Kids in Crisis - A Call to Action (8/17/16)

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KIDS IN CRISIS

JAMES FITZHENRY AND RORY LINNANE | GANNETT WISCONSIN MEDIA

From small towns to big cities, it claims the lives of children and leaves countless others wounded. It cuts a path of destruction across all walks of life, yet is often spoken about in hushed terms — if it all.

Euphemisms or crude descriptions often clumsily mask the epidemic of mental health issues afflicting youth at alarming rates. The evidence is overwhelming.

An acute shortage of providers and uneven patchwork of solutions is leaving thousands of Wisconsinites with little hope for mental health treatment. Children languish on waitlists, teetering on the edge of no return. Even as state government, health care providers and community groups have mobilized to respond, the problem is so deep and complex that progress is excruciatingly slow.

Wisconsin’s youth suicide rate is higher than the national average. It ranks in the top for kids with depression, yet less than half received treatment. In 2013, more than half of Wisconsin adolescents surveyed said their mental health was not good at some point in the past month and one in 10 said they had considered suicide. More than 900 youth had to go to the emergency room after hurting themselves that year. And 25 died by suicide.

Lost in the headlines was the creation of a new state office in 2013 designed to focus exclusively on children’s mental health. New grassroots groups have sprung up. Training and awareness have never been better. Those suffering have not given up hope or the will to heal.

A team of 25 Gannett Wisconsin Media journalists will tell their stories. You’ll meet Lizzie Galoff, a high school senior who went from being afraid to tell her parents about her depression to giving speeches to stamp out stigma. We’ll introduce Nicole Weigel, a mom who went from sitting on her son in a moment of desperation, to becoming an advocate for other parents. And you’ll see the crisis through the eyes of Dr. Christian DeGregorio, the only child psychiatrist for the sprawling Aspirus health network.

Gannett Wisconsin will host town hall meetings across all the communities it calls home in February. The town halls will be places for frank discussions, sharing information and generating new approaches. In March, we’ll report what we learn from the meetings and share the voices of stakeholders on how we can stem the crisis.

Join us in Madison May 5 to mark Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day with information and advocacy to turn a crisis into concrete action toward supporting and healing Wisconsin children.

INSIDE: Meet the parents of a teen still reeling from their son’s suicide, Page 8A.

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KIDS IN CRISIS

FAMILY’S MANTRA: NOT ANOTHER SUICIDE Wisconsin’s teen suicide rate sharply higher than national average LIZ WELTER AND RORY LINNANE GANNETT WISCONSIN MEDIA

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DGAR - “I hate Thursdays,” Angela Wesener says as her eyes start to well with tears. She sits at the family’s kitchen table with her hands wrapped around a cup of black coffee. This day of the week is another reminder her son is gone. He isn’t there to ask his mom to get crunchy peanut butter, fix up the electronics in the house or ask what’s for dinner.

It was on a Thursday in May that Angela’s third child, her only son, died by suicide at age 16. In their minds, Angela and her husband, Steve, play back scenes, memories of times when Jonathan was sad or angry. They wonder if they missed something.

Jonathan was a kind, compassionate teen who teased his mother about her cooking and sought advice from his older sisters about his college plans to study engineering. None of his teachers ever noted Jonathan may have been depressed or unusually sad. His grades were good.

Wisconsin has a problem that Angela and Steve weren’t aware of when they chose to settle in Edgar, a small town of 1,473 where the peak of Rib Mountain pokes up behind panoramic views of farmland and forests.

Wisconsin’s youth suicide rate is nearly a third higher than the national rate. From 2004 through 2013, Wisconsin lost 247 youth ages 10-17 to suicide.

During the three months prior to Jonathan’s suicide, his father said, he seemed to anger easily.

“He’d come home from school, go to his room and slam the door behind him. But within 10 to 20 minutes, he’d be coming into the kitchen asking ‘What’s for dinner?’” Steve Wesener said.

At the time, these fleeting mood swings didn’t seem unusual, Steve said. What teenager isn’t prone to over-reacting?

Looking back, Steve wonders whether the anger should have alerted them that Jonathan was having a difficult time.

“Jonathan was a sweet boy,” Angela said. “He was a good kid.

He would never harm anyone or hurt anyone.” She described a boy rapidly growing taller than his classmates, who had a gentle nature and giving personality often at odds with the gruff antics of teenage boys. “He was a giver, a listener. He always tried to make a joke to make you feel better.”

To the Weseners, Jonathan’s suicide seemed to come without warning. His parents believe it was a result of severe bullying at school, much of which they only found out about after his death.

Like many families who lose children to suicide, the Weseners are left searching through the remnants of Jonathan’s life, looking for the signs that something was wrong.

The quiet ripples Jonathan made during life come back to the Weseners one by one, and the family hangs on every detail. A bus driver drops off a birdhouse made in Jonathan’s memory, saying they were friends. In his Internet history, they find the online searches Jonathan made about suicide.

See SUICIDE, Page 9A

WM. GLASHEEN/GANNETT WISCONSIN MEDIA

Steve and Angela Wesener talk in the living room of their Edgar home about their 16-year-old son, Jonathan, who died by suicide in May.

Rory’s Diary | Insights on Kids in Crisis You can find a diary from inside Kids in Crisis on our digital and social media channels. The serial diary provides insights from our team of 25 journalists who spent more than 6 months reporting and editing this report. You can also get the latest reaction, feedback and information about how you can add your voice to Kids in Crisis.

Kids in Crisis January 10 to 15 Chapter One: Suicide where it is least expected. Enduring stigma and shame. Systems buckling under the strain.

Young lives altered. In statistical and human terms, Wisconsin’s kids are in crisis.

February 14 to 19 Chapter Two: In the wake of heartache and tragedy, Wisconsin has responded to the crisis. New positions and options have been created, communities mobilized and new approaches employed.

March 20 to 24 Chapter Three: Children’s mental health problems are complex and difficult, but caring communities and leaders across Wisconsin have scores of ideas and resolve to stem the crisis.

Thursday, May 5 A call to action: An event in Madison on Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, May 5, will combine information, awareness and advocacy drawn from the series.

SUICIDES PER STATE

The map below compares the number of suicides per capita that involved youth ages 10 to 17. The data, stretching from 2005 through 2014, is published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Youth suicides per 100,000 0-4 4.1-6 6.1-11

“Jonathan was a sweet boy. He was a good kid.

He would never harm anyone or hurt anyone. ...

He was a giver, a listener. He always tried to make a joke to make you feel better.”

ANGELA WESENER ON HER SON, JONATHAN, WHO DIED

SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

BY SUICIDE AT THE AGE OF 16

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POSTCRESCENT.COM ■ SUNDAY, MARCH 20, 2016

IMAGINE YO U R L I F E IS JUST GETTING S TA R T E D .

AND A L L YO U WA N T I S FOR IT TO BE OVER.

BELLIN.ORG/SIGNS

When a young person takes his or her own life, we all die a little. You can help. Know the warning signs of suicide.

And don’t be afraid to get involved.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 2016 ■ POSTCRESCENT.COM

KIDS IN CRISIS

THE POST-CRESCENT, APPLETON-FOX CITIES, WIS. ■ 9A

KIDS IN CRISIS

COURTESY OF THE WESENER FAMILY

Steve and Angela Wesener pose with their son, Jonathan, during a football game in Edgar. The Wesener’s pushed to change Edgar school bullying policies following Jonathan’s death.

Suicide Continued from Page 8A

“We’ll never have answers for our questions,” Angela said.

A quiet crisis The “Wisconsin nice” cheer in the stands and the grocery lines can obscure myriad mental health issues, and young people may be most at risk. According to a 2016 report by Mental Health America, Wisconsin youth have the second highest prevalence of severe major depressive episodes in the country. Looking at the prevalence of adults with serious thoughts of suicide, Wisconsin falls to 22nd place on the list.

Suicides can be caused by many factors. For Jonathan, the Weseners believe bullying was the culprit. For others, there might be trauma, relationship problems, unemployment, or a family history of suicide. The most common factor preceding suicide is a mental health issue. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention estimates about 90 percent of people who’ve died by suicide had a mental illness.

Just as Jonathan kept quiet about his problems with bullying, many children are quiet about mental health. Too often, the problems bubble under the surface until there is a crisis. In response to a public outcry after Jonathan’s suicide, the Edgar School District reviewed and made changes to its bullying policy.

Children and teenagers often are afraid to talk about anxiety, depression, and other mental health problems that can put them at risk for suicide.

Of Wisconsin adolescents who experienced major depressive episodes between 2009 and 2013, less than half received treatment for their depression, according to a national survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Wisconsin is dotted with small, bucolic villages like Edgar, where crime rates are low and animals on neighboring farms outnumber the town population. During the frigid winter, people leave their cars running while they pop into a store for an errand, and community life is centered on basketball games at the local high school.

In 2013, more than half of Wisconsin adolescents surveyed said their mental health was not good at some point in the past month, and one in 10 said they had considered suicide in the last year. More than 900 youth ages 10-17 had to go the emergency room after hurting themselves. And 25

WM. GLASHEEN/GANNETT WISCONSIN MEDIA

Steve and Angela Wesener said they are still searching for answers in their son’s May death. They’ve vowed to help prevent suicide in Wisconsin.

youth ages 10-17 died by suicide.

When Angela and Steve Wesener decided to move their family from Sheboygan about 10 years ago, they thought Edgar would be a safe place to raise their four kids.

Angela and Steve knew their son Jonathan had faced bullying at least once. But they had no idea about the extent of it. They didn’t know he was looking up suicide methods online, or that he would take out a hunting rifle while the rest of the family was celebrating a graduation.

Not another suicide It’s been nearly eight months since Jonathan died, but in many ways, he’s still with his family. When you pull up to the Wesener home, kicking up a cloud of dust down a country road, reminders of Jonathan are everywhere. The family’s new dog, Melvin, has Jonathan’s middle name. The table he crafted in shop class has center stage in the living room.

On the mantle, a candle burns next to Jonathan’s photo.

Jonathan is smiling, wearing a yellow polo shirt, and his parents now shake their heads over his happy demeanor.

Angela pulls out a Mother’s Day card from Jonathan. It says: “I know I don’t say this enough but I love you mom.

WM. GLASHEEN/POST-CRESCENT MEDIA

The fireplace mantle of the Wesener’s Edgar home is filled with family photos and remembrances of their son.

You’re the best mom I could have ever asked for. Love you.”

Jonathan, who had a way with wood, had built her a box with the word “MOM” in front of colorful painted flowers. He filled it with chocolates.

For Angela and Steve, the only path forward is one that makes something good come

from their loss.

Despite the sadness that weighs on them in every moment, the Weseners hold hands, pose for cameras and tell their story over and over with the hope of building a stronger community of support for anyone out there now suffering like Jonathan was.

Their mantra: Not another suicide.

Reach Rory Linnane: 920993-7184 or Rory.Linnane@ gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @RoryLinnane. Liz Welter: 715-898-7008 or Liz.Welter@gannettwisconsin .com; on Twitter @welter_liz.

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Imagine being 14. And the last thing you want to be is 15.

Suicide is a growing problem, especially among teens. And while it doesn’t always come with a note, there are always signs. Know them. And don’t be afraid to get involved.

bellin.org/signs

Imagine your life is just getting started.

And all you want is for it to be over.

When a young person decides to take his or her own life, we all die a little. You can help. Because, while suicide doesn’t always come with a note, there are always signs. Know them. And don’t be afraid to get involved.

bellin.org/signs

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MONDAY | JANUARY 11 | 2016

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Stigma surrounding mental illness can isolate teens and families, make getting treatment harder KIDS IN CRISIS KATHERINE LYMN AND SHARON ROZNIK | GANNETT WISCONSIN MEDIA

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uring the summer between the eighth and ninth grades, Elizabeth Galoff texted seven of her friends and asked them to come over.

When the girls arrived, the group settled in the comfortable basement of Elizabeth’s Appleton home.

“My stomach was complete butterflies,” Elizabeth, now a senior at Kimberly High School, remembers feeling as she prepared to deliver a major announcement. “I was like, ‘Oh my god, my friends are going to leave me.’”

Then, despite those fears, she did it: she told them about her mental illness, and how she had just been hospitalized for a suicide attempt.

They didn’t get up and leave, and they didn’t call her crazy or mental or any other cruel labels.

“The girl I thought would be first to go out the door was the first to get up and hug me,” she said.

See STIGMA, Page 7C

KIDS IN CRISIS How to get help

KIDS IN CRISIS

Suicide Prevention Lifeline The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Hopeline Hopeline is a Wisconsin-based emotional support text line.

Text “Hopeline” to 741741.

The Trevor Lifeline A national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among LGBT youth. 1-866-488-7386.

National Alliance for Mental Health-Wisconsin Support offered through programs, classes, and storytelling. Contact NAMI nami@namiwisconsin.org or call 800-236-2988.

INSIDE DE PERE SCHOOL DISTRICT

De Pere starts a new school breakfast program PATTI ZARLING PRESS-GAZETTE MEDIA

DE PERE - Some De Pere students won’t have hungry tummies if they don’t have time to grab a piece of toast or bagel as they head out the door to school.

The De Pere School District will launch a pilot breakfast program at Foxview Intermediate, De Pere Middle and De Pere High schools for the second semester of this school year. If the program goes well, the district could expand it to elementary schools as well.

“It’s something we have always looked at in the district,”

Food Services Director Deb Pockl said. “We want to offer breakfast and see how interested families and students are in it.”

The idea took flight when the high school opened the Birds Nest Cafe, with a la carte breakfast options in late September.

Pockl said that program has gone well enough that district leaders agreed to offer a formal breakfast program at the high school. They decided to expand to the middle and intermediate schools because kitchen staff already is there early in the day.

The programs will align with U.S. Department of Agriculture

guidelines that will allow the district to receive federal funding.

Costs to families will be $1.25 at the middle school and Foxview, and $1.75 at the high school.

Pockl said meals likely will be “grab and go” at first, and include items such as cereals, fruit and yogurt. Offerings could expand depending on usage.

The pilot program does not require any start up costs, other than modifying some food purchases. Some staffing would have to be adjusted if the breakfast program is expanded to the elementary schools, she said.

Most Green Bay area school

districts already offer some sort of breakfast program, especially for high-poverty neighborhoods where children may have no other food option in the morning.

De Pere’s program is not based on need, Pockl said, but is being started because students and families may prefer the convenience.

“It has been popular at the Bird’s Nest, so we thought it made sense to expand it,” she said. pzarling@pressgazette media.com or follow her on Twitter @PGPattiZarling

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Stigma Continued from Page 1C

Long-standing prejudices and fears surrounding psychiatric disorders continue to spread misunderstanding and isolate youth from seeking recovery, and from sharing their stories. Even today, media depictions linking mental illness with violent crime and mass murders have propelled social attitudes into the stone age of negative stereotypes.

Especially for already vulnerable youth, stigma can paralyze, acting like an internal voice on an endless loop: “you are not good, you are not able.”

“Kids living under the constant pressure of stigma become angry and apathetic,” said Sue McKenzie of the Wisconsin Initiative for Stigma Elimination, a non-profit statewide coalition promoting inclusion and support for all affected by mental illness.“They start to feel depressed, not able to concentrate and they withdraw from family and friends.”

Most professionals agree it’s the biggest barrier to mental healthcare for kids who are in crisis, or headed there. And it can delay parents from getting their child the help they need, causing them to think that somehow they are responsible, that somehow they failed their child.

“Think of the irony of having a mental illness, which frequently … includes some version of anxiety or depression, and on top of that everybody thinks you’re a pariah,” said Professor Patrick Corrigan, who leads the National Consortium on Stigma and Empowerment, a national research center focused on understanding the perceptions that surround mental illness.

Corrigan says as many as two-thirds of people with serious mental illnesses like major depression will not seek out treatment or, if so, will drop out prematurely. The big reason: people don’t go to treatment so they are not stigmatized with labels like “psych patient.”

“It’s like this dirty secret that people are afraid to disclose about, and it then translates into an unwillingness to go for care,” said Bernice Pescosolido, an Indiana University professor and well-known stigma researcher.

Delays care, increases risk Before Elizabeth opened up about her mental illness, she was afraid of herself.

Her thoughts of suicide started as early as fourth grade, and the cutting started in eighth. That was when she realized her feelings weren’t normal, and what she calls her “self-stigma” set in.

“Oh my God, I’m capable of doing this to myself,” she remembers thinking. “What am I capable of doing to other people?”

She wanted to go to college but couldn’t see herself making it. And without a counselor — or for a while, anybody — to bounce her feelings off of, she felt overwhelmed by uncertainty and fear.

Now, Galoff knows one of her best coping mechanisms is to talk to someone about her feelings, whether the listener is a mental health professional or not.

Otherwise, she said, “it’s all bottled up and just keeps building and building and building until you can’t handle it anymore.

“And then you do end up in a crisis situation or possibly doing something to hurt yourself or others.”

Stigma plays a deadly role in how society deals with suicidal people, in stopping people from seeking help they need.

It’s partly a religious notion passed down through generations: that it is a sin and the person will go to hell, said Janet McCord an associate professor in thanatology — the study of death — at Marian University in Fond du Lac. Suicide is the second most common cause of death after car accidents for Wisconsin youth, with 13 percent of schoolaged children reporting that they seriously considered suicide, according to a 2014 report by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Medical College of Wisconsin and Mental Health America of Wisconsin.

“We need to learn to say suicide out loud without choking, how to broach the questions: Where do you hurt? How can I help you?” McCord said.

