Image Credit: Johnson City Schools / YouTube
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
At their May meeting this week, the Johnson City School Board voted unanimously to approve a proposal, pending budget approval, that will allow the district to add 16 Masters-level full-time therapists for the district’s 11 brick and mortar schools, doubling the current spending on mental health.
Dr. Gregg Wallace, Supervisor of Safety and Mental Health, spoke about the district being on the forefront of providing mental health services for students, referring to a long relationship between the district and community mental health since the 70s.
The district has been discussing the topic over the last several months as the budget for these services will increase from $500 thousand to over a $1 million.
The Board of Education for Johnson City Schools oversees 8 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, 1 high school, and a virtual academy for grades 5-12.
The district currently relies on “care counselors” provided by Frontier Health through the Heros program which was initially funded through means of a $60 million grant in 2008. When those funds ran out in 2013, the board made mental health funding a priority to continue and expand the program. The new proposal continues a relationship with Frontier Health but moves more of the services “in house.”
The safety mission statement for Johnson City Schools reads in part:
“Psychological safety provides for the social-emotional well-being of students and works to create positive school climates through measures such as bullying prevention, mental health awareness, threat assessment, restorative practices, and early identification and intervention for at-risk students.”
Wallace said he is constantly asking “what can we do to make it better, what can we do to increase those services.”
At Science Hill High School, in addition to the 7 school counselors and 1 Frontier Health contractor already at the school, the district would add another school counselor and 3 new Masters-level school therapists.
Liberty Bell and Indian Trail Middle Schools will get an additional Master’s level therapist each, as well as 3 school counselors and 1 Frontier Health contractor.
Each elementary school will get a full-time Master’s level therapist in addition to what they currently have.
Johnson City Schools received almost $24 billion in ESSER funds of which over a $1 million was allocated for “a robust mental health support system that includes on-site, home, and virtual support, including school counselors, Masters level Therapists, and Case Managers.”
On the topic of parental rights and confidentiality, Wallace mentioned the Tennessee Department of Health Best Practices, and ethics standards of getting consent of students but also parents and guardians.
“We always, when it’s appropriate, we always want to make sure that parents are involved when we can because we realize those strong support networks are how we support students,” he said.
House Bill 0727/Senate Bill 1443, waiting for Governor Lee’s attention, requires parental consent for a number of school based activities including mental health services.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
