- Video shows mental health care packs that will be going out to local Door County schools.
- The program S.T.R.I.D.E. under United Way is distributing mental health care packs.
- Countyhealthrankings.org says the ratio of people to mental health providers was 740:1 in 2022 in Door County.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Countyhealthrankings.org says the ratio of people to mental health providers was 740:1 in 2022 in Door County. I’m your Door County neighborhood reporter Katlyn Holt with a look at what one group is doing to help those who need mental health resources.
"It allows students to understand that they can get what they need, that there are resources available," said Marggraf.
Director of Pupil Services at Sevastopol school, Melissa Marggraf says the opportunities that have come out of the S.T.R.I.D.E. program under United Way have helped young people in Door County get mental health resources.
In the coming weeks the group will be distributing more than 1,500 health care packs to the five public districts.
"They get a bunch of resources that help them with de-escalation strategies," said Marggraf.
Director of Pupil Services for Southern Door School District David Desmond says having these resources helps eliminate some of the barriers like cost and a limited number of mental health providers throughout the county.
"There's waits, and then your next best bet is to go to GreenBbay, depending on where a parent lives. That's, that's tough,” said Desmond.
Cami Peggar of United Way helps oversee the S.T.R.I.D.E. program school based mental health collaborative. They help connect mental health providers with local schools.
"A lot of kids have fidgeting, and anxiety and it is just a great way to release that," said Peggar.
The mental health kits have sensory stickers, journals, fidget toys, and even timers to help with self-regulation.
Peggar says these kits started because there aren't enough mental health providers for the need in the county.
"We're trying to make it so it's accessible to everyone, but we are still working on it because we just need more," said Peggar.
Each mental health kit comes with a brief instructional sheet for parents about how they can use these tools with their kids and where additional resources can be found. In Sturgeon Bay, Katlyn Holt, NBC 26.
