Collaborative School-based Mental Health Services at REACH Healthcare Foundation

1. REACH Healthcare Foundation Collaborative School-based Mental Health Services Carla Gibson, Senior Program Officer

2. ABOUT REACH VISION All poor and underserved people in our community will have quality health care. MISSION To advance equity in health care coverage,access & quality for poor and underserved people. GRANTMAKING • $4.4 millioninvested in grants in 2018 • $61.2 million in grant awards since inception (2005) • Assets: $125 million as of December 31, 2018 SERVICEAREA • REACH’s service area encompasses both Kansas and Missouri: • Allen, Johnsonand Wyandotte counties in Kansas • Cass, Jackson and Lafayette counties in Missouri • The City of Kansas City, Missouri HISTORY • The REACH Healthcare Foundation was established in 2003 with proceeds from the sale of Health Midwest, a regional nonprofit healthcare organization, purchased by Hospital Corporation of America. • The first board of directors was appointed in 2003. • The IRS granted REACH 501(c)(3) status in May 2004 and the following month the foundation received nearly $100 million in initial assets.

3. REACH INVESTMENTS Provides a framework for our grant making and other community investments Revised version implemented in 2016 as part of a five-year strategic plan Target populations: • Undocumented immigrant and refugees • Homeless persons • Youth transitioning out of foster care Three defined outcome areas linked to a set of strategies with defined targets, benchmarks and populations The outcome areas and identified strategies frame the long-term impact we seek

4. OUTCOME INVESTMENTS

5. WHY SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH? • Meets kids where they are • Reaches vulnerable kids (low income, uninsured) that would not access services otherwise • Lack of community-based service providers, specifically mental health providers • Upstream approach

6. PARTNERSHIP “Partner” versus “Funder” You are the expert in your community Take the first step for engagement with local funders (pick up the phone!) Think bigger…

7. Brighter Futures Mental Health Consortium Trauma Sensitive Schools Initiative -Nicky Bennett -Aaron Knipmeyer

8. 6 public school districts in Lafayette County 5,000 students (44.5% average free/reduced lunch rate) 524 certified staff, 200+ classified staff

9. History of our Collaborative • Started in 2006 with the passage of a Children’s Service Fund Sales Tax. • Other counties with this tax include Boone, St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin, Jefferson, Clay, Lincoln and Jackson • Such a great opportunity • Always just a professional collaborative, we are not an incorporated entity. We can apply for grant funding as a governmental entity. • I repeat this often, but collaboration is the key to our success.

10. Where we are now • Tremendous partnership with Truman Medical Center, REACH Healthcare Foundation, Health Forward Foundation, and other grantors • Some staff had smaller exposure to Trauma Informed Care components from previous professional development • Working toward sustainability

11. Trauma informed schools - state statutes • Why is this so important now? • Missouri Senate Bill 638 required DESE to establish the Trauma-Informed Schools Initiative • The need is ever present in our schools

12. Other needs • Additional exposure of the mental health needs of students, families and staff • We now watch for compassion fatigue and burnout with staff • Openly talk about mindfulness and self-care with student and parents • We know that rural and high poverty populations suffer from lack of resources and services for mental and physical health • We desired to meet an underserved population where they are at

13. How do we do it ? • In short, collaboration and hard-work • Monthly meetings with all our county school representatives • Summer planning sessions • Funding comes from in-kind donations from schools • Local Grants - Children’s Service Fund • Regional Grants - REACH Healthcare Foundation, Health Forward Foundation, First Call • Federal Grants - Title IV money, can be used to view educating the “whole” child, even socio-emotional education.

14. Direct Services to students • 4 full-time clinicians across the county (grant funded by county sales tax, clinicians provided by Compass Health) • Contract with an additional eight self-employed clinicians for part-time services. The Center for Counseling and Training is the only private mental health office in our county. • Some other independent providers • This is to fill in the gap left by Medicaid and private insurance coverage • Occasionally used because transportation is a barrier • Still have a waiting list

15. Staff Training • Biggest recent push is Trauma-Informed Schools initiative • A universal, proactive approach • Also train on suicide awareness and prevention, self-injurous behavior, substance abuse recognition, school violence prevention • Some are universal screenings, some are targeted programs • REACH Healthcare Foundation and Truman Medical Center have been great allies in our push for universal preventative care.

16. Parenting Fair

17. Parenting Fair • We provide parent training events • Largest occurs annually in the spring • Also love and logic, concious discipline • Focus on preventative strategies as well as provide referrals to treatment options

18. Future • Lack of expansion to Medicaid, lots of kids dropped from MO HealthNet. • More kids, parents, and staff are aware of their own mental health needs and are accessing services. • Internal focus on sustainability • External focus on sharing our story • Contact Us • nbennett@lexington.k12.mo.us • knipmeyera@huskersk12.org

19. QUESTIONS

20. CONTACT INFO Carla Gibson Senior Program Officer REACH Healthcare Foundation 6700 Antioch, Suite 200 Merriam, KS 66204 carla@reachhealth.org (913) 432-4196 @reachhealthcare @carlaygibson facebook.com/REACHHealthcareFoundation