Anonymous donors have gifted $100,000 to help Stillwater-based FamilyMeans enhance its school-based mental health program for high school students, which is located in the Wellness Center within Stillwater Area High School.
Citing mental health as a pressing need, the donors want to maximize their donation by challenging the community to match the amount of their donation. This generous additional funding will allow more access to more students as well as more options for availability during the school week. Currently, one FamilyMeans therapist provides three days of mental health counseling, and reports a steady caseload as well as unscheduled visits with students who seek immediate help.
“We are excited about this new possibility to support school-based mental health and are working in full collaboration with the school district and the donor to meet the needs of the students accordingly,” said Pat Rogers, clinical director of mental health at FamilyMeans. “Research shows being in the schools has proven effective in reaching more students who benefit from mental health support and who may have previously remained unidentified and untreated.”
Beginning in 2017, Stillwater Area High School will see the addition of ninth graders as the district shifts from a junior high to a middle school model, creating a new high school structure of grades 9-12. With this change, FamilyMeans mental health staff anticipates an increased need as the student population grows.
“We are wholeheartedly grateful for this generous donation,” said Rachel Larson, director of personalized learning for Stillwater Area High School. “Most of us can recall a time when we were growing up and we needed a little extra support during challenging times. This donation allows us to provide that important support to help our students. Our students today face a variety of pressures, and alongside that are increasing rates of stress, anxiety and depression. When we are able to support our student's social, emotional and behavioral needs, we provide opportunities in which they can be successful and fulfill their personal potential.”
FamilyMeans began partnering with area schools to provide services to students in 1990. In 1997, therapists began meeting with the students in school settings, and additional school locations have been added over the years. FamilyMeans has had a therapist located at Stillwater Area High School since 2005.
To learn more about this donation, contact Jennifer Snyder, director of development for FamilyMeans, at (651) 789-4057. To donate, click here.