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Board approves MOU to reestablish school‑based counseling with Intermountain and state partners
Summary
Trustees unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with the Montana Office of Public Instruction and the Department of Public Health and Human Services to reestablish CSCT teams in Belgrade schools, bringing counselors and behavior‑support staff back into classrooms.
The Belgrade School Board voted unanimously to approve an intergovernmental memorandum of understanding to restore the CSCT (school‑based counseling and behavior support) program in district schools.
"We are, very pleased to announce that we're working with Intermountain to reestablish our CSCT program," Didi said, explaining that OPI, DPHHS and the district will enter a standard MOU defining how funds and services are administered. She said Intermountain will provide therapists and behavior‑support staff who can work in classrooms alongside teachers to help students access services without leaving school.
Administrators told the board that before the pandemic the district ran multiple CSCT teams (two at the high school, three at the middle school and one at each elementary), and that COVID funding had temporarily supported some behavior‑support positions while counseling staffing diminished. The revived model prioritizes tiered services with CSCT serving the highest‑need students and school‑based outpatient therapy as a tier‑2 intervention. The district also expects an additional parent‑engagement component that Intermountain piloted in neighboring districts.
Board member questions focused on scope and continuity: whether services matched pre‑COVID levels (administrators said they aim for the same level and to staff middle and high schools first), and how this fits with existing local partners. Didi said the program routes Medicaid‑eligible services directly to Medicaid and will not run entirely through the MOU funding channels.
Motion to approve the MOU carried 6–0.
