MSBA School-Based Health Center Task Force Community Mental Health Centers as Partners In Schools

Community Mental Health Centers

What we are doing within the schools in our communities? Services Provided & Access Meet with districts to discuss who we are, what we provide (Direct Care plus Information/Education) Establish improved referral process and feedback loop for some districts, attend events in their community to discuss mental/behavioral health Establish formal partnerships with some districts, sit on their PBS teams and streamline the referral process Suicide Training, Response, Postvention Efforts

What we are doing within the schools in our communities? Successes Over 5 years, developed partnerships with 8 school districts, and began providing more support to 4 school districts in Region Creative responses to help school districts learn more about mental health signs/symptoms and early intervention Decrease negative stigma in communities around mental health treatment. Offer staff/personnel support as well as consult

What we are doing within the schools in our communities? Challenges Lack of awareness DMH contract restrictions with billing services, age limitations, diagnosis criteria Staff availability and caseload sizes Parental consent, accuracy with reports, Releases of Information Threat Assessments/Crisis Response Health insurance restrictions

Describe how initial discussions began with the schools. Outreach efforts on the part of CMHC School districts sharing their experiences with CMHC to other school district personnel Problems/Complaints, Difficult cases Explaining CMHCs, informing that we are contracted with DMH and what that means for the services we can/cannot provide, cost of service, etc. CMHCs ask schools about: Mental/behavioral health needs in their school community Gaps that their school district cannot fill Historical experiences with CMHC Resistance or acceptance of mental health treatment/education

How schools can approach the community mental health centers to begin partnering. Invite CMHCs to be participants in your meetings/events/trainings/conferences about mental/behavioral health. Call your local CMHC and ask for a meeting to discuss how they can support your school district. Include Superintendents, Administrators, Mental Health Staff, Nursing Staff, Behavioral Health Staff, Family-Outreach/Home School Communicator Staff, Special Education Staff, etc.

Cost to districts and MOUs. Memorandum of Understanding are agreements that outline the standards by which both entities will follow to forge a working relationship with one another. MOUs are not contracts Contracts outline arrangements that may exchange funds, payment, etc. and generate a cost to the school district.

Questions? Lori Wheelhouse Rachel Jones, LPC Community Clinical Manager Director of Youth Services – Central Region Tri-County Mental Health Services, Inc. Burrell Behavioral Health 3100 NE 83rd Street, Suite 1001 3401 Berrywood Drive, Suite 104 Kansas City, MO  64119 Columbia, MO 65202 816.965.1028 (direct line) 573-777-8334 (phone) 816.468.6635 (fax) 573-777-8380 (fax) www.encouragehopeandhelp.com @RachelJonesLPC rachel.jones@burrellcenter.com