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Mental Health Matters South Washington County Schools receive a grant dedicated toward student mental health.
“MENTAL HEALTH has really become a basic need. It’s a foundation for kids being able to learn,” says Cheryl Jogger, South Washington County Schools community engagement coordinator and founder and chair of the South Washington County Community Action Reaching Every Student, or SoWashCo CARES, board. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, also known as NAMI, one out of six children ages 6–17, or 16.5 percent, experience a mental health disorder in 2016. For students in Minnesota, that number is slightly higher—according to the Minnesota Department of Health, in 2016 one in five students showed signs of depression. For South Washington County Schools, mental health has always been a priority, especially given the circumstances surrounding COVID. “Many students and families are struggling more
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due to the pandemic,” Jo Park, special services supervisor, says. In March of this year, the Woodbury Rotary Club raised funds for student mental health in the district. All-in-all, the club raised $20,865 for SoWashCo CARES through several primary sources of funding, including through community citizens and organizations, other Rotary Clubs and the Rotary District matching grant. Woodbury Rotary Club members Alan Henaman, director of public image, and Larry Propst, director of grants applications, say the relationship between the Rotary Club and SoWashCo CARES has been strong through the years; so, donating toward these efforts was the clear choice. “We wanted to become more involved with the school district, since it was such a direct link to the youth in [South Washington] County,” Henaman and
Propst say. “And the best was to do this was through SoWashCo CARES …” Prior to the nearly $21,000 grant, the Rotary Club initiated a mental health program with SoWashCo CARES in February 2020, where $2,500 was donated to the program. When the Rotary Club learned the program needed additional funding, the club stepped up to the plate. The grant is being allocated toward mental health services, mindfulness tools and supply training for district staff. “The training is for clinical social workers to increase their skills and give them more tools in their tool bag,” Park says. The two classes include social thinking— understanding how we think and express ourselves with other people—and yoga calm—moving your body to reduce stress, increase attention and engage your brain. Grant and wellness coordinator Jodi Witte says student mental health has been an ongoing concern for the district.
PHOTO: SOWASHCO CARES
BY HAILEY ALMSTED