Stigma also places an aura of discomfort around issues like self-harm. Teens and young

DANNY DAMIANI/POST-CRESCENT MEDIA

Megan McLachlan, a youth and family program coordinator with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, speaks with Elizabeth Galoff during the question and answer portion of her "Ending the Silence" talk Dec. 22, 2015, in Little Chute, Wis.

SUBMITTED BY MAYO CLINIC

Presenters often use images like these PET scans, showing a brain with and without depression, to fight the stigma around mental illness. The image on the left, a brain with less activity due to depression, shows how mental illnesses are truly medical diseases.

Coming tomorrow See how Wisconsin schools are struggling to help students with mental illnesses.

DANNY DAMIANI/POST-CRESCENT MEDIA

Elizabeth Galoff speaks to a health class during a NAMI "Ending the Silence" talks at Little Chute High School Dec. 22, 2015, in Little Chute, Wis.

MENTAL HEALTH HELP FOR CHILDREN

Two in 20 Wisconsin children experienced major depression in the past year and one of them didn’t recieve treatment.

SOURCE: Survey of youth ages 12-17 by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

adults have the highest rates of hospital visits for self-inflicted injuries, as cited in the latest statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Marissa Mayer, a Sheboygan Lutheran High School student who was diagnosed with depression and anxiety earlier this year, said she has seen friends either fawn over her too much or desert her.

The teen writes about her experience in her blog, “Depressed But Blessed.”

“When I started telling some of my friends a little bit more, they started being clingy and constantly asking. I still wanted to be treated like everyone else in our friend group, but I didn’t want them to totally neglect what I had,” said Marissa, 16.

“There are times I feel really left out because of it. At the same time, I didn’t want them constantly worrying about me.”

Parents’ part When Amy Galoff learned of daughter Elizabeth’s mental illness, her first reaction was to look inward.

“I completely thought we were doing something wrong, completely,” she said. “You take it on as a personal, ‘Oh my god I failed, what did I do wrong?’”

She said for some parents, it’s a “keep-up-with-the-Joneses type thing. They don’t want to acknowledge that there’s a

problem.”

Parents not wanting to take on the stigma of a child with mental illness will often seek other explanations first, wasting precious time in seeking a diagnosis and treatment. Perhaps it’s teenage angst, or just childish behavior, they’ll reason. Some look at children with mental illness and wonder if it is just a phase, said Dr. Darold Treffert, a Fond du Lac psychiatrist.

“This causes some delay — for example, ‘Oh, he’s very oppositional or has a severe temper,’ or, ‘He is just not talking the way he should,’” Treffert said. “We don’t find that kind of stigma in adults.”

Marissa said at first her parents thought it was something she could control if she tried really hard. “(They said) you just have to make up your mind that you’re going to wake up and you’re going to be OK. And it was really hard to hear because it’s not at all like that,” she said.

Treffert says because of more open dialogue and access to school counselors, stigma among youth is decreasing, but not for parents.

“The child or adolescent has less concern about stigma than the parents do, and it creates an uncertainty about whether to reach out for help,” he said. “Or the parents visit their fears

upon their children, [a] ‘don’t tell anyone’ attitude.”

‘See the humanity’ Experts say the best tool to fight prejudice is for people to have contact with peers who are living with mental illness. Then they can relate to them and see how they’re able to live normal, full lives, and aren’t scary.

“You see the humanity in that person,” Pescosolido said.

Several Wisconsin programs bring people with mental illness into schools to speak to students about their disease and how to cope.

“There have been some kids that have been like, ‘I didn’t expect someone with mental issues to be this normal,’” said Elizabeth, who has spoken at several area schools about her mental illness, more often in classrooms (it’s more personal) than in large assemblies.

Local National Alliance on Mental Illness groups are working to change the “don’t tell” attitude. The organization sends people out into the community to share their stories and demonstrate that a meaningful, successful life is possible, despite mental health issues.

“The goal is to try and get people to identify with the local banker who suffered from depression, or the business manager who had an employee who struggled with anxiety, but they

The series inside the series You can find a diary from inside Kids in Crisis on our digital and social media channels. The serial diary provides insights from our team of 25 journalists who spent more than 6 months reporting and editing this report. You can also get the latest reaction, feedback and information about how you can add your voice to Kids in Crisis.

are the manager’s best employee,” said Matt Doll, director of behavioral health/autism at Agnesian Healthcare in Fond du Lac. “Attacking stigma isn’t just providing facts and information — it’s getting a person to identify with other people who may have problems.”

When people lack that contact, other things, like media, fill in the vacuum to form perceptions.

While studies show that over the past six decades people have become more comfortable talking to family and friends about their mental health, they also indicate people are more likely to associate danger and violence with mental illness, which triggers rejection, Pescosolido said.

It’s like violent crime: “the more they watch nightly news and don’t go out,” Pescosolido said, “the more they’re afraid to go out.”

Elizabeth has come a long way since she was afraid of what she might do, and didn’t see herself making it to college.

From her so-called “comingout party” to her speeches at schools, opening up about her struggles has been good for Elizabeth, mom Amy Galoff said.

“Once she figured out that she did have strength and she could talk about it, she just kind of blossomed,” she said. “And I think it’s cathartic for her to talk about it.”

Reach Katherine Lymn: 920993-1000, ext. 7232 or Katherine .Lymn@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @kathlymn . Sharon Roznik: 920-907-7936 or sroznik @gannett.com; on Twitter: @sharonroznik.

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KIDS IN CRISIS KIDS IN CRISIS

KIDS IN CRISIS Schools struggle to assist students with mental health woes ADAM RODEWALD, LIZ WELTER AND NOELL DICKMANN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

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elissa Noll awoke to the sound of her brother’s sobs. Emergency responders surrounded her, feverishly trying to save her life.

Noll’s 12-year-old brother found her unconscious in her bedroom with a scarf tied around her neck and phoned 911.

It happened during Noll’s junior year at Ashwaubenon High School following four years of silent suffering. Teachers didn’t recognize

her sinking grades and floundering social life as signs of clinical anxiety and depression on the verge of boiling over.

“Anxiety is a killer,” said Noll, now 22.

Health experts estimate 175,000 Wisconsin children suffer from undiagnosed mental illnesses, putting them at a higher risk than their peers of being kicked out of school, arrested for bad behavior or, at worst, suicide. Nowhere are these consequences of untreated mental illness more pronounced than in schools, where kids spend most of their waking hours.

Yet few teachers receive spe-

cialized mental health training, and budget cuts have created a shortage of specialists qualified to help. To meet recommended staffing levels by professional associations, Wisconsin would need nearly twice as many psychologists and six times as many social workers as now are working in schools.

The gap is even greater in rural Wisconsin, where many schools have no mental health professionals at all and community-based services are scarce or non-existent.

Six rural school districts in Marathon County, for example, rely on See CRISIS, Page 3A

RORY’S DIARY | SERIES INSIGHTS You can find a diary from inside Kids in Crisis on our website. The diary provides insights from our team of 25 journalists who spent more than 6 months reporting and editing this report. You can also get the latest reaction, feedback and information about how you can add your voice to the Kids in Crisis stories.

Legislators pitch competing student debt bills MADELEINE BEHR USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Two Fox Valley area legislators have authored competing college debt bills — one with the help of Gov. Scott Walker.

Walker, alongside Rep. Dave Murphy, R-Greenville, and Rep. Howard Marklein R-Spring Green, released a set of bills aimed at college affordability Monday afternoon.

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“We want more students to succeed in Wisconsin without putting undue burden on taxpayers,” Murphy said in an interview with Post-Crescent Media.

“That’s a win-win for everybody.”

The six bills include eliminating the $2,500 cap on tax deductions on student loan interest, require all colleges and universities to send information to

INDEX

students on student loans, providing funding for student internship coordinators through the University of Wisconsin System and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, and establishing emergency grants up to $500 for students in need.

Research from the Institute of College Access and Success shows 70 percent of Wisconsin college students from 2013 to

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2014 incurred debt from attending higher education. The average amount of debt is $28,820 per student, the 17th highest in the country.

The emergency grants are meant for unexpected expenses, Murphy said, like a commuter student’s car breaking down. which could prevent the student from getting to school.

A statement from Walker’s

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office said the elimination of the $2,500 cap on tax deduction for student loan interest would save student loan debt payers $5.2 million annually.

“We want to continue working together to make higher education more accessible and more affordable for Wisconsin students and families,” Walker said in a statement.

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county social workers to respond to mental health emergencies because they have no one on staff to do the job.

The shortage is exacerbated by a growing number of struggling children. One in four teens reported feeling sad and hopeless in 2013 compared to one in five in 2009, according to surveys of high schoolers across the state.

Rising rates of poverty, alcohol and drug abuse, and split families, among other issues, add to the stress on students’ mental health, educators said.

“There is more and more trauma that kids are facing every day, and that trauma is affecting the wiring in their brain,” said Claudia Henrickson, who oversees student health in Green Bay’s public schools. “The anger and the outbursts and the hopelessness is (occurring) younger and younger.”

Shocking cases are common across the state. In Stevens Point, two elementary students expressed suicidal thoughts and a third attempted suicide this school year, said psychologist Michelle Comeaux. In 2012, two students from the same middle school in Oshkosh died by suicide within a few weeks of each other.

“It gets hard when you feel like there’s more that you can do and you can’t fix every situation,” said Jessica Skaaland, a school psychologist in Oshkosh.

“You go home and you think about the kids and what else you could be doing. It makes you feel like you want to be more effective.”

JOE SIENKIEWICZ/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Jessica Skaaland, left, an Oshkosh school psychologist, is shown working in an elementary school classroom. She said staffing levels don’t allow her to spend much time working directly with students. Wisconsin schools have staffing levels for mental health professionals far below recommended numbers.

To meet national standards for student mental health, school districts would need to employ at least one social worker and one guidance counselor for every 250 students, one psychologist for every 600, and one nurse for every 750. The map below shows how Wisconsin school districts measured up to those standards in the 2013-14 school year, according to data provided by the state Department of Public Instruction and by Cooperative Educational Service Agencies. Services from county agencies, health care providers or others are not included.

PERCENT OF RECOMMENDED STAFF 0%-29% 30%-44% 45%-59% 60%+

Specialist shortage Skaaland said ideally she’d have time to build personal relationships with the students in each of the schools she serves.

She would counsel those who are struggling the most, meet with parents to discuss treatment options and help provide additional support for classroom teachers.

Instead, with a case load of 1,400 students, she spends her days writing special-education plans with little to no actual contact with students.

“We do [follow up] but it’s probably not as extensive as it would be,” she said. “I don’t always feel as involved as I would like to be with checking in and getting into the classroom, and making sure things are going well.”

Skaaland’s experience is not unusual.

Wisconsin schools combined employ just one social worker for every 1,700 students and one psychologist for every 1,000 students. In fact, most of the state’s school districts have no social workers on staff and some have no psychologists.

Recommendations from national associations for school social workers and psychologists call for schools to employ one social worker for every 250 students and one psychologist for every 500 to 700 students.

These specialists are relied on by schools to respond to students having crises at school, help identify struggling children, develop support plans and connect families with community-based services.

The state doesn’t mandate that schools employ any specialists, but it but does require schools to provide services to meet the educational needs of all students. Districts that don’t have their own staff typically contract with county social services departments or cooperative educational service agencies, also known as a CESAs, as needs arise.

“I feel schools just need to have more of that type of person around,” said Kelsey Wargo, 24, who has bipolar disorder and struggled while going to school in Pulaski. She believes her experience would have been better if she had access to more specialists.

Wargo’s disorder causes her to swing between states of severe depression and extreme confidence and hyperactivity.

While in middle and high school, she became reckless during her high points and cut herself when depressed.

Her school’s psychologist was the only person who knew how to calm her down, she said.

But that person also worked in three different buildings.

“If I’m in crisis, I need someone today… It’s nice to know you have a go-to person,” she said.

If classroom teachers found out Wargo had cut herself they

The next chapters

SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH STAFFING

» Kids in Crisis in February will introduce you to families, advocates and policy makers on the front lines of assisting children with mental health problems. We’ll explore a variety of approaches being used to stem the crisis in Wisconsin and throughout the country. » Help us write the final chapter of the series by attending a discussion about Kids in Crisis at a series of town hall meetings throughout Wisconsin beginning in late February. Watch for dates and locations in your community. » In March, we’ll report back on the top takeaways from the town hall meetings and the recommendations of experts on how Wisconsin can end the crisis. » Coming tomorrow: Police officers have become defacto first responders for children with urgent mental health issues, sometimes with disastrous consequences.

“I thought I was the worst kid ever. I’m struggling with something they can’t see, and what you can’t see is scary, and when it’s scary people don’t try to understand it.”

KELSEY WARGO THE 24-YEAR-OLD WOMAN, DUE TO BEING

SOURCE: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Cooperative Educational Service Agencies

BIPOLAR, STRUGGLED WHILE GOING TO SCHOOL IN PULASKI

Recommended staffing ratios Wisconsin falls significantly short of mental health care staffing ratios that professional associations say are necessary to provide comprehensive services to students. The ratios below are based on surveys of thousands of mental health experts and school staff.

Staff type

Social workers Psychologists Counselors Nurses

Recommendation

Actual

250 students per social worker 500-700 students per psychologist 250 students per counselor 750 students per nurse

1,716 students per social worker 1,022 students per psychologist 459 students per counselor 1,907 students per nurse

SOURCES: NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SOCIAL WORKERS, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS, AMERICAN SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL NURSES, WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

would call the police to haul her to a crisis center. The police would handcuff her and escort her in front of her peers, exacerbating her depression.

“I thought I was the worst kid ever. I’m struggling with something they can’t see, and what you can’t see is scary, and when it’s scary people don’t try to understand it,” Wargo said.

Noll, who was saved when her brother discovered her suicide attempt, said she may not have struggled in school if a teacher or other staff member had recognized her anxiety and offered help. She is now studying psychology at Lakeland College in Sheboygan.

Her anxiety began in elementary school with a fear her classmates would make fun of her for having attention deficit disorder and hearing loss. In middle school, she feared that asking

teachers for help with homework would expose her disabilities. So when an eighth-grade teacher told her to figure out a homework problem on her own, she quit asking for help with anything.

“I didn’t want to be in school anymore. I had disappointed my parents. I didn’t have as many friends... I would rather just be done than ask for help,” Noll said. “I think if even one teacher would have stepped in and said, ‘This is what we need to do for her’, that would have made a difference. One teacher can make a difference.”

Financial pinch Budget cuts over two decades have put school districts in the position of eliminating many of their mental health care jobs.

Districts cut their school social worker and psychologist

jobs by four percent statewide between 2010 and 2014, according to staffing data collected by the state Department of Public Instruction.

“There’s always the balancing act of, do we cut a teaching positions or a student support or pupil services position? Pupil services has been disproportionately cut,” said Steve Fernan, acting director for the DPI’s student services, prevention and wellness team.

“While we’ve always been operating at (staffing) levels lower than what national pupil-services associations recommend, we’ve fallen farther because of difficult financial positions we’ve been in,” he said.

Schools have plugged holes in a variety of ways: » In Wausau, the district until last year relied upon federal grant money to pay for two of its 8.5 fulltime-equivalent social workers. The school board chose to pay for those positions out of its operating budget this year. » In Neillsville, there are no school social workers and the director of special education also serves as the 1,000-student district’s only psychologist. The district has access to county social services staff but only for kids who already have active cases. » In Oshkosh, the district awarded its psychologists $20,000 raises to slow the tide of constant turnover. Five people had resigned within an 18-month period in 2011 and 2012. Today,

the district is at full staff, said Matt Kaemmerer, director of pupil services. The problem isn’t just that schools can’t afford more staff. There also aren’t enough people to fill the positions that are funded – especially for psychologists.

It’s not uncommon for districts to go months or years without any applicants for vacancies. Two years ago, the Green Bay school board approved funding for five additional psychologists. Three of those positions remain unfilled today.

Few college students want to pursue school psychology because of lengthy schooling followed by difficult working conditions and low pay, said Fred Yeo, dean of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh College of Education and Human Services.

Part of the problem: a $30,000 to $40,000 difference between school psychologist salaries and equivalent private-sector pay.

“Very few people do that, and it is a supply and demand issue,” said Yeo. “But even if the pay was higher, you still have to have the bodies.”

Reach Adam Rodewald: 920-431-8385 or Adam.Rodewald @gannettwisconsin.com ; on Twitter @AdamGRodewald. Liz Welter: 715-898-7008 or Liz.Welter@ gannettwisconsin. com; on Twitter @welter_liz. Noell Dickmann: 920-426-6658 or Noell.Dickmann@ gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @ONW_Noell.

State of the Union

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FOR USA TODAY-WISCONSIN

B.J. Scheller holds a Powerball ticket at Cellars Wine and Spirits in Neenah, Wis. on Feb. 15, 2012.

The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday is estimated to be $1.4 billion.

You win today’s jackpot.

Now what?

Blunt responses

ETHAN SAFRAN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

So say you get lucky — like 1 in 292,201,338 lucky — and you win Wednesday’s Powerball jackpot of $1.4 billion (a cash value of $868 million). What do you do?

According to a few financial experts, here are five things you would want to keep in mind: 1. Annuity or lump sum A Powerball jackpot winner in Wisconsin has 60 days from the date of ticket validation to decide on taking either the annuity or cash “lump sum” payment option.

If the winner fails to decide within 60 days, the amount will be paid as an annuity, which is paid out in 30 annual installments.

Chad Nehring, a certified financial planner practitioner with Conceptual Financial Advisors in Appleton, said the trend is for winners to take the cash.

“If you’re the sole winner of this thing, handled correctly, the earnings off of that type of prize should be in the millions of dollars a year,” he said.

Mark Vander Linden, president of Professional Financial Management in Little Chute, said the decision depends on who you are — and what you plan to do.

