EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – Student referrals for mental health support in the Eau Claire Area School District have jumped 59 percent, but new funding is making sure those kids do not fall through the cracks.
By October of this school year, student referrals for mental health support had already surpassed the total for all of last year.
“As of October 31st, we had surpassed all of the referrals for the entire school year, the year prior. So that just kind of tells us our numbers are increasing. And right now, we’re at a 59%,” Samantha Quirk, mental health coordinator for the Eau Claire Area School District, said.
School district leaders say the jump is largely driven by secondary students in middle and high school, and that social media and trauma also play a role. But they highlight there is a silver lining: more kids are asking for help.
“We know so much more about trauma and how trauma affects the brain and how that affects a student’s progress socially, emotionally, academically. So, I think the big takeaway is our students have done an excellent job of breaking down the walls, if you will, or the stigma around mental health, and they’re talking about it,” said Misti Trowbridge, director of student services for the Eau Claire Area School District.
Grant funds in-house therapist
To meet the demand, the district is expanding its approach. A $55,000, five-year grant from the WEA Member Benefits Foundation is funding an in-house therapist seeing uninsured students in the building.
“I had to find out from school superintendents and other education leaders throughout the state what kept them awake at night. And most of them answered that student mental health was one of the top concerns and challenges that they face. So, then we asked what was missing from this equation, and we were told private philanthropy is missing from this equation,” said Steve Goldberg, executive director of the WEA Member Benefits Foundation.
Goldberg says 25 percent of teenage girls in Wisconsin have a suicide plan. Nearly one in four K-12 students in the state has been diagnosed with a mental or behavioral health condition, but only half have received treatment in the last year.
“There’s a significant urgent need for more access for students to mental health support. Some need immediate treatment. Some need to be part of a peer group support system that can help them deal with these issues,” Goldberg said.
Telehealth pilot removes barriers
The district is also piloting telehealth through a provider called Cartwheel. It allows students to see doctors on weekends or evenings, removing barriers like transportation and long wait times.
“So those students where their first language isn’t necessarily English are able to find a provider that does speak the language that they’re most comfortable with,” Quirk said.
School district leaders say the goal is to ensure no child has to wait to get help.
The WEA Member Benefits Foundation and the Eau Claire Area School District are urging parents and community members to learn how to support kids in crisis during Mental Health Awareness Month in May. If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, any time, day or night.
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