Whole Child Supports

Our school district is dedicated to prioritizing the mental health and well-being of our students. We believe that emotional wellness is a fundamental component of academic success and personal growth. To achieve this, we have implemented a robust mental health model that aims to provide accessible and effective therapeutic support to our students.

Key Components

Licensed Clinical Therapists: Currently, our mental health model is staffed by six (6) licensed clinical therapists. We have plans for expansion, with the potential to grow to 11 therapists, enabling us to have one therapist assigned to each of our 11 schools, including Crossroads Academy.

Schools Impacted: Our model serves all 10 schools within our school district plus Crossroads Academy, ensuring comprehensive coverage for our students. Polk School District has utilized this model for the mental health needs of our students since the 2021-22 school year utilizing ESSER funds to begin the program by paying the salaries of our therapists for two school years.

Students Served: Our mental health model currently serves approximately 400-500 students. As we expand, we anticipate reaching even more students, making mental health services more accessible to those in need.

Providers Utilized: PSD employs licensed clinical therapists who work directly within our school district. This approach eliminates the red tape associated with insurance billing processes and removes barriers to therapy for our families, such as the need for transportation to and from appointments.

Therapeutic Services: Our experienced therapists provide individual and group counseling to students dealing with a range of emotional and psychological challenges. Confidential and compassionate support is available to help students navigate personal and academic concerns. By having therapists on our campuses, our students have access to immediate assistance in crisis situations having trained professionals in our buildings to respond quickly to urgent mental health situations.

Outcome Measurement and Effectiveness: The effectiveness of our mental health model is measured based on the individual needs of our students. Each student enrolled in our program has a personalized treatment plan with specific goals, and their progress is monitored closely. Additionally, we track hospitalizations as an indicator of the impact of our services on crisis intervention and prevention.

Integration with School District Police Department: We maintain a strong partnership with our school district's police department. Our therapists assess students and provide valuable recommendations to law enforcement when necessary. This collaboration ensures a holistic approach to addressing student well-being and safety.