“If someone has the concern that they’re susceptible to really chewing through hundreds of millions of dollars, in that case, the annuity option might help protect that person from (him or herself),” Vander Linden said.

But he said someone with specific philanthropic or entrepreneurial ideas should consider the lump sum. “The more well-prepared you are, I think the lump sum makes more sense.”

2. A team of experts Annuity or lump sum, you’re going to want a solid team of financial experts in your corner.

Nehring said a financial planner, a tax or estate planning attorney and an accountant are all good ideas. Your dream team can walk you through short, medium and long term goals, be it philanthropic, entrepreneurial or downright personal.

With all of that money, you’re probably not going to know what you’re doing.

“Your investment knowledge as a lottery winner is limited,” Vander Linden said.

3. State and federal taxes After you win, one thing is guaranteed: annuity or lump sum, you’re going to the top of the tax bracket.

Doug Hahn, an attorney with Menn Law Firm in Appleton, said a Wisconsin Powerball winner will owe 39.6 percent of their earnings to the Internal Revenue SerSee JACKPOT, Page 8A

OBITUARIES 2A

DAN POWERS/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Zoey Kaminski, 19, right, talks about personal issues with her case worker, Bobbie Trucco, during a monthly session in December at her home in Greenville. Kaminski suffered abuse and neglect growing up in Poland before she was adopted and brought to the U.S. Her experience in school with police helped lead to better training for officers. Trucco is with the Outagamie County Health and Human Services department.

Police officers often first responders for kids in crisis, but many lack training for mentally ill ADAM RODEWALD AND ALISON DIRR USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

T

hree police officers forced the eighth-grader to the pavement in front of her school and zip tied her

hands and feet.

She kicked wildly and screamed.

Her adoptive father tried in vain to calm her, to pull the officers back and alert them such aggressive tactics trigger her post-traumatic stress.

Zoey Kaminski spent her first 6 years in Poland. Her biological father beat her, and she watched him stab her mom. Multiple men sexually abused her. Eventually, authorities removed her and her siblings from their home

and placed them in an orphanage.

Even the slightest sign of aggression can send Kaminski into fight or flight mode. Her arrest in 2011 started with a minor argument with a classmate. Her teachers in Hortonville couldn’t calm her down, so they called the police. But the flashing lights and harsh response from officers triggered a flashback to the trauma she received as a child, and she became hysterical.

“I have issues trusting police men. I know they are here to protect and serve, but sometimes they take it too

RORY’S DIARY | INSIGHTS ON KIDS IN CRISIS You can find a diary from inside Kids in Crisis on our digital and social media channels.

The serial diary provides insights from our team of 25 journalists who spent more than 6 months reporting and editing this report. You can also get the latest reaction, feedback and information about how you can add your voice to Kids in Crisis.

far,” said Kaminski, who is now 19.

See RESPONSES, Page 4A

Pittsville kids’ lighter law advances KAREN MADDEN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

The state Senate passed a bill Tuesday to prohibit the sale of novelty lighters to children and prohibit their display in areas accessible to the general public. The law was proposed by a group of Pittsville second-grade students in 2009.

WILFORD “SMOKEY” CORNWELL ELIZABETH CROW RUSSELL J. LANGE

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MADISON - A group of Pittsville second-graders who want to protect other kids from cigarette lighters that look like toys saw their efforts take a step closer to reality Tuesday when the state Senate passed the bill they helped write.

In June 2009, students in Londa Kuehn’s second-grade class at Pittsville Elementary School read a story in their “Weekly Reader” magazine about children mistaking nov3A 5A 5B

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elty lighters for toys and getting hurt. One of the children’s classmates was killed in a fire that might have been sparked by a lighter, and they wanted to make sure that didn’t happen to another child.

The students contacted Pittsville Fire Chief Jerry Minor and asked for his help. That kicked off years of effort to get the state Legislature to pass a bill to restrict the sale of novelty lighters to minors and prohibit their display in areas that See LIGHTERS, Page 8A

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Her story follows a familiar script played out in classrooms across Wisconsin: Children experiencing a psychiatric crisis often react with anger and physical aggression. In the most extreme cases, schools are forced to call the police, who remove the student from the building and often cite them with disorderly conduct.

“They don’t get the help they need and their condition worsens so they become more prone to acting out. There are penalties for that, and so they penetrate deeper and deeper into the system,” said Darcy Gruttadaro, national director the National Alliance on Mental Illness’ child and adolescent action center.

Teachers stand at the front line of spotting children with mental illness, but few are trained to recognize and respond to signs of trouble. Budget cuts have created a shortage of specialists to help. As a result, schools often use the police as first responders for students experiencing a mental health crisis.

“When it’s taking three or four staff members to restrain a student or it’s taking several hours to calm them down, at that point you need a school resource officer to come in and assist. It’s above and beyond our training level” to deal with those crisis situations, said Claudia Henrickson, who oversees student health in Green Bay’s public schools.

The problem is most police officers don’t have any more training than educators. And even with nationally recognized programs available that some police departments are using successfully, few have marshaled the time or resources for training.

Only 16 percent of Wisconsin law enforcement agencies have received training in Crisis Intervention Teams, a widely accepted model based on creating relationships between officers, health care providers and people battling mental illness.

Even for those who want training, progress is slow. Green Bay, for example, has taken nine years to train 37 of its 192 sworn officers.

“It comes down to cost and staffing logistics,” said Lt. Jeff Brester, of the Green Bay Police Department. “We just can’t send everybody away for a week of training.”

DANNY DAMIANI/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Jeffrey Drettwan takes back a photo of his brother that he showed to Ignacio Enriquez Jr., a school resource officer at Appleton North High School, during a meeting last month in Appleton. Appleton was among the first departments in the state to have officers receive mental health response training.

The next chapters » Kids in Crisis in February will introduce you to families, advocates and policy makers on the front lines of assisting children with mental health problems. We’ll explore a variety of approaches being used to stem the crisis in Wisconsin and throughout the country. » Help us write the final chapter of the series by attending a discussion about Kids in Crisis at a series of town hall meetings throughout Wisconsin beginning in late February. Watch for specific dates and locations. » In March, we’ll report back on the top takeaways from the town hall meetings and the recommendations of experts on how Wisconsin can end the crisis. » Coming tomorrow: Wisconsin has too few mental health professionals to treat patients. Children are the most under-served group.

DAN POWERS/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Zoey Kaminski, 19, suffered abuse growing up in Poland before she was adopted. Her family advocated for better training for police officers after she was zip-tied in front of her school in eighth-grade and arrested by police.

Blunt tactics Mina Esser said two of her adopted sons, who have issues stemming from childhood trauma, have been in and out of jail most of their lives.

The family’s first run-in with police in their hometown of Madison happened when the older of the two boys was in third grade. He had tried to stab a teacher with a pencil.

“Those police came on the scene and treated him as someone attacking a teacher. They didn’t look at what was going on underneath and didn’t look first at de-escalating him,” Esser said.

“You’re giving this six or seven year old the idea the police are there to help the teacher and not him,” she said.

Memphis police introduced the first crisis intervention team in 1998 in response to community demand for better first responses to crisis. National police associations and mental health advocates created an official CIT training curriculum the same year.

The Appleton Police Department was one of the first in the state to establish a team in 2004.

The program involves training officers to recognize the signs of mental illness, de-escalate situations and refer people with mental illness to appropriate treatments instead of arresting them for illness-related behaviors, said John Wallschlaeger, a crisis intervention trainer credited with bringing the approach to Appleton.

The training includes 40 hours of in-classroom work, and participating officers partner with local mental health providers in order to get people appropriate help. CIT-trained officer Ignacio Enriquez has worked since 2012 at Appleton North High School, where he sees his job more as a connector than a traditional cop. He’ll only arrest students in serious cases.

When he first started, he looked for a way to get kids to open up to him.

The secret? Breath mints.

Soon, students started ducking into his office to grab one.

Then they started sitting down.

“It comes down to cost and staffing logistics. We just can’t send everybody away for a week of training.”

LT. JEFF BRESTER GREEN BAY POLICE DEPARTMENT

And then they started talking.

“It’s a lot of diversion,” Enriquez said. “It’s reaching out to the youth before we have to talk about legal matters. We’re trying to make connections before we get to that.”

Barriers to training Success stories such as Appleton’s are helping to accelerate demand. More than 900 officers statewide were trained in 2015, said Stacy Mohr, CIT program coordinator for the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Wisconsin.

Over the past year, NAMI has used grant funds to train more officers and establish training sites around the state. There are now training sites in 10 counties.

“There is a large community buy-in, including the officers,” Mohr said.

But the training is not mandatory, and it requires a commitment of time and money.

Wausau police officer Anthony Reince works primarily in a middle school. He does not have CIT training and is not sure how it would change the way he does his job.

He said district staff are more likely to handle situations involving mental illness. Each grade has its own counselor with whom students can talk about issues at home or just vent, he said. There is also a social worker who works with students.

“The staff at Wausau School District do an excellent job dealing with mental health issues,” Reince said, adding that he tries to build relationships with students to better understand the underlying issues causing their behavior.

Even in the cases in which

students have gotten in trouble, he said, he tries to understand why they did what they did.

"Citing kids is not the goal," he said. "The goal is to change the behavior."

Zoey Kaminski said the CIT program made adifference for her experience at school and in the community. Her parents fought to bring a CIT program to Hortonville after her arrest in 2011. One year later, Hortonville School Resource Officer Brian Bahr received the training.

Kaminski said the training worked, and Bahr was able to earn her trust.

“Before the training he was really hard. If he handcuffed me, he would be harsh with that, too. He took me to the floor a couple of times,” she said.

“After the CIT training, he treated me different. He talked to me more calmly. He didn’t take me to the police car anymore.”

Bahr declined to discuss any incidents involving Kaminski, citing confidentiality laws.

However, he said the training helped him work better with students and families.

“It’s something that has helped me understand behavioral health issues and work through those,” he said.

Reach Adam Rodewald: 920431-8385 or Adam.Rodewald@ gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @AdamGRodewald. Alison Dirr: 920-996-7266 or Alison.Dirr @gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @AlisonDirr .

Are you a winner?

Powerball numbers: 4-8-19-27-34, PB = 10

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No charges yet in fatal crash

KIDS IN CRISIS

Waiting for help

Suspect to appear in court Jan. 22 KAREN MADDEN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

WISCONSIN RAPIDS No charges have been filed yet against a 31-yearold Necedah man suspected of homicide by drunken driving in the death of an Amish father and son in November.

Seth M. Nelson is scheduled to make a court appearance Jan. 22, Wood County District Attorney Craig Lambert said.

Nelson As of Monday, Lambert had not filed any charges against Nelson in Wood County Circuit Court.

The investigation into the fatal crash, which occurred Nov. 20 on Highway HH in Hansen, is finished, Wood County Sheriff’s Department Capt.

Shawn Becker said.

All of the reports, including an accident reconstruction report, are done and have gone to the District Attorney’s Office, Becker said.

Lambert said he is working on reviewing the reports and making a decision on the appropriate charges in the case.

Nelson is suspected of driving a pickup when it hit the back of a wagon driven by Christian Kempf, 31, of Vesper at about 6 p.m. Nov. 20. Christian Kempf died the next day. His 10-year-old son, Melvin, who was a passenger on the wagon, died Dec. 1.

The Kempf wagon had a reflective sign on the back when the pickup hit it, according to court documents.

Police arrested Nelson after the crash on suspicion of homicide by drunken driving. He is free on a $5,000 cash bond.

Two GoFundMe accounts set up to help the Kempf family have raised $10,400 as of Wednesday.

T'XER ZHON KHA/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Dr. Christian DeGregorio in his Weston office. He is the only child and adolescent psychiatrist for the Aspirus health network.

Wisconsin tops nation in need for mental health providers NATHAN PHELPS, LIZ WELTER AND RORY LINNANE

O

USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

n one of the worst nights, Nicole Weigel had to pin down her 7-year-old son.

She was worried he would

hurt someone.

He was laying face down and while she hovered over him — her legs holding down his legs, her arms holding down his arms — she called everyone she could think of who could help.

“I called the police, case workers, hos-

pitals and everybody sent me to someone

else while I was literally sitting on my son,” said Weigel, who asked that her maiden name be used. “Nobody had an answer. And that is the state of things.”

No help came that night. Eventually, Weigel’s son tuckered out and she tucked him into bed. Then she cried.

“I remember feeling alone, feeling like there was no hope,” Weigel said.

Weigel was forced to play the waiting game, an all-too-familiar limbo for thousands of Wisconsin parents seeking help for their kids.

RORY’S DIARY | INSIDE KIDS IN CRISIS SERIES You can find a diary from inside Kids in Crisis on our digital and social media channels. The serial diary provides insights from our team of 25 journalists who spent more than 6 months reporting and editing this report.

You can also get the latest reaction, feedback and information about how you can add your voice to Kids in Crisis.

See WAITING, Page 4A

Wisconsin makes little progress on untested rape kits KEEGAN KYLE USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

MADISON - When the state Department of Justice received $4 million in September to plow through a mountain of untested sexual assault kits, Attorney General Brad Schimel sent out a pledge to crime victims.

“This money will go a long way to bring justice to survivors of sexual assault,” he said. “We owe it to those who had the courage to report a sexual assault and underwent a sexual assault forensic

INDEX

exam, to now test their kits, investigate their cases and hold their perSchimel petrators accountable.”

But four months later, the effort has made little progress. Another survey of the state’s estimated 6,000 untested kits is in the works. A planned hotline for victims hasn’t been created. And the testing Schimel urged is happening only in a limit-

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Help for victims Though the state Department of Justice hasn’t created a hotline for sexual assault victims, state officials say victims may contact the Office of Crime Victim Services at 800-446-6564 or by visiting doj.state.wi.us.

ed scale.

Also at the root of the delays, Department of Justice officials say, is a hiring problem. A team of lawyers, investigators

and others tasked with spearheading the project hasn’t been formed.

“We are in the process of filling the positions outlined in the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grant we received,” department spokeswoman Anne E. Schwartz said. “We cannot move forward on this project until these positions are filled.”

For a long time, tackling untested sexual assault kits in Wisconsin was a nebulous goal lacking financial support. The state had no idea how many kits were scattered

OBITUARIES 2A

Madelince Bell Frieda Podevels

throughout local evidence rooms and how it would pay to process them.

Kits contain forensic evidence of suspected sexual assaults, such as DNA that could identify a rapist or add credibility to a victim’s claims. Each costs about $1,000 to test.

Victim advocates, such as the Joyful Heart Foundation, have pushed state and federal authorities for years to test all sexual assault kits — even in cases where sex is undisputed or a guilty plea has been entered. Their thinking is that DNA from one

kit might help bolster other cases or pinpoint serial offenders.

Wisconsin started making strides in the effort two years ago when the Department of Justice surveyed local law enforcement agencies to estimate the number of untested kits sitting on shelves. The total exceeded 6,000 kits, though some agencies later said they misunderstood the survey’s scope.

Department of Justice officials returned with a See KITS, Page 5A

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More than half of Wisconsin counties have been federally designated as shortage areas for mental health professionals, meaning they’ve been judged to lack the resources to meet the population’s needs. Wisconsin is estimated to need more new providers than any other state in the nation to erase the shortages.

Counselors, psychologists and psychiatrists have waiting lists stretching out for months.

That can mean weeks or months of frustration for families as they seek out — and in many cases, wait for — qualified care for their children. In some areas, parents have turned to one another through peer networks to seek out providers or tap into a collective do-it-yourself knowledge built on real world experience.

Health care providers say they are moving to address the situation by changing the way they offer behavioral health care. Some are developing programs to attract a new wave of mental health care providers into the profession.

In the meantime, nearly 100,000 Wisconsin children are estimated to be living with untreated mental health issues.

“Some of the estimates are that the number of kids who don’t receive needed treatment or services would fill Lambeau Field,” said Hugh Davis, executive director of Wisconsin Family Ties, a group that offers peer support to families navigating the mental health system. “Not just on Sundays, but every day of the week, every hour of the day.”

T'XER ZHON KHA/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Dr. Mary Hennessy rearranges the animal toys on her sandbox, a tool used to help treat her patients, at Marshfield Clinic in Marshfield.

The next chapters » Kids in Crisis in February will introduce you to families, advocates and policy makers on the front lines of assisting children with mental health problems. We’ll explore a variety of approaches being used to stem the crisis in Wisconsin and throughout the country. » Help us write the final chapter of the series by attending a discussion about Kids in Crisis at a series of town hall meetings throughout Wisconsin beginning in late February. Watch for specific dates and locations. » In March, we’ll report back on the top takeaways from the town hall meetings and the recommendations of experts on how Wisconsin can end the crisis. » Coming tomorrow: Teens with mental health issues navigate the road to adulthood with additional stresses, worries for families and new care access issues.

Thousands in need Finding a definitive number of pediatric mental health providers practicing in the state is difficult. Statistics are scattered across a host of agencies and organizations, but they all point to acute shortages: » In psychiatrists. A 2012 analysis by the state Department of Health Services found Wisconsin would need at least 290 more to address a statewide shortage.

That same report noted there are 16 rural counties that reported having no psychiatrists at all. » In psychologists and counselors. There are about 1,500 psychologists and 2,800 counselors with active licenses to work in Wisconsin, according to the state Department of Safety and Professional Services.

Fewer may actually be practicing. The American Psychological Association estimates there are fewer than 1,000 working psychologists in Wisconsin, based on results from the 2013 U.S. Census American Community Survey. In comparison, Minnesota, a state with a smaller population, there are estimated to be twice as many psychologists (2,000) practicing.

