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District outlines expanded mental-health supports, behavior framework and alternatives program
Summary
Scottsbluff Public Schools administrators reported declines in suicide-risk assessments, new hires of licensed mental-health practitioners and social workers, and progress on a districtwide behavior framework and intervention programs including PAWS and Scottsbluff Plus.
Scottsbluff Public Schools administrators presented a detailed update on strategic priority No. 2 — student mental health and behavior supports — describing staffing increases, software tools and program outcomes.
Dr. Kimlin opened the presentation noting the district’s baseline discipline data reported to the Nebraska Department of Education: “we had 132 suspensions from 111 students, and we had 44 expulsions from 40 students,” which the presentation will use as the starting point for measuring reductions. Behavior coordinator Ada Walsh described districtwide adoption of Behavior Advantage, a web-based tool that “has helped us streamline the process of creating functional behavior assessments and behavior intervention plans efficiently.” Walsh said about 83 students are currently on Behavior Advantage, distributed across the district’s schools.
Director of mental health Terry Fisher Eaton said the district has hired additional licensed mental-health practitioners (LMHPs) and three social-work navigator positions through a mental health grant and attributed a recent drop in suicide-risk assessments to both increased staffing and proactive prevention work: “This year, we’re at about 20 that we have done throughout the district. Last year at this time, we were at about 25,” Eaton said.
Administrators described complementary approaches: restorative-practices training for staff, improved referral processes integrated with MTSS and EduClimber alerts, and intensive alternatives including the PAWS program and the expanded Scottsbluff Plus. Ada Walsh said PAWS — now in its 13th year — serves roughly 60 students cumulatively and measures success by an 80%+ daily behavior tracker threshold; the program’s historical average since 02/17/18 is 87%.
Looking ahead, the presenters said the district plans to finish a formal behavior framework by early-to-mid fall, expand alternative offerings, continue paraprofessional training and strengthen data collection to document the impact of these investments. Board members asked about access pathways for families; Eaton explained referrals typically come from parents, administrators or counselors and require parental consent for clinical services.
