6 minute read
Project SEEKS SES: Supporting Mental and Behavioral Health in Schools
Project SEEKS SES: Supporting Mental and Behavioral Health in Schools
By Jeremy Tepper
When the Allegheny County Health Department got approved for a large grant, they knew to turn to the AIU.
As the COVID-19 pandemic raged on and effects in its aftermath became clearer, the Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) started thinking of solutions. From their vantage point, health officials saw that school-aged children were experiencing increased levels of trauma leading to mental and behavioral health issues. Dwindling numbers of support staff in those areas further complicated the problem. Such pressing needs inspired Debra Bogen, M.D., and Patrick Dowd, Ph.D., of the ACHD to write and submit a grant proposal to the Pennsylvania Department of Health requesting funding for Project SEEKS SES in June 2021.
Project SEEKS SES (Supporting Expansion and Enhancement of K-12 SchoolBased Social, Emotional Supports) is a grant-funded partnership between the ACHD and the AIU that helps 10 participating school districts address trauma, behavior and mental health issues exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant will also assist at least three higher education institutions to bolster a local pipeline of professionals to social and emotional health fields.
Dr. Dowd, who then served as the ACHD chief operating officer, now holds Dr. Bogen’s former role as the ACHD acting director following her departure to serve as Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Health. Dr. Dowd and his department will monitor the progress of the grant.
“We’re really excited for this partnership and think it’s very important not just for this project, but in continuing our work together,” Dr. Dowd said. “There’s no better partner in the county for serving a wide variety of schools than the AIU.”
It was an intense experience for Dr. Dowd and Dr. Bogen to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic alongside the schools in the county. But the AIU was a welcomed presence at regular meetings with school district superintendents about how to address COVID-19. Those meetings made it clear the AIU had its finger on the pulse of Allegheny County schools.
While writing the grant, Dr. Bogen and Dr. Dowd always had the AIU in the back of their minds as the obvious partner to facilitate the work.
“They turned to the AIU, because they knew that the AIU was a central hub for all of the school districts in the county, and that we were really good at pushing out information and getting partnerships going with our member districts,” said James Palmiero, Ed.D., the assistant executive director of the AIU’s Special Education and Pupil Services Division.
The AIU first became aware of Project SEEKS SES when the ACHD engaged Dr. Palmiero and AIU Executive Director Robert Scherrer, Ed.D., in July 2022. After exchanging ideas, Dr. Dowd and Dr. Palmiero were excited to realize how their partnership could magnify the impact of such a program.
Dr. Palmiero had previously crossed paths with Shannon Fagan, now project coordinator for SEEKS SES, and recalled her dedication to the holistic development of children. She has spent her life working in the mental health systems, most notably spending three years as the director of Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Children’s Behavioral Health Services.
“When this opportunity presented itself, I was so excited,” Fagan said. “For me — facilitating the conversations and collaborations, especially postCOVID-19 — is really important because life is so different. COVID-19 left us with a great need for teachers, social workers and school psychologists, and filling these positions right now is difficult. It felt like the right time for me to jump in and bring my skill set into the work,” Fagan said.
Since Project SEEKS SES began in earnest, they have engaged 10 school districts — Cornell, Duquesne City, East Allegheny, Highlands, McKeesport Area, Penn Hills, Steel Valley, Sto-Rox, West Mifflin Area and Woodland Hills — and three higher education partners: the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University and Chatham University.
As the AIU and these partners have worked together to map out strengths, weaknesses and needs, they identified several initiatives. Sto-Rox, for example, allocated funds for an anti-violence team called V.I.B.E. (Violence Intervention Building Empowerment). Duquesne City and McKeesport are using funds on services through Pressley Ridge, while Cornell is providing student wellness rooms that will have supports provided by Wesley Family Services.
“We know kids need something, they can’t get it and there’s not enough providers, so what can we do in the meantime?” said Sto-Rox superintendent Megan Van Fossan. “What can we do to ward off the additional trauma that children are experiencing with conflict?”
School districts and higher education partners have also started to map out plans for pre-professional placements in social work, psychology and counseling fields. A number of the partners came together in April for a stakeholder meeting at the AIU’s Central Office.
“Bringing all of these people together in the same space, it just doesn’t happen everyday. I often say the smartest person in the room is the room. And today was a great room to be in,” said Dr. Scherrer after the meeting.
Dr. Dowd said he hopes for the implementation of sustainable, evidence-based programs that help address the growing needs of children in the aftermath of COVID-19. He also hopes to grow the pipeline of professionals to help support these students.
Funding Student Wellness Efforts
As the AIU and its partners have worked together to map out strengths, weaknesses and needs, they identified several initiatives. Sto-Rox, for example, allocated funds for an anti-violence team called V.I.B.E. (Violence Intervention Building Empowerment). Duquesne City and McKeesport are using funds on services through Pressley Ridge, while Cornell is funding student wellness rooms through Wesley Family Services.
Projects SEEKS SES
School District Participants
Cornell
Duquesne City
East Allegheny
Highlands
McKeesport Area
Penn Hills
Steel Valley
Sto-Rox
West Mifflin Area
Woodland Hills
Higher Education Partners
Chatham University
Duquesne University
University of Pittsburgh
Read more from this issue: Fall 2023