The shortage is not unique to Wisconsin. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates nationally about 70 percent of children and teens in need of mental health treatment don’t get care or languish on a waiting list.

Weigel now works for Family Ties as a peer support specialist.

She tries to help other families cope as they wait for help, which sometimes doesn’t arrive until it’s too late. She said she’s seen children sent to out-of-home placements, or get ticketed for disorderly conduct while they waited for treatment.

“That period of time is crucial.

And when you’re grasping for help, to hear you’re on a waiting list is devastating,” Weigel said.

Going it alone Children are drawn to the sandbox on a table in Dr. Mary Hennessy’s office in Marshfield.

Small plastic animal figures stand together in the middle of the sand beckoning small hands to play. This play absorbs Hennessy’s attention as she watches and listens to the interaction of her young patients.

The play sometimes seems innocuous, with children pretending the animals are helping one another. But when the zebra fights with the wolf, or the horse starts eating the donkeys, Hennessy knows the youngsters at play are revealing the inner turmoil of aggression and other feelings difficult for children to understand, let alone talk about.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve had mothers or fathers in here who are in tears and so distraught because they can’t do it,” Hennessy said. “They need help.”

Hennessy is Marshfield Clinic’s sole adolescent and child psychiatrist. She’s at the forefront of providing mental health diagnoses, medication and therapy for

thousands of children for the Marshfield Clinic system, which extends throughout northern and central Wisconsin with more than 50 sites.

Like Hennessy, Dr. Christian DeGregorio is the only adolescent and child psychiatrist for the Aspirus health network. Aspirus clinics include 32 locations stretching from central Wisconsin to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Both work long days and long weeks. They also have their appointments booked out months ahead with immediate availability only for emergency cases. DeGregorio hasn’t had a vacation without computer access since joining Aspirus in Wausau about 10 years ago. There isn’t someone to take his calls during a vacation.

Marshfield Clinic and Aspirus each have struggled for years to recruit additional child psychiatrists. The problem starts with the profession — few medical students are choosing to go into psychiatry and even fewer into the sub-specialty of child psychiatry.

The time and expense of college and medical school means new doctors often aren’t starting their paying careers until well into their 30s. This pushes graduating medical students into the specialties where there is good pay and colleagues to cover calls, DeGregorio said.

“The reimbursement rates for a child psychiatrist for that much school is so low that most medical students look at that and choose a different practice,” DeGregorio said.

A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics forecasts the health care system will need

12,600 child and adolescent psychiatrists nationwide by 2020 — but projections estimate only two-thirds of that number may be available.

Toni Chambers, a resident of Hudson in far western Wisconsin, experienced the shortage first-hand with two of her adopted children.

“Finding providers is a piece of the challenge,” said Chambers, who uses her experience to support other families through Wisconsin Family Ties. “If I need to reach out to a therapist or a child psychologist, someone who can work with my kids and us as parents, it’s difficult. Not everyone is qualified to work with children.”

It can take weeks or months to find services for families in need. That can even mean crossing the border to Minnesota.

“For some of those intensive programs, at least a month ... sometimes even more,” Chambers said. “And what do you do in the meantime?”

Collaborative approach Failing to meet children’s mental health care needs carries a cost that extends beyond families and providers. It can cut into productivity at work as family members deal with a child in need and it can manifest itself in other costs footed by the wider community.

“We’re all going to pay for these services, if you will,” said Lisa Kogan-Praska, president and CEO of Catalpa, a Grand Chute-based mental health organization. “We can either invest in this and pay for it in a more of a preventative manner … or end up paying for it as kids act up and get into our correctional systems

and show up in our emergency rooms. As a community, it has real costs. Long-term costs.”

Catalpa, a collaborative effort between Affinity Health System, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, and ThedaCare in northeast Wisconsin, was formed to provide rapid care for pediatric patients — and their families — before more tailored care can be crafted. It provides crisis care within 24 hours and longer-term follow up care. The impetus for the partnership between the competitors came from a community wellness report that found gaping holes in care and long waiting times.

Since its launch in November 2012, Catalpa has worked with 17,000 patients with needs ranging from treatment of anxiety to adjustment disorders.

At its access center in Grand Chute, Catalpa has seen the average wait for an initial evaluation drop from 54 days in the spring of 2014 — when the access center opened — to a maximum of five days.

“When Catalpa formed there was a rough estimation … there were about 4,200 kids that weren’t able to access the care they needed, and the wait time to get into psychiatry and mental health counseling was pretty great. There were long waits for care,” Kogan-Praska said. “One of the ways we know we’ve made a difference is that decrease in wait time.”

Care is provided through an internal network of licensed mental health counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, nurse prescribers and mental health therapists.

Kogan-Praska said hiring psychiatrists and psychiatrist certi-

fied nurse practitioners can be an especially difficult, and time consuming, process. To help address the shortage, Catalpa recently launched a residency program for mental health therapists to help them meet the 3,000 hours needed to become licensed.

“Are there kids in crisis? Absolutely,” Kogan-Praska said.

“There are still huge needs and we still have barriers and stigmas. We’d love to get to the point where parents aren’t calling us in crisis, or feeling like they are in crisis. That’s one of the things we have to drive towards, more early identification, more prevention and more focus on wellness.”

Filling gaps Not every health system has evolved like Catalpa. Families continue to wait months or years for help. While they wait, they cope and learn.

Weigel recounts how the day after pinning her son down, he threw a coffee table at her. Police came, and he was hospitalized.

She said it was traumatizing for both of them.

“Imagine being in a car accident and not knowing what to do,” Weigel said. “That’s how it felt.

You’re in crisis mode and you don’t know what to do, and you just want to help your child.”

Since then, she has learned how to help her son through his meltdowns peacefully. Now, she helps other parents develop their own coping skills, empowering them to become allies with their children, rather than adversaries.

At a recent conference about mental health in Wisconsin Dells, Weigel’s son pulled her aside to tell her something: “Kids have feelings. Kids have needs and sometimes they have special needs. Adults need to understand that.”

Weigel teared up as she recalled what he said.

“He and I know we’re a team now.”

Reach Nathan Phelps: 920431-8310 or Nathan.Phelps@ gannettwisconsin. com; on Twitter @nathanphelpsPG. Rory Linnane: 920-993-7184 or Rory .Linnane@gannettwisconsin .com; on Twitter @RoryLinnane .

Liz Welter: 715-898-7008 or Liz. Welter@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @welter_liz.

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Proposed cuts to fire dept. draw union ire

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Troubled transitions

JASON SMATHERS USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

The local firefighter union is condemning a decision by the City of Sheboygan to cut three firefighter positions, saying the move leaves two fire stations dangerously understaffed.

But the city administrator and fire Amodeo chief disagree, saying staffing isn’t ideal, but its part of a plan for future consolidation of the department.

Romas City Administrator Jim Amodeo asked Fire Chief Mike Romas in 2015 to cut six positions in anticipation of a possible consolidation of two fire stations in the downtown area. Reports commissioned by the city show that repairing damage to Fire Station No. 1 — a 100-year-old building located near City Hall on New York Avenue — and Fire Station No. 2 — located on N. 18th Street — would cost more than an million dollars over the course of three years to fix, with more costs in the following years.

Amodeo said the cost of each firefighter — about $100,000 annually when benefits are included — would allow the department to build a brand new station without any net cost to the city.

After some compromise, only three positions were cut.

While the cuts don’t cripple the department, Chase Longmiller, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 483, argued in a letter to the Sheboygan Press that the change means that two stations in particular — Station No. 4 and No. 5 — would be left

DANNY DAMIANI/USA TODAY NETWORK - WISCONSIN

Elizabeth Galoff and her mother Amy Okeefe-Galloff look at college websites at their home in Appleton. She is a senior in high school.

Teens with mental health woes face additional stresses, dangers heading into adulthood KATHERINE LYMN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

A

s Elizabeth Galoff applies to colleges, her mother embarks on a waiting game of another sort.

As soon as Amy Okeefe-Galoff knows where her daughter will be heading in the fall, she’ll kick into high gear to get Elizabeth on the wait-list for an adult counselor for the girl’s depression and anxiety.

Even then, the 18-year-old Kimberly High School senior could sit on the list for up to six months as she switches from child to adult providers, her cur-

rent counselors warn. She’ll likely need more than her campus counseling center can provide, and the shortage of mental health providers is nationwide.

“We know we’re going to have a gap there,” Okeefe-Galoff said. “So I’m nervous about it. I’m very, very nervous about it.”

As children’s mental health takes center stage nationwide, many are looking further — after all, we all grow up.

When a mental illness intensifies the years that are already so dynamic, a life can be irreparably turned off course.

RORY’S DIARY | SERIES INSIGHTS You can find a diary from inside Kids in Crisis on our digital and social media channels. The serial diary provides insights from our team of 25 journalists who spent more than six months reporting and editing this report. You can also get the latest reaction, feedback and information about how you can add your voice to Kids in Crisis.

See TRANSITION, Page 5A

See CUTS, Page 2A

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AT&T shows South High students texting can wait LEAH ULATOWSKI USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

A hush fell over the nearly 400 Sheboygan South High School students gathered to watch AT&T’s “The Last Text: Don’t Text While Driving Documentary” in the auditorium on Wednesday, Jan. 13.

The short film was part of AT&T’s It Can Wait campaign, which visits local communities and schools to highlight the dangers of distracted driving.

Not a single phone screen glowed in the auTWO SHEBOYGAN $50K POWERBALL WINNERS, 2A

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Online For more information on AT&T's It Can Wait campaign, or to take the safe driving pledge, visit www.itcanwait.com.

dience while the teenagers watched the pained expressions of parents and young people flash before their eyes on the projector screen, each holding up a sign with the brief text message that sent their lives into disarray.

In the video, one ADVICE..................4B ASTROGRAPH ......4B CLASSIFIED ......... 6B

young man detailed the years of emotional counseling he required for his guilt and depression after striking and killing a bicyclist while texting and driving. Another teenager showcased his lifelong injuries and need for daily physical therapy after being the passenger of a distracted driver.

But, perhaps the video clip that struck closest to home for the students was the story of Mariah West, an 18-year-old student from Arkansas who died while responding to See TEXTING, Page 2A

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Sheboygan South sophomore Lauryn Bresser, 16, reacts to a situation on a simulator while driving and texting Wednesday at a presentation on the dangers of texting and driving. According to principal Mike Trimberger, about 1,200 students attended the event which highlighted the dangers of driving and texting.

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Town hall meetings set for Kids in Crisis conversations Solutions sought to help address mental health issues JAMES FITZHENRY USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin will hold 10 town hall meetings and a “Call to Action” event in Madison on Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day as part of its Kids in Crisis series on children’s mental health.

The meetings are designed to promote a community conversation and discuss solutions. The discussions will be live streamed on USA TODAY NETWORK websites. The conversations will be used to help write the final chapter of the series in March which is designed to outline a wide range of responses and solutions.

The Town Hall meetings will run 90 minutes and will begin at 6 or 7 p.m. Watch for more details over the coming

Transition Continued from Page 1A

“I had a couple cases where I’d spent years trying to get somebody stable and through high school and then transition them to their primary care doctor or student health service and they fell apart,” said Dr. Mark Rovick, an Appleton child psychiatrist. “It was bad for them.”

The typical frustrations of mental health care — having to wait months for an appointment unless already in a crisis; the tedious process of finding the right type and dose of medication — can be exacerbated during such a stressful transition time. Even once a person finds the right match for medication, as bodies grow and life changes, the meds might stop working as effectively.

The “drop-off” at age 18 is a pivotal time to transition to adult providers and continue treatment during the most stressful but defining years of someone’s life.

weeks: » Monday, Feb. 22 — Manitowoc, Silver Lake College » Tuesday, Feb. 23 — Green Bay, Brown County Public Library » Wednesday, Feb. 24 — Marshfield, Mid-State Technical College » Thursday, Feb. 25 — Wisconsin Rapids, McMillan Library » Monday, Feb. 29 — Fond du Lac, Fond du Lac Public Library » Wednesday, March 2 — Stevens Point, Mid-State Technical College » Thursday, March 3 — Oshkosh, Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel » Tuesday, March 8 — Wausau, UW-Marathon County » Wednesday, March 9 — Sheboygan, Mead Public Library » Thursday, March 10 — Appleton, Lawrence University » Thursday, May 5 — Madison, Overture Center (Event tentatively scheduled to start at 10 a.m.)

The next chapters

SUICIDE RATES BY AGE Ages 10-14

1.8

Ages 18-19

Ages 15-17

12.4 per 100K

7.9 per 100K

per 100K

Ages 20-24

14.7 per 100K

Ages 25-39

At age 19, young adults are often forced to leave childhood mental health providers. Some young adults experience gaps in care during this time.

Experts say people with untreated mental illness may self-medicate with drugs and alcohol. The highest rates of illicit drug use are among yough ages 18-22.

Ages 60+

Ages 40-59

16.4 per 100K

25 is the average age of onset bipolar, one of the most common mental illnesses contributing to suicide.

12.9 per 100K

19.3 per 100K

31 is the average age of onset for depression, another contributor to suicide.

SOURCE: Wisconsin Department of Health Services data from 2005-2014

COLLEGE SERVICES MISS MANY DEPRESSED STUDENTS

The time of your life Reading from a sheet of paper crowded with columns of worries, Tracy Aliota ticked off down the list: health insurance and medications. Finding a job and managing time. Budgeting and vehicle maintenance. Getting along with roommates and staying sober.

They’re all topics that came up at a meeting of NAMI Fox Valley’s young adult support group as subjects the youth wanted to go over with Aliota, who was facilitating the meeting for the mental health organization.

Colleges now see more students with mental illness because of child mental healthcare enabling more patients to go to college. Similarly, all the effort poured into youth mental health may be for naught if, at this critical crossroads, young adults fall apart without the support they need.

While legally, many milestones happen around this time — voting and serving at 18, drinking at 21 — biologically, the part of the brain that’s responsible for decision-making is still growing up.

Development of the frontal lobe, the brain’s hardest worker when it comes to problemsolving, risk-taking and impulsive behavior, continues into and beyond this age.

“People this age are making decisions for the rest of their lives — like what am I going to major in for a career — and we’re asking them to do it at a time when their brains aren’t fully developed,” said Danielle Oakley, director of mental health services at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

These young adult years are a confluence of life-altering decisions and new living arrangements, for some the first time they are living alone or the first time sharing a room. And it’s an age where serious mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia statistically are likely to appear for the first time.

In Wisconsin last year, suicide rates steadily climbed from middle school ages through the late 20s.

SUBMITTED

Wisconsin high school student Alyssa Krause won third place for her artwork on theme “My feelings matter” for Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day. The poster contest was organized by the Children’s Mental Health Matters Coalition.

Survey question: Have you ever felt so depressed it was difficult to function?

Survey question: Have you ever used the mental health services offered through your school?

Yes: 18.5%

No: 44%

Yes: 35% No: 81.5%

Yes, over a year ago: 21%

Feb. 14 to 19 » Chapter Two: In the wake of heartache and tragedy, Wisconsin has responded to the crisis. New positions and options have been created, communities mobilized and new approaches employed.

March 20 to 24 » Chapter Three: Children’s mental health problems are complex and difficult, but caring communities and leaders across the state have ideas and resolve to stem the crisis.

May 5 » A call to action: An event in Madison on Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day will combine information, awareness and advocacy drawn from the series.

“This group feels disenfranchised to begin with.

They’re no longer part of their high school; they’re not necessarily part of a college scene yet. Friends have gone their own way.”

JUDY VAN RYZIN MENTAL HEALTH SUPERVISOR, OUTAGAMIE COUNTY

SOURCE: American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment. The spring 2015 survey involved 74,438 undergraduates at 108 schools

College, where campus mental health centers can by nature tailor to that age group and its stressors, can be a buffer for some, Oakley said.

“But not everybody has access to that,” she said.

The gap Even if they do seek help, young adults might not find what they need.

Young adults often fall into a gap between child mental health and adult systems, not fitting neatly into either. While providers for society’s youngest have specialties for developing minds, and adult systems focus on serious and persistent illnesses, the young adult again is just in between.

“This group feels disenfranchised to begin with,” said Judy Van Ryzin, mental health supervisor for Outagamie County.

“They’re no longer part of their high school; they’re not necessarily part of a college scene yet. Friends have gone their own way.”

That frustration of being between two age groups can cause many to give up on getting the right care.

Nineteen-year-old Ivy Evrard, who leads NAMI-Fox Valley’s young adult support group, said she noticed a gap between child and adult psychiatry.

“I haven’t kind of grown into this routine yet so it’s a different time of my life than it is going to be when I’m 30,” she said.

“And that was never acknowledged.”

When youth age out of the

system of care provided to children, they often won’t “resurface” until they are in crisis or their symptoms become chronic, Van Ryzin said. In the meantime, they’re floundering until they get to the other side.

“It’s just everything,” Evrard said of that age, “because everything that you knew is now gone.”

Unhealthy coping It’s not hard to see why those 19-, 20- and 21-year-olds, newly independent and with the stress of their future upon them, often self-medicate. Numbing their mental illness with drugs and alcohol can be quicker, easier and less embarrassing than getting health care.

“If you’re not able to access services, it’s not too hard to figure out that there’s some medication out there that is going to make you feel better, whether it’s the right one prescribed to you or not,” Van Ryzin said.

Every once-stable part of living can change after high school is over, added Aliota, a member of the NAMI Fox Valley support group.

“If you don’t have the right support and guidance,” she said, “you may end up being a couch surfer.”

Elizabeth, the Kimberly high school senior, attempted suicide by overdose in the past and now takes prescribed medication for depression. As she moves closer to moving out of her home and into a new community, her mother is mindful of her worst nightmares. Too

much medication could kill Elizabeth. Too little could leave her ill.

