Polk County staff describe school-based mental-health supports and suicide-screening tiers to Perrydale SD 21 board

Dana Goodell, who identified herself as supervisor of Polk County’s school-based mental-health program, told the Perrydale SD 21 board the county partners with small districts to add mental-health supports in classrooms and on campus.

"She served a little bit more than 30 students on an ongoing basis," Goodell said, describing the district caseload and the team’s role in supplementing local educators. She said Polk County staff join classroom activities, facilitate groups when appropriate and help students with anxiety, depression and relationship issues.

Goodell outlined how the district handles suicide-related concerns. "With the level 1 screening, we're always doing a safety plan," she said, describing the process in which staff contact parents, create a safety plan and arrange follow-up check-ins. She said more acute cases—"Level 2" screenings—prompt a county crisis response and can lead to hospital transport if a student is unwilling or unable to commit to safety.

The presentation also highlighted a county-run "Adulting 101" pilot for juniors that included sessions on traffic stops, basic car maintenance, financial literacy and mindfulness. Goodell credited local partners—Monmouth Police Department, OSU Credit Union and others—for running the program and said the district hopes to continue the collaboration.

Board members asked whether recently released state guidance on comprehensive school counseling would change how Polk County and Perrydale organize services. Goodell said she and her colleagues had not yet completed a deep review of the guidance but expected any changes to be implemented thoughtfully, often varying by district and requiring coordination with academic counselors.

The county uses the WESC screening system for surveys and trains staff annually on threat assessment and behavior safety protocols, Goodell said. She emphasized that screenings are followed by concrete steps: parent notification for lower-level concerns, safety plans and referrals for counseling, and county crisis involvement for high-risk cases. No board action was required from the presentation; administrators said they would follow up with more detail as state guidance is reviewed.