(Leading Eagle)
Antietam School District officials are exploring additional mental health resources for students, including hiring treatment providers to provide assistance at school.
At Monday’s school board meeting, Superintendent Dr. Heidi Rochlin said the district aims to develop a comprehensive strategy to address student mental health issues.
“There were concerns about attendance due to behavioral or mental health issues,” Rochlin said.
She said the district has heard horror stories from families who have been on waiting lists for mental health services for months.
“This is a full-time job for many parents seeking help for their students,” Rochlin said. “Many families and students feel like they lack support and guidance, so we want to be able to embed that support within the school district and within the school day.”
Current district resources include school counselors, mental health counselors serving kindergarten through 12th grade, safety and security coordinators, and school resource officers.
Rochlin said the district plans to hire an assistant principal to lead the district’s safety, security and mental health team for grades 9-12.
The district is also considering hiring New Jersey-based Effective School Solutions to provide therapeutic programming for students at the school.
The company partners with school districts to help implement culturally inclusive mental health and behavioral support programs that address trauma and improve outcomes.
Melanie Shaver Durham, director of district partnerships for Effective School Solutions, said part of the goal is to keep students within the district rather than placing them in facilities outside the district.
Officials said Antietam has 42 students participating in the outplacement program.
“Schools often bring us in to reduce the number of re-employment opportunities,” Shaver-Durham said. “Schools sometimes bring us in because they have a lot of problem behavior that stems from their students’ mental health issues.”
Effective School Solutions works with about 130 school districts in 12 states, Shaver-Durham said.
The company plans to bring in two full-time mental health clinicians to serve the district, as well as a risk management specialist and clinical director to oversee treatment and programs.
Teachers will also be provided professional development opportunities and support through the program, Shaver-Durham noted.
Effective school solutions provide the best services to high schools. High school therapy sessions throughout the school year, in-class support, emergency intervention, biweekly family therapy, monthly parent support groups, and newsletters for school staff.
“Many children with mental health issues externalize their difficult behaviors,” Shaver-Durham says. “So we’re going to start using the level system to encourage them to stay regulated and help them not do that kind of thing. If a student becomes dysregulated, We will respond and use the treatments we are learning to help you re-adjust.”
Student progress is recorded and tracked, and data is shared with administrators throughout the year.
“This is a comprehensive approach to mental health treatment that provides a range of interventions for children who have indicated that they need that level of support,” Shaver-Durham said.
Because most of the district’s outplacements occur in high schools, middle schools will receive a lower tier of support aimed at addressing mild to moderate mental health issues, but levels of support will vary as needed. is subject to change, officials noted.
Partnering with Effective School Solutions will cost the district $310,000 annually from 2024-25 through 2026-27.
Rochlin noted the district is applying for state aid to cover its costs.
