The Natchitoches Parish School Board received an update on a behavioral health project for parish schools at its meeting Sept. 7.
If students aren’t emotionally and socially fit, academics will fall to the wayside. The school district entered an agreement with Rehabilitation Services of Central Louisiana can help students. The schools are set up in zones and the services will begin as early as next week.
Rehab Services will provide the following:
A Master and Bachelor Level mental health professional for each of the 15 school to be on site on a full time basis.
All students will be served, those with medicaid and those without. If a client already has a counseling provider, they will be contacted by Rehab Services if a need arises with that student during school hours.
Variety of services including: community psychiatric supportive treatment, psychosocial rehabilitation, psychotherapy, medication management, crisis stabilization and independent living/skills building.
Weekly and monthly reports to the School District
Projected outcomes for improvement include behavior, school attendance and grades through less disruptive behavior in the classroom. This will lead to overall better health for students, which will result in academic school growth.
Another new service that will be provided to the school district is the creation of a school based health center (SBHC) at LP Vaughn. It will provide preventative and primary care to students, teachers and staff.
This is all thanks to the Outpatient Medical Center. A request for a change in scope was submitted to have the SBHC added to the OMC network. It will be covered under the FTCA. It will be a satellite site of the Natchitoches clinic. A grant funding application was submitted and notification of award will be received Oct. 1. The plan is to operationalize the SBCH 30-45 days after receipt of award notification.
“They’ll be providing services to our children that they’ve never had before,” said Superintendent Dale Skinner.
Services include well child checks, immunizations, annual physicals, sports physicals, urgent care, pediatric medicine, adult medicine, minor lacerations/bumps/bruises, student de-escalation treatment or referral, dental (student transferred to OMC clinic), and behavioral (student referred to Rehab Services). Any children that are uninsured will be referred to OMC.
OMC’s Chief Executive Officer Carl Walters said the vision for this SBHC began before he came to Natchitoches this year. The SBHC provides health care to children who may not otherwise seek it. It provides children with easier access to care and promotes prevention and early intervention. It also helps children stay healthy, decreases absenteeism and tardiness, reduces school discipline and behavior problems and saves money by reducing ER visits for wrong reasons. All these benefits give all children an equal chance to succeed in school.
“Whether they’re insured or uninsured, a child is guaranteed to get the services they deserve,” said Walters.
Once open, the SBHC will operate Monday-Friday from 7:30 am – 5 pm for students in grades PreK-8. The plan is to have a reception area, three exam areas and a lab draw area. It will be staffed by a board certified nurse practitioner (OMC has already hired someone who can fill the position), one licensed practical nurse and two medical assistants. The goal is to have at least 18-22 student referrals per day (4,320 per year) for sustainability.
Other agenda items included:
Authorize Legal Shield to solicit Board employees according to Board policy
Approve resolution giving preliminary approval to the issuance of not to exceed $3 million of Taxable Sales Tax Revenue Bonds of the School Tax District of Natchitoches Parish, making application to the State Bond Commission for the approval of said bonds
Approve consolidated school board budget 2017-2018Accept Weyeheuser as the highest bidder on 236 acres of merchantable timber in Goldonna
Call for a special election in March 2018 to replace Joella Fowler Wilson Collins on the Natchitoches Parish School Board