“You have to have a trust factor with your child,” Okeefe-Galoff said.

At the same time, if Elizabeth simply forgets to take her medicine for a day, the effect is clear: “Dark Lizzie,” as her mother calls it.

“She gets unresponsive.

She’s usually bubbly and outgoing,” Okeefe-Galoff said.

“When she’s not on her medication she’s withdrawn, all the classic, depressive symptoms.”

Anticipating the stress and change of going to college, Okeefe-Galoff is working on getting Elizabeth to remember her medications no matter what.

“She has to have this down pat,” Okeefe-Galoff said. “And if she goes to college and she’s stressed because it’s a new environment, a new place, and she’s trying to manage her medication on top of it, she’ll fail.”

The response The mental health community locally and nationally is seeing the needs of this population and responding, both with more outreach targeting them and with more specific services.

NAMI-Fox Valley and the Housing Partnership of the Fox Cities are looking at offering units of affordable housing in Neenah specifically for people age 18 to 26 who have mental illness.

There, providers will give wraparound services to help

the tenants who are often living on their own the first time.

“We want to make sure that we’re not only dealing with mental health, but we’re giving people the life skills necessary to get a good start on their adulthood,” said Joe Mauthe, executive director of the Housing Partnership.

Patients at large providers would benefit from a department focused solely on transition services — providers specializing in young adults, like those on college campuses, that provide gap-bridging care for three to six months as a patient settles into adulthood, Slattery said.

That’s the idea behind a burgeoning state program that connects youth with “transition facilitators.”

A grant funds the positions in Outagamie and Jefferson counties, with plans for expansion.

An Outagamie County transition facilitator visited Elizabeth Galoff’s teen support group and talked about referrals and other ways to make the path to adult health care easier.

She’s a follower of routines, so with the changes coming up she needs to plan ahead, a lot.

“If I am going to do something that is out of my routine like moving across the country to a college, that’ll kind of throw me,” she said.

Katherine Lymn: 920-9931000, ext. 7232 or Katherine.

Lymn@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @kathlymn.

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RORY LINNANE AND JAMES FITZHENRY

F

USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

eeling despair?

Children’s mental health is suffering with no easy answers — but remember where you are. Wisconsin is the laboratory of democracy. We are experimenting.

Inside today’s paper and throughout the week, look for stories showing how Wisconsin is bringing hope for children in need.

We have a new office of Children’s Mental Health and schools are bringing help inside their walls.

Old competitors are partnering to provide care, help is on hand on text lines and computer screens, grassroots groups are training frontline advocates.

There is hope.

Despair can’t win where there’s resolve to end the crisis.

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Inside Pace of mental health care reform in Wisconsin slows after banner year in 2013 when lawmakers passed slew of bills and increased spending by $30 million. Page 6A.

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STATE CHIPPING AWAY AT MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS After mass shootings in Oak Creek, Sandy Hook, Wisconsin boosted mental health laws, funding by $30 million KEEGAN KYLE USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

MADISON - After seizing the attention of state lawmakers two years ago, mental health advocates like William ParkeSutherland were eager to hit the ground running.

Lawmakers boosted funding for mental health services by $30 million and passed a series of laws aimed at helping those on the front lines.

One new program of interest to Parke-Sutherland funded temporary housing shelters for people on the verge of crisis. His nonprofit, Grassroots Empowerment Project, hoped to open one. Called peer-run respites, the shelters aim to prevent hospitalizations by treating people before they need emergency care. Lawmakers put $1.4 million into developing three shelters statewide.

But today the program is still in its infancy, and its impact is unclear. One shelter did open in Appleton last year, but the second opened in Madison just last month, and the third, planned for Menomonie, is not yet a reality.

“What we encountered was the difficulty of finding a place when there wasn’t clear direction for local zoning officials,” said Parke-Sutherland, whose nonprofit is overseeing the Menomonie shelter which is now on track to open in several weeks.

In some ways, the program characterizes the broader package of mental health reforms that lawmakers approved in 2013. The increased attention on mental health excited advocates across the state, but their work since then has been slow and their results uncertain.

Make no mistake: Advocates and health officials alike believe Wisconsin is making progress on mental health. The biggest questions now are just how much — and is it enough?

More than half of Wisconsin counties have been federally designated as shortage areas for mental health professionals, meaning they’ve been judged to lack the resources to meet the population’s needs. The state’s teen suicide rate is three times higher than the national average.

Digging into statistics around these questions is one of the main priorities this year for a new state office focusing on children’s mental health. The office views the task as laying a foundation for where policymakers go next.

“We have to start collecting outcomes,” said Elizabeth Hudson, the office’s director. “We really want a good sense of how we would steward (tax dollars for) anything. Here’s a map of what’s going on.”

Count Shel Gross, policy director for the Wisconsin chapter of Mental Health America, as one advocate who argues the state should be doing more, even if lawmakers approve a handful of proposals this spring that are aimed at various mental health issues like zoning codes for peer-run respites and new pilot programs.

“We’re chipping away and going in the right direction but there’s still a frustration that it’s these chipping away things,” Gross said.

Action after tragedy Mental health reform has long been on the radar of state leaders but mostly resulted in one study after another. Prison officials penned a report in 2009 and a state Supreme Court task force took a wider look at the criminal justice system the next year. .

Then in 2013, following mass shootings at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek and an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., mental health gained more attention. Wisconsin Democrats pushed for stricter gun laws after the tragedies, but Republicans successfully rallied lawmakers to addressing gaps in mental health.

Gov. Scott Walker and the Republican-controlled Legislature boosted the state budget for

AP

A condolence sign sits in downtown Sandy Hook, Conn., following the massacre of 26 children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. in 2012. The mass shooting at the school and at a Sikh Temple in Oak Creek spurred Gov. Scott Walker and Wisconsin lawmakers to address gaps in mental health care and increase mental health funding by $30 million in 2013, including the creation of an office of Children’s Mental Health.

More Kids in Crisis Monday: Treating the body and the mind during routine visits to the family doctor makes mental health treatment easier.

Tuesday: Wisconsin has been slow to adapt to using virtual treatment through tele-psychiatry to help ease the chronic shortage of mental health providers in rural areas.

Rory’s Dairy | Read companion stories with insights from reporter Rory Linnane on the Kids in Crisis series on our website.

mental health services by $30 million, which state health officials and nonpartisan financial analysts in the Legislature called the steepest hike in decades.

Most of the money boosted community-based health programs and state hospitals for the mentally ill. The push wasn’t specifically on children, although $350,200 was set aside to fund a new Office of Children’s Mental Health.

Legislators also continued Walker’s push for mental health reform after the state budget, sending 10 bills to the governor by the end of the year. The package created new grant programs such as the peer-run respites, increased access to youth services and required unified reporting by county health departments.

Hudson compared the year to the beginning of a marathon, saying lawmakers provided a jolt like a starting pistol and now a slow, strategic race is underway.

Unclear results Mental health advocates praised the state’s additional support in 2013 but found change wasn’t quick or easy.

While lawmakers funded new or expanded services, for instance, they added few state positions to oversee these services. Gross and other advocates said much of the additional work got assigned to existing staff and that slowed down making the services available and measuring results.

“We don’t know exactly what the impact of those (programs) is on people getting served and improvements in functioning,” said Gross, a member of the state’s mental health advisory council. “That’s been a large concern for the council.”

Some programs have also faced regulatory hurdles.

Parke-Sutherland said local zoning officials were unsure

Lawmakers running out of time on mental health bills KEEGAN KYLE USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

State lawmakers expressed continued interest in mental health reform after the 2013 push but to date have produced few concrete actions.

State funding hasn’t seen another dramatic jump and time is quickly running out for a handful of proposals this year that aim to improve services for children, such as a bill that would make it easier for mental health professionals to visit students at their schools.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos is hoping his chamber can wrap up its legislative work and break for campaign season by the end of February. Hoping to squeeze in several mental health bills before then is Manitowoc Rep. Paul Tittl, chairman of a mental health committee that Vos created last year.

The bills involve a range of issues, including clinical work provided in schools, tax credits for new psychiatrists, zoning rules for peer-run respites and new stipends for the mental health advisory board that includes Gross.

Vos told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin in January that he supported the package.

“My hope is that we pass most if not all of those before we adjourn,” Vos said.

Tittl said two bills are par-

where temporary housing facilities should be located under existing laws: in commercial or residential neighborhoods?

He said there is good national data showing that peer-run respites help reduce hospitalizations and cut health care costs.

Evaluating results is of keen interest to health officials and mental health advocates right now because the state is experimenting with such an array of new services and policies, from expanded treatment programs to slashed bureaucracy to new police training. Everyone wants to know what’s working.

Last month state health offi-

AP

The mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., helped spur Gov. Scott Walker and lawmakers to address gaps in mental health care and increase funding by $30 million in 2013.

ticularly important. The first would allow contracted mental health professionals to provide care at schools without a state-certified, on-site clinic.

More than 300 school districts currently offer counseling through such clinics.

Tittl called the certification process redundant and said if more counselors were allowed into schools, fewer students would face social pressures over missing class for their care.

The second bill Tittl called important would provide an income tax credit to new psychiatrists who commit to practicing in the state for at least 10 years. Psychiatrists could save up to $12,000 in each of their first two years.

Tittl sees the measure as an effort to recruit and retain more psychiatrists, who

cials reported some early signs of a positive trend, such as fewer hospitalizations and expanded offerings of services. But on lingering concerns like a provider shortage and access to preventative treatment, questions remain.

“We’re making some progress,” Joyce Allen, a state health official, told the mental health advisory council that includes Gross at a January meeting. “We’re still below maybe where we should be at the national level.”

Hudson, the children’s health official, suggested it might actually be a good thing that law-

health officials and others have said are in short supply to meet the level of demand in Wisconsin and nationwide.

Especially in rural areas of the state, families are often forced to wait weeks before a doctor is available to see them.

“The whole state of Wisconsin is underserved,” Tittl said. “If we get them for 10 years, they’ll love Wisconsin like we all do and stay here.”

An Assembly committee advanced six of Tittl’s bills on Wednesday. The package next goes to full Assembly and if approved, the state Senate and then the governor.

Keegan Kyle is a reporter for USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin. He can be reached at kkyle@gannett .com or on Twitter @keegan kyle.

makers have slowed down on mental health reform this year because it’s giving providers more time to implement and evaluate past changes.

“All this came down and nobody was ready because it had never happened before,” she said. “If there had been more that came out in this last budget, people would have crumbled.

You can only bear so much of a burden.”

Keegan Kyle is a reporter for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. He can be reached at kkyle@gannett.com or on Twitter @keegankyle.

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Medical Assistant Jamie Burroughs talks during a meeting with her integrated care team at Bellin family practice clinic in Ashwaubenon last month.

Treating the body and the mind Healthcare organizations integrate physical and mental care into office visits to speed process, break down barriers that can inhibit treatment

RORY LINNANE AND NATHAN PHELPS USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

A

SHWAUBENON

-

You

wouldn’t expect to find a counselor nestled in the bustling center of a family prac-

tice office.

But here Dan Gesell sits, perched on a stool with his laptop, working shoulderto-shoulder with nurses, doctors and other key staff members at a Bellin Health Clinic. Three or four times a day, he's called to meet with patients about anxiety, depression and other matters that come up in routine visits with a family physician.

“I always like to point out the connection between our emotions, the way we're thinking about things, our behav-

ior and our physical health,” Gesell said.

“The four of those are all very interconnected. Overall health isn’t just focused on the physical side, it's exploring the emotional and cognitive part of it too.”

Welcome to what could be the future of healthcare. Pairing mental health with primary care not only reaches patients who might otherwise not get help, but also helps fills gaps in a system in dire straits. More than half of Wisconsin counties have been federally designated as shortage areas for mental health professionals, meaning they’ve been judged to lack the resources to meet the population’s needs. The shortage hits children especially hard.

See INTEGRATED, Page 6A

More Kids in Crisis Tuesday: Wisconsin has been slow to adapt to using virtual treatment through tele-psychiatry to help ease the chronic shortage of mental health providers in rural areas.

Wednesday: Reforms in the juvenile justice system aim to steer youth with mental health problems to treatment not incarceration.

Rory’s Dairy | Read companion stories with insights from reporter Rory Linnane on the Kids in Crisis series on our website.

Green Bay area teachers unions have taken on new — if diminished roles — in the five years since a Wisconsin law curbing their authority was set in motion.

Faced with a $2.7 billion budget shortfall in early 2011, newly elected Republican Gov. Scott Walker proposed providing school district officials with “tools” to help them control costs: stripping government workers unions of most of their collective bargaining power and requiring public workers to pay more for health insurance and benefits. He also trimmed state aid to schools.

His introduction of Act 10 on Feb. 11 of that year took public workers by surprise.

They quickly organized protests at the sate Capitol that drew thousands of teachers, their families, union members and other supporters from throughout Wisconsin.

The first major protest took place five years ago Monday.

Those against the governor’s proposal also carried signs near the Green Bay School District offices, as well as Chappell Elementary School when Walker made an appearance there. Students at Bay Port High School in Suamico walked out of school to show solidarity with teachers.

“It definitely was a shock to me,” said Lori Cathey, president of the Green Bay Education Association. “How could we go from a state that was so pro-education to one that saw teachers as the probSee ACT 10, Page 2A

INSIDE

Billionaire: Titanic II will launch in ‘18 Despite delays, the Titanic II will set sail in 2018 if Australian billionaire Clive Palmer has anything to say about it. Business, 4A

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What’s your favorite place in Green Bay? ROBERT ZIZZO USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

What’s your favorite place in Green Bay? We want to know.

Is it tailgating in the Lambeau Field parking lot before a Packers game? Is it strolling down the City Deck boardwalk during one of the myriad summer events? What about jogging or biking along the Fox River Trail?

Maybe your perfect family

day is taking in the live animal exhibits at the Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, or spending an afternoon down the street at the Bay Beach Amusement Park. Perhaps it’s anchoring your boat for a day on the water around Long Tail Island.

We know that there are dozens of unique places to hang out and have fun in and around Green Bay. But what’s your favorite?

To weigh in, you can post a

comment with your favorite place on our Facebook page, email your top spot to localnews@greenbaypress gazette.com or drop your submission off at our office at 435 E. Walnut St. in Green Bay. Please make sure we receive your “favorite place” nomination before Friday.

We’ll look over your submissions, and then we’ll publish a special section for our home delivery subscribers — “Our

Favorite Places” — on March 27 that will include not only your favorite place in Green Bay, but also the top spot at our other USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin locations in the Fox Cities, Oshkosh, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, Wausau, Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids and Marshfield.

Don’t miss your chance to tell us your favorite place.

We’re excited to hear from you.

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Integrated Continued from Page 1A

Bellin is one of about 30 organizations around the country partnering with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement to integrate behavioral health into primary care. Other providers across Wisconsin have taken similar steps, and some states have adopted the approach wholesale.

When behavioral-health specialists work side-by-side with doctors, the doctors learn how to handle more basic tasks on their own and to efficiently refer more severe cases. The collaboration helps patients overcome social anxieties that might have stopped them from asking questions about mental health or going to a separate office.

At Bellin, every patient that goes to the clinic, even if only for a physical, is screened for anxiety and depression.

“A lot of my schedule is open to meet with people on sameday appointments,” Gesell said. “I can meet with them and start the conversations about ‘What are some of these symptoms?’ Do some assessment, and look at some treatment options.”

PHOTOS BY KYLE BURSAW/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Family Physician Dr. James Jerzak, left, introduces a patient and his wife to Behavioral Health Consultant Dr. Dan Gesell after bringing Gesell in on the appointment when the patient discussed anxiety. The two are part of an integrated care team at Bellin family practice clinic in Ashwaubenon last month.

Primary limitations The scenario happens all the time. A family walks into the doctor's office with concerns that they're starting to see symptoms of mental illness in a child — maybe he's been extremely anxious or maybe she's lost interest in the activities she used to love.

According to a 2013 National Health Interview Survey, about 45 percent of parents who thought their children had serious emotional or behavioral difficulties talked with a general doctor about the problem. For many doctors, these are the moments where they meet their own limitations.

According to a 2014 survey of Wisconsin pediatricians, less than a third felt confident diagnosing behavioral health disorders and meeting the needs of children with psychiatric problems.

What's worse, if doctors sought to refer their privatelyinsured patients to psychiatrists, nearly half said they couldn’t find any available. It was significantly more difficult for children covered by Medicaid; four in every five doctors said they could not find psychiatrists for those patients.

The problem is growing, said Kia LaBracke, executive director of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“There are increasing numbers of primary care physicians who are having to screen, diagnose, assess and treat these patients who come in, who otherwise would have huge waiting times to get in to see a child and adolescent psychiatrist,” LaBracke said.

Pediatricians add mental health care to tool kits RORY LINNANE USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Behavioral Health Consultant Dr. Dan Gesell (center) and Family Physician Dr. James Jerzak (right) work around a single hub with medical assistants, part of their integrated care team at Bellin family practice clinic in Ashwaubenon.

DOCTORS FUMBLE ON MENTAL HEALTH Survey shows most primary care doctors cannot meet psychiatric needs of children or find specialists to help.

Survey question: With existing resources, are you usually able to meet the needs of children with psychiatric problems?

Strongly agree: 3% Strongly disagree:21%

Agree: 18% Neutral: 16%

Disagree: 42%

Survey question: When you want to, can you consult with a mental health specialist about your pediatric patients within a reasonable period of time?

Strongly agree: 5% Agree: 13% Strongly disagree: 29%

Disagree: 39% *Total more than 100 percent due to rounding

Colorado model Getting primary care doctors to work with mental health professionals is a promising approach with its own unique challenges.

