County officials outline school‑based wellness network, report 1,100 referrals and staffing gains — but highlight gaps

Montgomery County officials gave the council a wide‑ranging update on school‑based wellness services, describing staffing growth, partner contracts and a district framework intended to triage and address students’ mental‑health needs.

MCPS Associate Superintendent Damon Motiloni said the district has been building an integrated mental‑health framework and coordinating services so they “are not occurring in silos.” The presentation covered student‑well‑being teams (SWBTs), a social‑work expansion, Bridge to Wellness partnerships in high schools, linkages to learning, wellness centers and data systems to track referrals and outcomes.

Key numbers and services: MCPS reported more than 1,100 direct referrals to date (as of Jan. 31). Of those, presenters gave a breakdown: 549 referrals served by well‑being social workers, 507 served by Bridge to Wellness programs, 13 served by private services or insurance, and 29 students who declined services. MCPS also said it currently has 42 social workers assigned through a district social‑work program and that 51 schools receive social‑work support or related services.

Equity and demand: Presenters emphasized demographic trends: social‑work and well‑being services disproportionately serve Hispanic/Latino and Black students — figures the presenters said align with referral patterns and the CDC’s 2024 findings on youth help‑seeking. MCPS said 42% of services go to Hispanic/Latino students and roughly 31% to Black students; about 60% of students seeking social‑work support identify as female. Presenters stressed intentional hiring (32% of social workers bilingual in Spanish) and efforts to place providers in regions with limited community mental‑health capacity.

Programs and partners: MCPS staff described contracts and grants that expanded services — RFP winners such as Jessa and Thrive Behavioral Health and contracting with Shepherd Pratt under a CHRC grant — bringing services into dozens more elementary and middle schools. They also described a federal $5.5 million pathway program to strengthen the social‑work workforce.

Tracking and timeliness: Staff said student referrals and interventions are logged in an MTSS/Synergy platform and in a social‑worker activity log so plans transition with students between schools. They described an expected outreach window: providers should contact families within 24–48 hours of a referral and document sessions and follow‑up. Stephanie Wallace, supervisor for social workers, said MCPS has begun informal pre/post surveys for students receiving social‑work services and is prepared to provide that data to the council.

Outstanding issues: Councilmembers pressed for clearer school‑by‑school listings of what services are available (wellness centers, Bridge sites, linkages), raised concerns about cultural competency in contractor delivery, and sought clarity on contract continuity where subcontractors may change. MCPS acknowledged budget constraints — particularly in shifting services off ESSER funding into base budgets — and confirmed some positions (ETCs) will be reduced or reallocated next year, a change councilmembers said requires careful planning to preserve language access and newcomer supports.

Next steps: Presenters said they will provide follow‑up materials requested by the committee: a school‑level inventory of services, additional evaluation results from MCPS’s office of student accountability, and more detail on contract monitoring and timelines for the district mental‑health screener rollout (initial phase in 52 schools this year, with plans to expand).