ANN ARBOR – Washtenaw Intermediate School District will receive $2.3 million to fill gaps in youth mental health care across the county over three years.
The funding will go towards several areas identified as needing additional support including prevention, mental health training courses, facilitating support for parents and coordinating mental health initiatives.
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“We’ve seen such an increase in the mental health needs of students,” said WISD program manager for community and school partnerships Shannon Novara in a release.
“Younger people aren’t always aware of resources, so they look to adults to support them, especially adults they find in school every day. We want to make sure that we’re appropriately leveraging the resources that are available in this county because it’s going to take everyone pulling together to support our young people.”
Support will come in three tiers: universal prevention, early prevention and referral and crisis services.
These three tiers will create a support network and fill mental health care gaps by:
- training around 240 school staff and community members
- launching a mindfulness training curriculum for 41 teachers
- combating stigmas with a public campaign
- coordinating with the Handle with Care initiative
- working with the Mom Power program to empower mothers
- supporting school-based social workers
- connecting at-risk students to resources
- coordinating with healthcare workers to expand student support services
The grant money was awarded through Washtenaw County’s Public Safety and Mental Health Preservation Millage.
Washtenaw Intermediate School District has worked with Washtenaw County Community Mental Health for three years using millage funding to provide services to county youth and families.
Learn more about how funds will be used here.