Colorado landed a $65 million federal grant to integrate services through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which awards funds for State Innovation Models.

The state hopes to integrate more than 400 primary care practices with community mental health centers, so that nearly all residents have access to care by 2019.

Vatsala Pathy, who is directing the effort, said one of the major barriers is a tradition of insurers making payments based on services provided rather than health outcomes.

That approach encourages clinics to focus more on lucrative physical treatments than more holistic approaches. Colorado has gained commitments from six insurers and the state Medicaid agency to better fund integrated behavioral health.

Pathy said funding isn't everything. Physicians also need training to be able to work in a team setting with behavioral health care providers. Colorado's program provides incentive payments for the time doctors are not getting paid for seeing patients.

She expects the integration will expand access to care, and save money by finding efficiencies and addressing health problems before they spiral into crisis.

“To deal with the whole person rather than parts and

Neutral: 15%

SOURCE: Data from Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics survey of 63 pediatric primary care clinicians, December 2014.

About 97 percent surveyed were family physicians or pediatricians.

pieces makes more sense," she said.

A new way: a new team Before Bellin brought Gesell on board in September, patients at the Ashwaubenon clinic were referred to off-site mental health care providers.

However, Dr. James Jerzak, a family physician and one of the doctors on the planning team for Bellin’s patient care redesign, said those patients rarely followed through followed through on the referral.

“One of the tricks of integration is instead of having the behavior health consultant be off as a specialist we refer to, we put them in the core team, right with the primary care providers,” Jerzak said.

“They stand right next to me, so any patient I see that has a behavioral need, they can go right in and talk to them.”

That’s where Gesell steps in. On a January morning with a steady flow of visits, he was summoned to the exam room to meet with a patient who was seeing Jerzak for a physical issue, but was also dealing with anxiety. Gesell spent close to half an hour talking to the patient, ultimately offering techniques to help the man manage his condition.

Jerzak and other primary care physicians also have weekly face-to-face access to a psychiatrist who can provide advice on patient treatment.

“That, a lot of times, prevents them having to do a consultation because they give us advice and we feel more comfortable managing the medications,” he said. “That’s going to help improve access because they’re going to be a little less burdened with those less-complicated behavioral health problems that we can deal with.”

Bellin isn't the only medical system moving in this direction. Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care, which has locations throughout Wisconsin, launched a pilot program last year integrating behavioral health with primary care at a clinic in Menominee Falls.

"We’ve seen that make a huge difference in people who are somewhat ambivalent about getting psychotherapy to really following through with it,” said Pete Carlson, president of Aurora Behavioral Health Services.

Carlson said the kinds of changes Aurora and Bellin are making are likely to take hold as healthcare delivery as a whole changes in the next several years.

“This is much more of a preventative approach … and, in the long term, patients that have chronic medical conditions and behavioral health problems are much more expensive to care for over the course of their lifetime,” he said.

Green Bay-based Prevea

Health started its integration efforts more than a decade ago, starting in prenatal care, and has located therapists at some primary care sites and with specialists.

“If you don’t have mental health, you’re not going to have physical health,” said Dr. Paul Pritchard, Prevea’s vice president and chief quality officer. “If my patients are struggling with anxiety or depression, it’s extremely difficult to get them to worry about their diabetes, hypertension or heart failure.

“It’s becoming more of an emphasis ... and something we really want to expand on,” he said.

Paula Manley, a Prevea executive overseeing behavioral care in eastern Wisconsin, said the blending of behavioral health services with other medical specialties has been generally well received.

“What was helpful was we started in a department that really wanted to have therapists involved with the care of patients and we built a lot of success there,” she said. “As other departments heard what we were doing we got the, “Us too, us too.”

Reach Nathan Phelps: 920431-8310 or Nathan.Phelps@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @nathanphelpsPG. Rory Linnane: 920993-7184 or Rory.Linnane@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @RoryLinnane.

Families have come to expect a familiar laundry-list of health checks from their primary care doctors, from the Popsicle stick on the tongue to the reflex tap on the knee.

But while their doctors carefully scrutinize many nooks and crannies of the body, it's the part that may be the least examined that is of growing concern: the brain, which has traditionally been the territory of psychiatrists. With chronic shortages and long waiting lists, families are increasingly turning to their primary care doctors.

Kia LaBracke, executive director of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said many doctors are overcoming their discomfort with diagnosing and treating psychiatric issues and brushing up on mental health to step in where they can.

Enter the "phone a friend" option. Modeled after a program in Massachusetts, the Medical College of Wisconsin created a consultation line where doctors can call psychiatrists for advice on treating their patients. Operating on a $1 million grant, the Child Psychiatry Consultation Program is being tested in two regions: Milwaukee County, and a 15-county area of northern Wisconsin.

Gabi Hangiandreou, one of the child psychiatrists working in the northern counties, said she has signed up about half of primary doctors in her region.

The reactions have been mixed.

"Some of the older doctors are like, 'That's stupid. Let's go back to the old days when I wasn't expected to treat mental illness,'" Hangiandreou said.

Others have enjoyed learning to help their patients through some of their less complicated mental health issues, like suggesting that a child stay with grandparents for a weekend to cool off an escalating problem with a sibling.

“These indirect models were not designed to take over for a child psychiatrist, but sometimes this program is all the kid has,” Hangiandreou said. “The goal is that the front line, the primary care providers, will get more comfortable about mild and moderate troubles, which might mean the need for psychiatrists could go down.”

Ideally, doctors would share clinics with psychiatrists and easily refer patients back and forth, LaBracke said. Some are able to do that, but that's not possible for all doctors. For now, the consultation line may be a doctor's only source of support.

“We're trying to come up with realistic models that will help people right away,” LaBracke said. “The more support they feel they have, the more confident they'll be in treating what are sometimes very intimidating cases.”

Reach Rory Linnane: 920993-7184 or Rory.Linnane@gannettwisconsin.com.

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Using tech to fill mental health provider gap moves slow Psychiatrist Jenna Saul of-

trists who work with chil-

ten has long stretches be-

dren. She works from an old

he last time they

tween in-person visits with

horse barn in Marshfield, re-

talked, the teen was

patients because of over-

furbished with access to a

primarily interest-

whelming demand for her

broadband

ed in Pokemon and video

services. So Saul uses a web-

from a silo across the road.

games. Since then, he’s grown

cam to talk with this patient

“We had to really wrangle

up. He’s more into country-

and others because it allows

this system to make it work,”

western music and fishing.

her to reach outlying areas of

Saul said.

RORY LINNANE USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

T

He also recently wrote a

coming

the state where many counties don’t have any psychia-

bomb threat at school.

signal

See VIRTUAL, Page 4A

More Kids in Crisis Wednesday: Reforms in the juvenile justice system aim to steer youth with mental health problems to treatment not incarceration.

Thursday: Educators bring mental health care inside the schoolhouse to assist children with mental health issues.

Rory’s Diary | Read companion stories with insights from reporter Rory Linnane on the Kids in Crisis series on our website.

Impact of ‘No Call List’ is shrinking in the state Wisconsin law’s protections against unwanted telemarketers have been fading KEEGAN KYLE USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

MADISON - State efforts to halt unlicensed telemarketers have increasingly fallen short for thousands of Wisconsinites in recent years.

Even though consumers signed up for a state “No Call List” promising to crack down on telemarketers through forfeitures or revoked licenses, the calls continued with impunity.

During dinner. During a movie. During a kid’s birthday party.

OBITUARIES 2A

The reason in many cases is due to a larger trend. Limiting who can and can’t ring your phone has become trickier for state regulators to enforce.

Just ask Sandy Chalmers, head of the state’s consumer protection office, about the rising number of complaints involving calls from unlicensed telemarketers.

“It’s technology and the international scope of the problem now that has totally changed the landscape of this,” she said. “It’s gotten so much more complex.”

In fact, state regulators be-

Lawrecne Boehm Patrick Brown Kathryn Burow

Arnold Flagel Roger Marg Robert Rood

Wallace Sloan Norman Sontag Virginia Stoiber

lieve there is little they can do in many cases of illegal telemarketing. Consumers are either left to rely on their own resources or on busy federal authorities.

The force of Wisconsin’s “No Call List” just doesn’t carry as much weight as it once did. Signing up may prevent calls from a shrinking pool of companies who play by the rules but does little to block a new wave of digital-savvy crooks.

Fading protections When Wisconsin lawmakers created the “No Call List” more than a decade ago, the system’s teeth relied on companies wanting to avoid forfeitures and

Paulette Wadzinski Grace Zenner

maintain good standing with regulators who allow them to do business in the state.

Each telemarketer had to register with state officials and stop dialing numbers on the “No Call List” a short time later. The state now requires telemarketers to subscribe to a federal “No Call List” that’s updated regularly.

The system has always exempted some mass dialers, such as political campaigns and researchers. Wisconsin lawmakers were mainly focused on guarding consumers from a flood of unwanted sales pitches.

But for a number of reasons, See CALLS, Page 8A

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WAUSAU - Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Tuesday to whittle down candidates in a state Supreme Court race and the races for spots in the Mosinee School Board and Wausau city government.

The top two candidates in each race will go on to the April 5 election. Visit myvote.wi.gov online to see a version of your ballot before voting.

Here’s a run-down of the major primaries.

Rebecca Bradley, JoAnne Kloppenburg and Joe Donald are vying for a seat on the Supreme Court bench.

Keene Winters, David Oberbeck, Robert Mielke, Jay Kronenwetter and David Prokop are competing to become Wausau’s next mayor.

In Wausau’s southeastern corner, three candidates hope to become the next District 1 representative to City Council: Larry Mirman, Patrick Peckham and Troy Champan.

On Wausau’s west side, the current mayor is among four candidates vying for the District 11 seat on City Council. The candidates on the ballot include: Deb Ryan, James Tipple, Robert Mielke and Dennis Smith See coverage at WausauDailyHerald.com for more information on the Wausau races.

Voters in the Mosinee School District will choose among Holly Ashton, Kelli J. Zebro and Jason Borski for its at-large school board seat.

And a group of Lincoln County residents in the School District of Rhinelander will weigh in on an important referendum seeking an extra $5 million annually through the tax levy for the next three years. In the past three years, voters approved an extra $4 million a year through the tax levy.

Voters can register at the polls with proof of their residence. And everyone must bring photo identification to vote, such as a driver’s license, passport, Department of Transportation ID, school ID with additional proof of enrollment or ID provided by a federally-recognized Indian tribe.

Nora G. Hertel can be reached at nora.hertel@gannett wisconsin.com or 715-8450665. Find her on Twitter as @nghertel.

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“We do need more psychiatrists, but really the biggest issue is having psychiatrists in the right areas. There’s a maldistribution of the psychiatric resource, and certainly telepsychiatry is a way to help correct that.”

JERRY HALVERSON PRESIDENT OF THE WISCONSIN MEDICAL SOCIETY AND FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE WISCONSIN PSYCHIATRIC ASSOCIATION

T'XER ZHON KHA, USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Psychiatrist Jenna Saul uses a webcam at her office in Marshfield to talk with a nurse working in Shiocton.

Virtual Continued from Page 1A

But make it work, she did.

This experimentation by Saul and others is part of an effort to address a severe shortage of mental health professionals.

Wisconsin is estimated to need more new psychiatrists per capita than any other state. Telepsychiatry is a way to stretch the reach of the few psychiatrists who do work here.

Saul’s not alone in her trade.

Randall Cullen, former medical director of Mendota Mental Health Institute, started using telepsychiatry after seeing immense need in rural areas of the state. He now does psychiatric evaluations remotely for mental health systems in more than 10 counties.

Indications show the practice is becoming more widely accepted. According to a survey of psychiatrists by UW-Madison researchers, about 8 percent of respondents said they used telemedicine.

But experts say there’s much room to grow telemedicine in Wisconsin, which has not embraced it in ways other pioneering states have.

without practicing psychiatrists.

“It’s helped children and families receive a level of care they would have had to travel long distances for,” said Lisa Betz, associate deputy of the Bureau of Child and Adolescent Services.

The Illinois Department of Human Services provided the funds to install the technology and infrastructure to get the program running. The psychiatrist uses video conferencing to evaluate patients, manage medication and consult with a team of other professionals who can meet on-site with patients.

It’s similar to what Saul and Cullen do. But they’ve had to handle infrastructure on their own, and sometimes it’s problematic.

As Saul dialed into a video conference with a county clinic to talk to the boy who wrote the bomb threat, she struggled to connect as she talked to staff on the phone. “Not this again,” she sighed. The Internet can be slow and choppy.

Jennifer Miller, a spokeswoman for Wisconsin’s DHS, said the department has not made any financial investments in telepsychiatry, other than a

consultation program through which psychiatrists advise primary-care doctors about mental health but do not provide direct care. She noted that counties can apply for grants from other sources to establish telepsychiatry lines.

With a sometimes spotty Internet connection, Saul said, she resents that state officials turned down $23 million in federal funds for broadband expansion in 2011. In the latest state budget, there is $1.5 million available in grants per year for broadband expansion projects.

In Hawaii, where health care access on the less-populated islands could be compared to Wisconsin’s rural counties, telepsychiatry has filled some gaps.

Combined with earlier identification, more children now can be treated for behavioral health needs on their home islands, said Michael Fukuda, from the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Hawaii’s John A. Burns School of Medicine.

Before telepsychiatry was more widely available, “they would present in the emergency room, but the emergency room didn’t have a child psychiatrist, either,” he said. “So what they

would have to do is fly the child over to Oahu.”

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, patients and providers have so far been satisfied with most telepsychiatry services. For adults, the academy said the research clearly shows telepsychiatry is just as effective as in-person treatment, while research about youth is starting to show the same results.

In Wisconsin, payment is problem Before Saul started providing telepsychiatry in the public sector, she used it in her private practice. But she said reimbursement “wasn’t phenomenal.”

More than half of states in the U.S. have laws requiring private insurers to pay for telemedicine services the same way they would cover in-person services.

Wisconsin is not among them.

Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill in 2014 that requires Medicaid to cover telehealth services, but the state does not have such a requirement for private insurers.

The American Telemedecine

Choppy connections Of the 130 child psychiatrists listed with the state’s licensing authority, more than half are in Milwaukee, Dane and Waukesha counties. Fifty-one counties don’t have any.

The shortage is nationwide.

In high demand in nearly every corner of the country, child psychiatrists often have their pick of locations to set up shop, and many choose urban areas where they can be in a clinic with a vast support network.

“A lot of medical professionals want to stay in a bigger place with more colleagues and resources,” said child psychiatrist Gabriella Hangiandreou, president of the northern chapter of the Wisconsin Psychiatric Association. “It’s hard to lure people into rural areas.”

Noticing this trend several years ago in Illinois, the state Bureau of Child and Adolescent Services implemented a telepsychiatry program to reach children in areas of the state

T'XER ZHON KHA, USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Psychiatrist Jenna Saul uses a webcam to talk with Kim Bain, a nurse at CHAPS day treatment program.

Association gave Wisconsin an “A” grade for having low barriers for telemedicine with its standards and licensing policies. But Wisconsin ranked among the lowest 15 states in terms of the ability for telemedicine professionals to get paid for their work.

Gary Capistrant, chief policy officer for the association, said laws requiring insurers to cover telemedicine services have made significant differences in other states.

“Without parity, providers won’t organize to provide it,” Capistrant said, referring to telemedicine. “We are all used to teleconferencing in our daily lives, but somehow when it comes to patient care we still want the patient to jump in the car and drive to the care.”

Jerry Halverson, president of the Wisconsin Medical Society and former president of the Wisconsin Psychiatric Association, said payment is a significant barrier for telepsychiatry.

Halverson said telepsychiatry has the potential to expand services in rural areas by tapping into the more plentiful resources of urban areas.

He said Madison and some parts of Milwaukee are fully staffed by mental health professionals and he expected some providers in those regions would be open to helping in rural areas if payment were more reliable.

“We do need more psychiatrists, but really the biggest issue is having psychiatrists in the right areas,” Halverson said.

“There’s a maldistribution of the psychiatric resource, and certainly telepsychiatry is a way to help correct that.”

Halverson said while ideally insurers would opt to cover telemedicine services, Wisconsin may need to consider requiring it by law.

“You hate to have to do that, but it may be something we have to look at in our state,” Halverson said. “It’s pretty clear there’s a need for telepsychiatry.”

Reach Rory Linnane: 920993-7184 or Rory.Linnane@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @RoryLinnane.

Katherine Lymn: 920-993-1000, ext. 7232 or Katherine.Lymn@gannett wisconsin.com; on Twitter @kathlymn.

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STEVENS POINT - Trish DEMOCRAT DEMOCRAT Baker and Robert Shannon came out on top in Tuesday’s primary election for judge in Portage County.

Baker received 2,700 votes and INDEPENDENT INDEPENDENT Shannon received 2,571 votes, making them the top Baker two vote-getters among the four candidates running in the primary.

David Knaapen received 2,218 and Jared Shannon Redfield received 689 votes.

Baker and Shannon will move on to the April 5 election. The candidate who wins that election will serve a sixyear term as one of three judges in Portage County and fill a vacancy left by Judge John Finn, who retired last summer after serving more than 27 years.

Baker became clerk of courts in Portage County in 2011, then helped implement the state’s online record keeping system. Baker became an attorney in 1996 and spent years working as a prosecutor and also handled a variety of cases with her private practice.

Shannon is a retired attorney who was appointed in August to serve as judge in an interim role after Finn retired.

The results will not be made official until an official canvass is completed Feb. 23 and any provisional or latearriving absentee ballots have been counted.

