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Grants awarded to expand mental health services in schools

Posted at 7:53 PM, Jul 23, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-23 20:53:19-04

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction says 64 school districts and consortiums are getting a piece of $3.25 million in state grant funding to provide school-based mental health services.

Some of the 64 schools are located in Northeast Wisconsin, including Appleton, De Pere, Ashwaubenon, Green Bay, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac.

According to DPI, the new grant program attracted proposals from 141 applicants, representing 182 school districts and charter schools and requesting more than $8 million. Grants fund activities for the 2018-19 school year and range from just over $11,000 to the grant maximum of $75,000.

DPI representatives say students deal with the same mental health issues as adults, such as anxiety, depression, self-harm, and substance abuse. They say these problems can tie into major challenges found in schools: chronic absence, low achievement, disruptive behavior, and dropping out. 

DPI says money can be used for a variety of services including: 

-Develop and support student and staff social and emotional wellness
-Increase staff capacity to create trauma sensitive environments
-Provide training to staff and students to recognize mental health challenges and know how to advocate for themselves and others
-Provide student support groups led by school and community mental health providers
-Develop referral processes to ensure students who need additional support are referred to qualified providers
-Create spaces in schools for community mental health providers to work with students
-Provide guidance to students and families to access multiple systems and supports

Here is a list of districts receiving Mental Health Services Grants:

Adams-Friendship Area $54,297 
Altoona $75,000 
Amery $75,000 
Appleton Area $65,000 
Arcadia $59,650 
Ashwaubenon $69,500 
Beaver Dam Unified $74,760 
Beloit $75,000 
Boscobel Area $68,171 
Cadott Community $23,926 
Chippewa Falls Area Unified $75,000 
De Pere $71,297 
Elkhorn Area $67,500 
Ellsworth Community $75,000 
Fond du Lac $75,000 
Green Bay Area Public $49,535 
Hayward Community $55,500 
Hudson $70,985 
Jefferson County Mental Health Consortium $75,000 -- Edgerton, Fort Atkinson, Jefferson, Johnson Creek, Lake Mills Area, Watertown Unified, and Whitewater Unified 
Kenosha $52,195 
Kettle Moraine $75,000 
La Crosse $24,100 
Little Chute Area $32,688 
Lodi $23,300 
Madison Metropolitan $75,000 
Marinette $57,700 
Menominee Indian $75,000 
Milwaukee Public $75,000 
New London $57,500 
Northwood $62,375 
Onalaska $58,860 
Oshkosh Area $75,000 
Pardeeville Area $11,119 
Pewaukee $42,720 
Phillips $68,700 
Prairie du Chien Area $75,000 
Prescott $66,700 
Racine Unified $75,000 
Ripon Area $75,000 
Sevastopol, Door County Consortium $75,000 -- Gibraltar Area, Sevastopol, Southern Door County, Sturgeon Bay, and Washington 
Stanley-Boyd Area $12,800 
Stevens Point Area Public $63,500 
Stoughton Area $66,836 
Sun Prairie Area $75,000 
Tomorrow River $67,814 
Trempeauleau Valley Consortium $75,000 -- Blair-Taylor, Independence, and Whitehall 
Waukesha $74,862 
Waupun $74,200 
West Allis-West Milwaukee $73,590 
Wheatland J1 $28,320 
Wisconsin Rapids $75,000 
Wrightstown Community $75,000