District gets $9M to Create Mental Health Plan

October 26, 2009

The mental health and well-being of children in the Madison School District will be coming to the forefront of issues being dealt with by the district.

The district has just received its largest grant ever. The Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services Program grant will bring almost $9 million into the district over six years. The grant is three times the size of the previously largest grant the district had received, and it means more jobs for the area.
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The grant will go towards creating an "Integrated System of Care" for children between ages 0 and 21 who are dealing with mental health and behavioral challenges.

"The purpose of the system of care is to transform the way mental health services and support are delivered, allowing the community to provide coordinated care in the least restrictive ways possible," said Janet Goodliffe, a representative of the Madison School District.

According to district officials, mental health challenges are a growing problem among students. Issues like depression, substance abuse, addiction and suicidal ideation are among the most severe.

"We have had at least one suicide in the last number of years and multiple, multiple attempts," said Goodliffe. "Suicidal ideation is a big problem in this area."

She cited the Idaho Mental Health Plan, a 2004 study done by Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, which states that five to eight percent of individuals between 0 and 24 in Madison County can be classed within the category of "seriously emotionally disturbed" children.

To combat the issues the school district is drawing heavily on support from the community — which was one of the reasons the district qualified for the grant.

The district will partner with the Sugar-Salem School District, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Madison County Juvenile Probation, Brigham Young University-Idaho, the Madison County Community Council and a host of other community organizations to help create a comprehensive mental health plan.

"The grant shows Madison’s commitm ent to working together as a community to bring the finest educational system to our students and their families," said Superintendent Geoffrey Thomas. "Mental health challenges seriously affect a segment of our student population and that impacts not only children and teens, but their families and our community. We want to destroy the stigma that is associated with mental health concerns and provide help and assistance to these children and youth and their families."

The Madison program is called Madison CARES and it is hoped that it will become a model for other school districts.

"Frequently school districts have stood outside other systems of care models," said Goodliffe. "Madison CARES is an innovative approach centered on families and children."

The program will include "evidence-based practices" like the current Parents as Teachers program because the district believes that early intervention can forestall future problems and expenses.

"This innovative approach is first centered on families and children with the school district, health department and community partners serving to break down barriers and create sustainable systems of care-taking," according to a news release.

The grant, which is from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Heath Administration, will also provide the community with economic support and the district estimates more then 25 new jobs will be created as a result of the influx of money.

The district will receive $1 millions this year, $1.5 million next year and $2 million the following year after which the amounts will decrease to allow the district to create a self-sustaining program.

Goodliffe believes that so long as the community works together on the program, creating a self-sustaining program is very possible.

It is only the second time in the history of the grant that the Systems of Care program has been given to a school district. For more information about SAMHSA grant visit www.samhsa.gov/grants.