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Chris Mueller can be reached at 715-345-2251 and christopher.mueller@ gannettwisconsin.com. Follow him on Twitter as @AtChrisMueller.

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Judge John A. Des Jardins presides over juvenile court proceedings earlier this month at the Outagamie County Justice Center in Appleton.

CARE VERSUS INCARCERATION ‘Wraparound’ program helps keep mentally ill youth out of jail ADAM RODEWALD, RORY LINNANE AND ALISON DIRR USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

A

simple suggestion helped save Donetta Foxx’s son.

Foxx spent the first 13 years of her adopted

son’s life cycling between the silos of school, hospitals and the juvenile justice system to get help for the boy’s unidentified mental illness.

Inside Bradley, Kloppenberg advance to face off for state Supreme Court seat | 3A

Dozens of professionals were involved in boy’s life but none knew, or took the time to learn, his full story.

And then, one day in 2009, a juvenile justice worker suggested Foxx check out a program that has since become recognized nationwide as a

model for delivering treatment to struggling youth and keeping them out of jail.

“I’m sure certainly he’d be in jail, if not dead or something

else,” Foxx said. “But we had enough netting around him to keep him stable to adulthood.”

Dane County’s Children Come First was the first in Wisconsin to offer customized mental health care and personal advocacy with the goal of keeping kids at home instead of locking them up. A staff of 25 people work as care coordinators and family advocates that help develop a personalized care plan for each child.

Marykay Wills, who oversees the program for Dane County Human Services, credits it with helping drop the number of youth behind bars from an average of 70 per day See JAIL, Page 6A

MORE KIDS IN CRISIS Thursday: Educators bring mental health care inside the schoolhouse to assist children with mental health issues.

Friday: Hopeline offers stressed-out teens a support lifeline to help prevent suicide.

Rory’s Diary | Read companion stories with insights from reporter Rory Linnane on the Kids in Crisis series on our website.

23 apply for Stevens Point superintendent job SARI LESK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

MEGAN MCCORMICK/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Twenty-three people have applied to be superintendent of the Stevens Point Area Public School District.

OBITUARIES 2A

Judith Beadle Josephine Buza

STEVENS POINT Twenty-three people want to take over as leader of the Stevens Point Area Public School District.

Applications closed Monday night to become superintendent of the school district. The district is conducting a search to replace interim Superintendent Lee Bush, whose contract with the district ends this summer.

The board gave Bush a one-year contract after

Claude Ross Jerome Trzebiatowski

INDEX

deciding not to hire any candidates found in a search to replace former Superintendent Attila Weninger the previous school year.

Of the 23 candidates, 11 have experience as a superintendent. The school district is not identifying candidates’ names until it narrows the pool down to finalists, said communications director Sarah O’Donnell.

The School Board and a screening committee will individually review and rate the applicants over

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the remainder of the month and select candidates for initial interviews. At a special board meeting Feb. 29, the board and screening committee will approve interview questions and finalize which candidates will get first-round interviews.

In early March, the board and committee will conduct initial interviews and recommend finalists to continue through the selection process, according to school records. The board will announce its finalist selections at its

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March 14 meeting. A series of meet-and-greet opportunities with the public will follow.

The board plans to announce the new superintendent at its April 11 meeting.

The new superintendent will earn a salary between $145,000 and $165,000, in addition to other benefits.

Sari Lesk can be reached at 715-345-2257 and sari.lesk@gannett wisconsin.com. Follow her on Twitter as @Sari_Lesk.

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Kids in Crisis town hall meetings kick off next week JAMES FITZHENRY USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin will hold 10 town hall meetings and a “Call to Action” event in Madison on Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day as part of its Kids in Crisis series on children’s mental health.

The meetings are designed to promote a community conversation and discuss solutions.

The discussions will be live

streamed on USA TODAY NETWORK websites. The conversations will be used to help write the final chapter of the series in March which is designed to outline a wide range of responses and solutions.

The town hall meetings will run 90 minutes and will begin at 6 or 7 p.m.: » Monday, Feb. 22 — Manitowoc, 6 p.m., Silver Lake College, Generose Enrichment Center, 2406 South Alverno Road.

» Tuesday, Feb. 23 — Green Bay, 7 p.m., Brown County Public Library, 515 Pine St. » Wednesday, Feb. 24 — Marshfield, 6 p.m., Mid-State Technical College, Community Engagement Room 126, 2600 W. Fifth St. » Thursday, Feb. 25 — Wisconsin Rapids, 6 p.m., McMillan Memorial Library, Fine Arts Center, 490 E. Grand Ave. » Monday, Feb. 29 — Fond du Lac, 6 p.m., Fond du Lac Public

Library, McLane Meeting room, 32 Sheboygan St. » Wednesday, March 2 — Stevens Point, 6 p.m., Mid-State Technical College, Community Engagement Rooms 634 and 635, 1001 Centerpoint Drive. » Thursday, March 3 — Oshkosh, 7 p.m., Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel, Athearn Ballroom, 1 North Main St. » Tuesday, March 8 — Wausau, 6 p.m., University of Wisconsin-Marathon County Audi-

torium, 518 S. Seventh Ave. » Wednesday, March 9 — Sheboygan, 6 p.m., Mead Public Library, Rocca meeting room, 710 N 8th St. » Thursday, March 10 — Appleton, 7 p.m., Lawrence University, Warch Campus Center Cinema, 711 E. Boldt Way. » Thursday, May 5 — Madison, Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State St. (Event tentatively scheduled to start at 10 a.m.)

“We do have a role in the system, but I’m happy to see the trend has been to … try to work with these juveniles. I think for a long time there was a belief the criminal justice system had all the answers to society’s problems, and we really don’t. We’re not the best solution to most problems.”

CHRISTIAN GOSSETT WINNEBAGO COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Jail Continued from Page 1A

in 2006 to less than 30 per day last year.

“What we see is that, on average, kids leaving Children Come First are not being placed in corrections or hospital settings.

They’re stable. And, very few re-enroll in the program,” Wills said.

Figures on youth incarcerations and psychiatric hospital stays for program participants suggests the model works. It is a key reason two national juvenile justice advocacy groups pointed to Wisconsin in 2013 as an example to follow as states across the country work to reduce the incarceration of juveniles.

Wisconsin cut the number of youths behind bars by 43 percent over the past decade compared to the national average of 39 percent. Instead of jail, youth with underlying mental health issues were steered into treatment and avoided picking up negative influences behind bars. The program has now spread from the Madison-area across nearly all counties in Wisconsin.

“We’re seeing an increasing awareness in the juvenile justice system of mental health issues and an increasing collaboration in a lot of areas across the state between juvenile justice and mental health professionals,” said Jim Moeser, of Wisconsin Council on Children and Families.

The impetus to avoid incarceration comes with a renewed sense of urgency as the state corrections secretary resigned last week amid a federal probe of abuses of children at Lincoln Hills School for Boys, a prison for youth offenders near Wausau.

Cultural change In the 1980s and 1990s, Wisconsin, like the rest of the U.S., adopted a tough-on-crime philosophy that landed more kids and teens behind bars.

The state’s youth prison population peaked in 1996 with about 1,000 behind bars each day, nearly twice as many as a decade earlier, according to state Department of Corrections figures.

A combination of new research on adolescent brain development and mental health treatments prompted a reversal. The average daily population at correction facilities was 307 in 2014.

“The studies were showing that when you locked people up, they were more likely when they got out to commit another crime again,” said Amanda Skorr, a public defender from Outagamie County. “(But) if we can get to that reason and figure out how to solve that problem, then the kid won’t commit a crime again.”

Winnebago County District Attorney Christian Gossett said he had a more aggressive stance on prison during the tough-oncrime era, but he changed his views as more research emerged. Today, he believes youth should only enter the criminal justice system as a last resort.

“We do have a role in the system, but I’m happy to see the trend has been to … try to work with these juveniles. I think for a long time there was a belief the criminal justice system had all the answers to society’s problems, and we really don’t. We’re not the best solution to most problems,” Gossett said.

DAN POWERS/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Judge John A. Des Jardins presides over juvenile court proceedings earlier this month at the Outagamie County Justice Center in Appleton.

Wraparound model Care coordinators for the program, which is operated by nonprofit Community Partnerships Inc., act as a sort of go-between for all of the different agencies involved in a troubled child’s life, including schools, courts, hospitals and social services. They help the child and his or her family develop a customized treatment plan. Staff will also advocate for the child and the family in court, school or other places to help ensure needs are met.

Staff sometimes provide additional help, such as providing transportation to out-of-town treatment or helping a homeless family find housing.

“We’re community based.

We’re flexible. The thing about wraparound services is to never

give up. If something doesn’t work, don’t do more of the same.

Try to do something else,” said Executive Director Scott Strong.

Wraparound services are now provided in 68 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. That’s up from 46 in 2011.

The key difference between Children Come First and services in most other counties is that it’s set up as a managed care organization and it receives Medicaid funding. Managed care organizations are widely recognized as a more effective and less costly way to deliver health care services.

Other county programs are typically funded by local tax dollars or state grant money.

They offer care coordination but no help with medical costs.

Stephanie Gudmunsen, a di-

vision administrator for Wood County Human Services, said her county’s coordinated services teams can only help about 12 kids at a time. Four are on a waiting list.

“It is becoming increasingly challenging to meet the needs of kids coming into our system,” Gudmunsen said.

Almost $3 million of Children Come First’s $4.8 million budget comes from Medicaid and the rest coming from county property taxes. Milwaukee County also has a Medicaid-funded managed care organization for children’s mental health services.

Around the rest of the state, 1,092 youth participated in coordinated services teams in 2014 and saved families and the state an estimated $6.5 million in group home and residential

treatment costs, according to a 2014 state report. A parent survey also found that 69 percent of youths in the program did better in school.

The expansion of these programs is a sign that Wisconsin is taking children’s mental health seriously, said Moeser, from the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families.

“We’re on the right track,” he said.

Reach Adam Rodewald: (920) 431-8385 or Adam .Rodewald@gannettwisconsin .com; on Twitter @AdamGRodewald.

Alison Dirr: (920) 996-7266 or Alison .Dirr@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @AlisonDirr. Rory Linnane: (920) 993-7184 or Rory .Linnane@gannettwisconsin .com; on Twitter @RoryLinnane.

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Manitowoc Police Department officers head toward the scene of a shooting homicide in the 2200 block of South Ninth Street around 5:30 a.m. Feb. 5.

Crime lab probes Manitowoc homicide evidence MARCUS NESEMANN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

More details surrounding the Feb. 5 shooting homicide of 52-year-old Kor Yang are expected next month, according to Manitowoc police.

“We hope to get an answer on some of that by, hopefully, March,” Manitowoc Police Capt. Larry Zimney said of evidence that is now in the state crime lab’s hands. “It’s going to take a while.”

Manitowoc’s first shooting homicide in 15 years occurred around 5:30 a.m., Feb. 5, in the 2200 block of South Ninth Street in Manitowoc.

While crime lab analysis is underway, Zimney said Manitowoc police are “interviewing people and working other angles to figure out motive and who might be responsible.”

“There has been no suspect identified yet,” Zimney added.

Police believe only one shooter was involved.

JIM MATTHEWS/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN/@JMATTHE79

Tim and Nikki Rogers, parents of Skyler Rogers, 14, who died by suicide in 2014, talk about their daughter’s death and their efforts to improve mental health treatment in Wisconsin schools, during an interview at their home in Bellevue.

HELP IN SCHOOL NOT A SURE BET State launched 5-year plan to assist local schools with mental health programs last year LIZ WELTER USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

O

n the day 14-year-old Skyler Rogers attempted suicide, she left behind a book on the kitchen counter of her home: “My Anxious Mind, A Teen’s Guide to Managing Anxiety.”

A Green Bay school counselor had given Skyler the book after she revealed she suffered from anxiety attacks. Skyler’s parents never knew of her visit to the counselor, or the book on anxiety, or that their daughter was so desperate for help in October 2014.

That, her parents said, is an indication of the inadequacies of Wisconsin’s system of getting mental health care to kids. Skyler

died in the hospital a day after being taken off life support.

“They gave her a book about how to handle panic attacks. She needed help and she was given a book,” said Skyler’s mom, Nikki Rogers. “How can we help our kids, how can we prevent another suicide, when these sorts of things happen?”

As the state’s teen suicide rate has soared and more students reported feeling anxious and depressed, school systems have struggled to keep pace.

Stevens Point offers a snapshot of the challenges: Over the past decade the number of students getting mental health services has doubled. About 20 percent of the See SCHOOLS, Page 3A

More Kids in Crisis

See EVIDENCE, Page 2A

Friday: Hopeline offers stressed-out teens a support lifeline to help prevent suicide.

Town halls: From Feb. 22 to March 10, we will be holding 10 community meetings on Kids in Crisis. Find details on our website.

Rory’s Dairy | Read companion stories with insights from reporter Rory Linnane on the Kids in Crisis series on our website.

Mishicot armed robbery case headed to trial MARCUS NESEMANN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Manitowoc police tracing Avery bomb threat MARCUS NESEMANN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Investigators are still attempting to trace calls used to make bomb threats in apparent support of Steven Avery on Feb. 3.

Manitowoc Police Capt. Larry Zimney said tracing such calls can take time.

“We’re still working with (the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation) to determine the origin of the calls,” Zimney said. “Those calls can be pretty intricately spoofed, so we’re still trying to decipher through that.”

A man called the Manitowoc County Joint Dispatch Center at about 6:40 p.m. and again at 9:20 p.m., Feb. 3. He said there were “bombs in the building,” referring to the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office and Manitowoc County Courthouse, and it was “justice for Steven.”

INSIDE

Sheriff’s deputies and the Two Rivers Police Department aided the Manitowoc Police Department in the search for explosives. The Brown County Sheriff’s Office also sent a bomb-sniffing police dog and deputy to help clear the area.

Avery and his nephew, Brendan Dassey, have gained supporters worldwide since the Dec. 18 release of “Making a Murderer.” The 10-episode Netflix series questions the tactics used by the sheriff’s office and raises concerns about the validity of the convictions.

Anyone with information about the bomb threats is asked to call the Manitowoc Police Department at 920-686-6500. Callers may remain anonymous.

Reach Marcus Nesemann at 920-242-4866 or mnesemann @gannett.com. Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin contributed to this report.

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A man called Manitowoc County Joint Dispatch Center twice Feb. 3 saying there were bombs in the Manitowoc County Courthouse building.

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The Maribel woman charged in the Sept. 7 armed robbery of a Mishicot convenience store will begin her trial in May. Raeana M. Nagy, 24, appeared in Manitowoc County Circuit Court Wednesday to set the dates for her trial. Judge Jerome Fox set a pretrial hearing for 9 a.m., April 22. The trial will begin May 3.

Nagy was arrested Sept. 14 and charged with furnishing a firearm to an unauthorized person, conspiracy to commit Nagy armed robbery, obstructing an officer, misappropriating ID information to obtain money, forgery and encouraging a parole/probation violation in connection with the robbery of KK Uni-Mart, 111E. Church St., Mishicot. She is in custody in Manitowoc County Jail with bail set at $10,000.

During an earlier hearing, Nagy’s defense attorney, Ralph Sczygelski, reported discussions regarding a plea deal were taking place. The deal would have had Nagy plead guilty or no contest to conspiracy to commit armed robbery. Her other charges would be dismissed but See NAGY, Page 2A

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Programs making a difference for students across the state LIZ WELTER, NOELL DICKMANN AND ADAM RODEWALD USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Schools and organizations have collaborated extensively to assist students with mental health needs. Here are some notable programs: » Green Bay: The Rosa Minoka-Hill School focuses on students with behavioral and personal challenges. Counseling services are provided by partnering with Bellin Health to provide counseling in the school certain days of the week. Participating students are identified by the district and parents.

“The students I’m seeing are probably students who typically wouldn’t seek out the services,” said Dan Gesell, a Bellin Health therapist.

Since the partnership started in 2015, Gesell said it’s too early to determine the longterm impact of his work but he’s excited about the program and the possibility it can make a difference, particularly including returning students to their community schools.

“Even if I see someone for a few sessions, my hope is we’re planting some seeds and new skills for them to create that positive identity about themselves and their role in our community,” he said. » Marshfield: The high school launched a suicide peermentoring program, SOS or

Sources of Strength, in 2014, said Becky Lee, a school psychologist. The program has been successfully used in other schools and is based on training students to serve as mentors, she said.

“Sources of Strength tries to create a culture where it is OK to talk about suicide, mental health issues,” Lee said. “We trained 50 students and the idea is that the mentor will listen and, if needed, get the student to a trusted adult. Sometimes kids just need to talk and they don’t have someone else they can talk to about these kinds of issues.”

The school surveyed the students and asked them to list peers they trusted. This resulted in about 50 students being trained to know the signs for suicide and how to link a student with an adult who can get the student help.

Since the program is new, Lee said she was unable to provide data about the number of students helped. » Milwaukee: The nonprofit foundation of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin - Community Services works to deliver mental health services throughout the state and has satellite clinics in 20 schools, said Tracy Oerter, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin director of mental health services.

As the need and demands for mental health services across the state are increasing, taking

“Any person that’s involved with that child, there’s a relationship built within the system both during the school day and beyond the school day.”

DON ALLEN ENCOMPASS TEACHER AT SOUTH PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL, OSHKOSH

the services to the schools reaches more children, Oerter said.

“With services in the schools, families have more options,” Oerter said. Parents are relieved from the scheduling stress, transportation issues and taking time off from work, she said. » Oshkosh: The Encompass program is specifically for students who have severe behaviors and mental health needs. It has grown since being piloted eight years ago to include two middle schools, two elementary schools and a high school.

