The Columbia Heights School District is the latest to partner with Washburn Center for Children to serve its students and staff, joining over 60 other schools in a similar partnership with the community-based youth mental health leader.
Educators and school professionals continue to be a vital “catch point” for child and teen mental health. In fact, earlier this year, University of Minnesota’s researchers released evidence that school-based mental health services directly impact the outcomes for students. Placing therapists directly into schools gives students easy and tailored mental health care supports.
This newest partnership with Columbia Heights gives students in the small, diverse district arrives amid an ongoing and skyrocketing youth mental health crisis. Educators and school administrators have reported the impacts are felt severely in classrooms every single day.
“Our therapy model is community-based, and we are a safety net for these kids,” said Washburn Center Chief Executive Officer, Craig Warren. “What that means is a singular focus to get our therapists into the communities where they are needed most. Schools are one of those critical community spaces.”
Schools have become more intense than ever. In the last few years, faculty has reported a meteoric rise in children needing mental health services. As one of the largest providers of direct school-based mental health services in the state of Minnesota, Washburn Center partners with teachers, administrators and parents to help kids thrive academically, developmentally and socially.
“We are excited to partner with Washburn in providing mental health support to our students in Columbia Heights,” Zena Stenvik, Columbia Heights Public School Superintendent. “We believe that bolstering these services and prioritizing mental health will help meet the needs that have been on the rise in recent years. We hope that our students will feel seen and heard when working with the Washburn therapists. The services that Washburn provides will help to support the whole child.”
“We’ve seen substantial benefits for the kids and families in school districts that partner with us. It’s so important to have someone on-site all the time, who the kids and the school staff know they can trust. It’s a game changer,” said Washburn Center Chief Clinical Officer, Jenny Britton. “We’re thankful for this new partnership with Columbia Heights, where we think we can be a huge help. I know our therapists are excited to get to know the families and begin service.”
The Kaiser Family Foundation also reported in its research that the delivery of mental health services in schools improves access to care, allows for early identification and treatment of mental health issues, and may be linked to reduced absenteeism and better mental health outcomes School-based services can also reduce access barriers for underserved populations, including children from low-income households and children of color.