Federal
Commission on School Safety's Second Field Visit Explores
Behavioral Health Integration in Schools
Yesterday, the Federal Commission on School Safety
(FCSS) held its second field visit at Adams-Friendship Middle
School in Adams County, Wisconsin. The field visit focused on
Wisconsin’s mental health framework, which enables local school
districts to provide integrated behavioral health best practices to
students.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar,
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Assistant Secretary for Mental
Health and Substance Use Elinore McCance-Katz, and representatives
from the Federal Commission on School Safety toured
Adams-Friendship Middle School to see the unique spaces used
for behavioral health interventions and services. Following the
tour, the Commission members and Wisconsin’s First Lady Tonette
Walker participated in two panel presentations.
The first panel gave Commission members the
opportunity to hear from state officials on Wisconsin’s School
Mental Health Initiative’s efforts to augment behavioral health
components during day-to-day school operations. One program
highlighted was the Project Advancing Wellness and Resilience
Education (AWARE), a grant program funded by the HHS’s Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). AWARE is
designed to help state and local education agencies increase
awareness of mental health issues among school-age youth; to train
educators and other youth-serving adults to detect and respond to
mental health issues; and to connect children, youth, and families
who might experience behavioral health issues with appropriate services.
The second panel, “Diverse Perspectives Make Our Work
Better - A Panel of Youth, Parents, and Community Partners,”
gave school leaders and community partners a chance to explain the
process and positive impact of implementing an integrated mental health
school based model that supports children who are at risk for or
who are experiencing mental health conditions. Commission members
also heard a story of resilience and personal triumph from one the
school’s students.
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