Stones) and the online service Gaggle; leadership said partners expand language support and coverage while hiring challenges persist.
At the June 8 board retreat, trustees pressed district leadership on mental‑health coverage and referrals. Mr. Smith said the district employs three mental‑health counselors and relies on multiple external conduits to serve student needs.
"We have three that are employed by [the] school district of Aone County," Mr. Smith said, adding the district also contracts with the Department of Mental Health (DMH), a private contractor called Stepping Stones and an online provider, Gaggle, to extend services and provide multilingual support.
How it works: Mr. Smith said the three counselors are school‑based (not district‑office based) and carry caseloads. When a referral comes in, school‑based staff route it through internal leads (Mr. Smith named Alica Queen, Carrie Carter and Stacy Frick) who attach supports and link a counselor to the case. The district’s DMH partnership increases recruitment capacity by improving starting pay in recent years, Mr. Smith said.
Limitations and direction: Board members asked whether those three counselors are sufficient; Mr. Smith said current coverage is adequate when combined with DMH, Stepping Stones and Gaggle but suggested the district may increasingly rely on community partners for sustained services.
Operational detail: Gaggle was described as a short‑term online support that can bridge gaps when a school lacks on‑site staff and offers multilingual assistance for Spanish‑speaking students. Mr. Smith said the district would provide a location list for where counselors are based on request.
What's next: The district will clarify whether auxiliary positions (bus monitors, bus aids) are included in some headcount categories and share more detailed school‑level staffing locations on request.
