CONTACT: Armando Hernandez (608) 218-4516 [email protected]
On June 22, 2018 at the 3rd Annual Growing School Mental Health Summit in
Madison, the Coalition for Expanding School-Based Mental Health presented
legislative awards to Representative Mike Rohrkaste (R-Neenah) and
Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) for their leadership in advancing
innovative funding solutions to support the expansion of school-based
mental health services.
The Coalition for Expanding School-Based Mental Health in Wisconsin is a
statewide coalition whose mission is to advance and support expanded,
comprehensive and integrated mental health services within the school
setting through school, home, and community partnerships.
Governor Walker’s 2017-19 Biennial Budget proposed new dollars to
support mental health services in schools, and then Representative Mike Rohrkaste (R-Neenah) and Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills), through their roles on the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee, successfully championed additional grant dollars for schools and a critical, new Medicaid-funded consultation service to enable mental health professionals to connect with teachers and other school staff on strategies for effective engagement and interventions with students to support their treatment
goals.
“Guided by strong and diverse family and youth voice, quality school-mental health efforts augment the work of teachers, school psychologists, social workers, counselors and nurses through clinical therapy and consultation for students with more complex mental health challenges,” emphasized Chris Crowe, Coalition chair and Director/Principal of North Star Academy in Cameron. “One of the central goals of our Coalition has been securing more stable sources of funding for these successful, proven services. The approval of Medicaid-funded consultation in our schools is a critical building block that will deliver dividends for students across the state. We are grateful to Representative Rohrkaste and Senator Darling for their extraordinary efforts to expand successful treatment options for Wisconsin’s students.”
