October 21, 2009

Transitioning in and out of school while dealing with a mental health condition presents additional challenges to students and their parents.

At Tuesday’s Education Solutions Team meeting, the conversation focused on improving lines of communication regarding the mental health of students. Members of the team said more dialogue between schools and mental health service providers is necessary.

The group, which includes education and community leaders, has been meeting since February to address the drop out rate in the Cape Girardeau School District. At its monthly meeting, Paul Schniedermeyer of the Missouri Department of Mental Health sparked a discussion about local services.

Many members of the group expressed the frustration felt by parents seeking help for their children.

"We need more people to hold their hand and walk them through the services," said Kayleen Shaw, the district’s social worker.

After a student is hospitalized for mental issues, the transition back to school presents another challenge. School officials said students can receive accommodations like attending half days or getting schoolwork in the hospital.

"You don’t want to put more stress on what has been a horribly stressful situation for that child," said Roy Merideth, principal at Central Junior High School.

For administrators, it takes extra time to access documents regarding the student’s mental condition. While many parents do not deny a ccess to those documents, Merideth said they are pertinent to creating a comfortable environment for the student.

School officials said schoolwork exceptions can be made for younger students but catching up becomes more difficult for high school students earning credits.

"Students cannot get the same education while hospitalized," said Dr. Mike Cowan, high school principal.

"You can’t necessarily send a chemistry lab to St. Anthony’s," he said, referring to a St. Louis hospital that provides mental health services.

He said the credit recovery programs at the Alternative Education Center is the best way to get those students back on track when they return to school.

The United Way of Southeast Missouri created the Education Solutions Team with the goal of having a plan in place by March. Committees have been gathering data and making presentations to the group on a monthly basis. Presentations have included intervention methods for at-risk students, ways to increase literacy and parent involvement.

Nancy Jernigan, executive director of the United Way of Southeast Missouri, said the group will start putting a plan together during the next meeting. She said the committees will narrow down their strategies to those that will have the broadest effect.

Many of the committees involved with the team have expressed a need for more positive community involvement. United Way is working with the Volunteer Intergenerational Center to recruit a volunteers for a pilot program at the junior high.

The program will include three volunteer opportunities — morning greeters, lunch buddies and after-school homework assistants. Anyone interested in participating should call United Way at 334-9634.