Instead of taking students out of class, teachers integrate social and emotional support into classrooms throughout the day. The wraparound program is self-contained to one classroom, said Don Allen, Encompass teacher at South Park Middle School. Students spend the entire day with a teacher, counselor or social worker who are intertwined to work with them

directly.

The program is based on building strong relationships where children feel safe, secure and ready to learn, and, when school lets out, stretches from beyond the classroom walls into every aspect of the student’s life. Home visits, check-ins with parents, even bringing therapists for meetings during the school day can all be included, with individual accommodations made for each student’s needs.

“Any person that’s involved with that child, there’s a relationship built within the system both during the school day and beyond the school day,” Allen said.

A corner of the classroom is dedicated to teaching students about how their brain works, like regulating their mood, how the amygdala affects their flight, freeze or fight response and how the reticular activating system affects focus.

“When you’re doing well and

Schools

central Wisconsin are getting help through Clark County Community Service.

The county provides mental health services on a sliding fee schedule to students in the district, said Tonia Anderson, a psychologist who is the Neillsville district director of special education. A similar arrangement exists with a therapist from Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, based in Marshfield.

Students who use the partnership struggle with anxiety, depression, anger or other problems that impair their ability to learn. They are referred to the service by school staff to see a therapist during school hours.

Anderson said 3 years ago the district looked into hiring more school psychologists but developed the partnerships because it was the cheaper option.

“I think this arrangement is working well for our students and the district,” Anderson said.

Continued from Page 1A

district’s 7,500 students have a mental illness diagnosis, which is on par with the national average.

“Student problems have become much more complicated.

I’ve seen the prevalence of anxiety, depression and eating disorders go up and up and then there are the students who suffer from things like anxiety and depression who are not diagnosed,” said Michelle Comeaux, a Stevens Point school psychologist.

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction last year launched a five-year Wisconsin School Mental Health Project to create a plan to improve the quality and accessibility of mental health services for students.

In the meantime, the level and quality of services varies dramatically across the state.

Some like Stevens Point offer a range of school and community based services, while others have little-to-nothing. Nikki Rogers fears that more kids like Skyler will die before new programs are in place.

“This is happening all over and we need to do something,” Rogers said. “The schools need to do more to help our kids.”

JIM MATTHEWS/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN/@JMATTHE79

Tim Rogers, father of Skyler, a teen who died by suicide, holds the book a school counselor gave his daughter when she suffered a panic attack at school. He is wearing a bracelet memorializing his daughter on his right wrist.

Numerous approaches DPI is using federal grant dollars to fund the Mental Health Project to offer models and guidelines for school districts to create solutions tailored to the needs of their students.

“We have been involved in suicide prevention, violence prevention, and substance abuse prevention for decades, but simply did not have the resources available to conduct this kind of advanced and specific work until these grants came available,” said Steve Fernan, a DPI official who oversees student services.

Specific models for mental health services are going to vary by district but common to all will be partnerships between local health providers, community leaders, parents and school officials, he said.

In the Fox Valley, for example, a regional collaborative approach is helping thousands of students. The effort started in 2008 when Providing Access to Healing, or PATH, started in Menasha. PATH is a schoolbased program designed to improve access to mental health services for students unable to obtain care elsewhere.

PATH expanded to a collaboration between 10 school districts, including Appleton, Freedom, Hortonville, Kaukauna, Kimberly, Little Chute, Menasha, Neenah, Seymour and Shiocton. In partnership with the United Way Fox Cities and local mental health providers, it serves more than 1,000 students.

Mental health providers are

you’ve had regulatory behaviors - no outbursts, no physical situations - we may try one class in the regular classroom with one of our paraprofessionals,” said Healther Woulters, South Park counselor who helped establish the program in 2008.

That also makes it possible to collects data on students’ improvement during the time they’re in the program, Allen said.

The district was aided in 2014 by an Elementary School Counseling grant, dubbed Project Key, to fund three more fulltime-equivalent counselors in four elementary schools where counselors previously had been shared for half the time. » Wausau: The biggest barrier to providing mental health services for children in rural communities is travel time for appointments. Another barrier is that therapists have office hours while children are in school.

North Central Health Care is going to schools, many in rural districts, to provide the therapy children need, said Toni Simonson, North Central’s former senior executive for human service operations based in Wausau.

Counseling services are available in schools on certain days of the week, allowing students to attend during study hall or other times of the days good for students.

MEGAN MCCORMICK/USA TODAY NETWORK - WISCONSIN

Guidance counselor Valerie Fetting stands in the hallway during a passing period at Stevens Point Area Senior High School.

reimbursed through individual student health insurance plans and grants from local foundations that cover students who have no insurance. The program costs almost $500,000 each year.

While expensive, it’s projected to have already saved nearly $10 million, according to an analysis by the Robert M. LaFollette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The report found students involved had reduced medicals costs, increased productivity and lifetime earnings and improved quality of life. Schools have seen fewer absences, and lower costs related to behaviors and student counseling. When students get the mental health services they need, they also are less likely to commit crimes.

“We’re trying to take new creative ways to dealing with

this, and PATH is one of those,” said Peter Kelly, United Way Fox Cities President and CEO. “We figured out a way to come together and do this.”

Ideally PATH would be a program in all the schools in the participating districts, Kelly said.

“I think this is one of the solutions but right now, the program is limited by financial resources,” he said.

Still, it offers an approach that could be used across Wisconsin, especially with solid numbers showing long-term cost savings.

“We know that untreated mental health problems with children leads to more problems as they grow-up,” said Mary Wisnet, who helps lead community programming efforts for the United Way Fox Cities.

School-based clinics Some

schools

have

also

sought to improve mental health care for students by inviting more counselors inside the building. That approach is being used in about 300 of the 2,000 schools across the state which have community mental health providers offering inschool office hours. Stevens Point has providers based in all 13 schools — one of the most comprehensive programs in Wisconsin.

In-school clinics provide multiple benefits. Students with complex mental health issues can be referred to the satellite clinics, said Valerie Fetting, a counselor at the district’s high school.

“Students often lack transportation to appointments, or there’s scheduling issues and parents need to take time off of work so having the mental health providers in the schools adds another direct layer of confidential support to address the social/emotional needs of students,” Fetting said.

The program doesn’t cost the district anything because the counseling fees are paid through health insurance.

Michelle Comeaux, a psychologist based at two Stevens Point elementary schools, concedes it’s not a perfect system.

“If you look at this from the ideal point of view, you would have more money to hire more psychologists because there is a need. But there is also this whole matter of budgets,” Comeaux said. “Right now school districts are strapped. This partnership helps to take care of that.”

Local agency partnerships Another solution used in some rural areas is delivering services through a local government-based agency. More than two dozen students in rural Neillsville School District in

No shame in seeking help The Rogers family created the Skyler Rogers Stay Strong Organization to raise awareness about bullying, suicide and mental health services.

“There is no reason for another child to kill herself or himself. We are talking about children, they have their whole lives ahead of them,” Rogers said.

The Green Bay district said rules about student confidentiality prohibited it from commenting on Skyler’s death or what the district did or didn’t do to intervene.

“We are doing all we can to help all of our students,” said Jennifer Higgs, the district’s associate director of pupil services.

Higgs said school social workers and psychologists keep an eye on student mental health and those with acute needs are referred to professionals in the community.

Rogers said while schools need to offer mental health services, they also need to make sure parents and students understand how to get help and don’t feel shame about seeking help.

“You wouldn’t believe the number of people who talk about ending their lives. I listen, I let them know there are people who love them, that there are alternatives to suicide,” she said.

“I think I’ve helped about half a dozen people who would have died.”

Hundreds of people follow the Facebook Skyler Rogers Stay Strong Organization where Rogers posts inspirational pictures and sayings to honor Skyler’s memory.

“This is a nation-wide thing and kids need help,” Rogers said. “If we can stand up and save one kid’s life, we’ve done our part.”

Reach Liz Welter: 715-8987008 or Liz.Welter@gannett wisconsin. com; on Twitter @welter_liz.

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Hopeline offers lifeline of support from trained volunteers SHARON ROZNIK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

I

n a cramped office on the third floor of a building in Kaukauna, text messages are pouring in from all corners of Wisconsin.

A teenage girl messages that

a so-called friend posted nasty stuff about her on Facebook. She’s 16 and everyone at school is talking about her. Another, whose father was the high school quarterback in his day, says he didn’t make the football team.

A few minutes later, an honor roll student writes: “I’m so stressed out, I

can’t eat or sleep.”

When Barb Bigalke shares how many texts the fledgling Hopeline received in just over a year, she sits back in her chair — a look of astonishment comes over her face.

See TEXT, Page 2A

National Exchange, American Bank plan merger NATE BECK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Two Fond du Lac banks owned by local holding company NEB Corp. will merge under the National Exchange Bank and Trust umbrella in 2016, according to a release Wednesday.

CONTRACT | 5A Lockheed drops suit over Oshkosh Corp. award

Fond du Lac’s American Bank will merge into National Exchange sometime in 2016. Both banks are owned by NEB Corp., and together, the banks will hold more than $1.85 billion in assets, and run 33 offices.

This merger comes as small banks statewide are

consolidating, in part, under costs of new regulations and technology: since the beginning of 2015, 16 mergers of state banks were announced or completed. In the last five years, the number of Wisconsin-based banks fell from 276 to 243.

Mike Burch, current

move for efficiencies and succession planning,” he said in a release. “I look forward to transitioning these two highly-performing banks into one institution.”

National Exchange first opened in downtown Fond du Lac in 1933, and today has 27 locations in

the southeastern part of the state, with nearly 300 employees and about $1.3 billion in assets.

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Communities are stepping up for kids’ mental health certain apps, others are good for crisis situations to help people connect with the right phone numbers or even just do breathing exercises.

The National Alliance for Mental Illness’s “Air” application allows those with mental illness or their supports to post anonymously and interact.

“Breathe2Relax” and “Self-help for Anxiety Management” offer breathing exercises onthe-spot.

“Talkspace,” for $25 a session, offers actual live sessions with licensed therapists.

KATHERINE LYMN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Whether by trial-anderror, or jolted into action after a loss, communities across Wisconsin are responding to their kids’ mental health needs.

In La Crosse, Todd and Debra Mahr met several times with others after emerging from the fog of grief over losing their daughter Kaitlin to depression and an accidental overdose in 2007.

The name of the group that emerged, “Kaitlin’s Table,” came from that community response: “sitting around those tables talking about the crisis that everybody knows about.”

Catalpa Day Treatment

Accessing help faster When Catalpa Health opened in Grand Chute, the collaboration of local healthcare systems quickly found that “one plus one plus one didn’t equal three” to fix a dearth of children’s mental healthcare, CEO Lisa KoganPraska said.

So the center went back to the drawing board and consulted parents, who said by the time they called to make an appointment for their child, the family was already in crisis. So Catalpa remodeled its intake process.

Now, with an assessand-refer model, Catalpa offers three intake appointment options within five business days of a family’s first call.

At that intake appointment, the child gets an assessment with an intake counselor and is matched with a therapist for another appointment within two weeks, something Catalpa is able to do with its own therapists and through relationships with community providers. New patients used to wait an average of 54 days for their first appointment — now the wait is five days or fewer.

Using horses

DANNY DAMIANI/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Rachel Karll, 20, who has been discharged from the Chaps Academy, Inc., suicide prevention and intervention program for two years, walks with Tonka in the academy's pasture Jan. 26 in Shiocton. Tonka was one of the horses that Karll, who was at the academy to demonstrate activities that would typically be done in their programs, worked with when she was in Chaps’ programs for two years.

Rachel Karll first heard about horse therapy during one of her hospital stays.

As a teen, Karll struggled with anorexia and depression. She wound up participating in CHAPS Academy’s day treatment program for nine months, before transitioning into weekly therapy sessions.

The equine-assisted therapy program outside Shiocton services youth throughout northeastern Wisconsin.

It works for kids who may be resistant to talk therapy, said Julie Keller, executive director. She said CHAPS serves more than 300 clients, and its niche is suicide intervention and prevention.

Most of the work happens out in the barn, with a child picking out a horse.

Sometimes a child gravitates toward a certain animal, Keller said.

“Sometimes the therapy is happening without the client even realizing it.”

Golf and awareness After losing their son Casey to suicide in 2006, Colby, Wisconsin couple Robert and Ruth Blume began an annual charity golf outing in his name.

With the funds, they’ve provided the local library with more mental health awareness materials for all ages and awarded scholarships to more than 40 local high school students.

Partnering with Students Against Destructive Decisions, the Blumes have co-sponsored five presentations to eighthgraders. They’ve started conversations in different ways about mental health and suicide.

“People need to talk about it,” Ruth Blume said.

“By bringing this out, and certainly in the last 10 years, it has been talked about more.”

Support groups in school For kids who need to

talk, but maybe don’t want one-on-one therapy, they can attend support groups within every school of the Appleton Area School District, ages K-12.

If a participant shows signs of needing more intensive mental healthcare, the school staff member leading the discussion will refer them to in-school counseling or other services.

The groups meet outside of regular classtime, during lunch or free hours.

MaiKou Heu, with school counseling for the district, said the groups range from covering family change like divorce to better ways of being mad.

They’re shared experiences for students to see they’re not alone in what they’re going through.

Taking it to the phone Because teens are already on their phones anyway.

While some point to confidentiality risks with

Before Catalpa and regional education consortium CESA 6 opened their day treatment center in Grand Chute in August, there wasn’t a local program that allowed children to get intensive therapy while keeping education part of the structure.

Catalpa’s day treatment center serves up to 20 seventh- through 12thgraders diagnosed with anxiety, depression and ADHD. “It really fills a gap between the outpatient services and inpatient,” said Greg Blume, clinic operations manager for Catalpa.

“It offers more frequency of treatment of kids that have a higher acuity.”

Once the children are ready to return to school, typically after 8 to 12 weeks, the CESA 6 educators communicate with the school-based teachers for a “warm handoff.”

This discussion could include warnings about any triggers that could set off the child.

Therapists where teens are Back to Todd and Debra Mahr, in La Crosse.

The main initiative of the group in honor of their daughter, Kaitlin’s Table, is the funding of a fulltime therapist at the local

Text

Anxiety and isolation Menasha Police Officer Chris Groeschel serves as a liaison in his community for those who are struggling with mental health issues. Handing out Hopeline cards has become part of his routine.

“For teens, anxiety is the big thing I see. They think everything is bad right away, and if they won’t talk to me I say, ‘Hey, use this, you can text in private

Groups grow from tragedy Grassroots groups have sprouted to help people connect to services, such as Community For Hope in Oshkosh, which formed in 2001 after a series of suicides.

The group offers prevention talks for warning signs of suicides at schools, resource fairs or civic organizations. On the other, and more tragic side of things, the group offers grief counseling following a student suicide in a school.

Executive director Debbie Peters compared Community For Hope to similar groups that serve other areas, like Prevent Suicide Fox Cities. She said groups like hers connect people, and in that way fills a void.

“We might get a phone call and whatever the request is, if we cannot provide it, we put people in touch with, for example, Winnebago County crisis or Catalpa Health services, United Way 211, Samaritan Counseling.”

Reach Katherine Lymn: 920-993-1000, ext.

7232 or Katherine.Lymn @gannett wisconsin.com

Hopeline at a glance » Target ages 12 to 18 » 35,000 texts received in 13 months » 18 percent of youth are talking about depression » 17 percent of youth are talking about self-harm. » 17 percent talk about the stress of everyday life » 4 percent call to help a friend » Highest texting time: 8 p.m. to midnight, followed by noon to 4 p.m. » Youngest user 11, oldest 67. » Text Hopeline at 741741 » Hopeline is funded by donations and through Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention grants funded by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Continued from Page 1A

“Maybe it’s because we got such negative feedback when we first started. People said to me: ‘Barb, kids aren’t going to tell you anything,’” said Bigalke, who serves as executive director of the Center for Suicide Awareness, which operates the text line.

Turns out, teens did have a lot to say.

Within its first 13 months of operation, Hopeline received 35,000 text messages. And they keep coming.

The Center’s Hopeline is the first emotional support Text Line in Wisconsin. Day and night, trained crisis counselors are conversing remotely with young people at 741741 about a myriad of problems that, for many on the other end of a smartphone, seem insurmountable at the moment.

School pressures, personal problems, breakups, bullying, sexual orientation and depression — kids are texting from their bedrooms, from bathroom stalls at school, talking about all these painful things they are enduring.

The assumption that help lines exist solely to take in suicide calls is not true. Kids want to talk about all the bumps they face along the road so it doesn’t get to that extreme point.

“For kids, it’s all or nothing, and they can be easily devastated and they want someone to hear that they hurt,” Bigalke said. “We always think crisis has to be way up here, but it’s down here, where they are living every day.”

YMCA. “Teens are already coming to the teen center,” said Lisa Luckey, teen and youth services director at the La Crosse Area Family YMCA. “They already know that this is a safe place for them to talk about how they’re feeling.”

The Boys and Girls Club of Greater La Crosse also recently put a behavioral health specialist on staff.

“What they were trying to do was help out with mental health professionals being in key locations, to develop programs and to be able to be there to work with our young people,” said Debra Murray, president of the Wisconsin Counseling Association.

DOUG RAFLIK/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Barb Bigalke, Mike Crum and Scott Granger are crisis counselors working on their computers talking to people that are texting into the Hopeline. The nonprofit has received 35,000 texts since launching last year.

about anything,’” Groeschel said.

About four in every five kids texting to Hopeline told counselors they would not be having these conversations if they had to speak with someone face-toface. The average text conversation — back and forth — is 31⁄2 hours long.

“We are dealing with what they are dealing with, head-on, at their level,” crisis counselor Scott Granger said. “And they need feedback, not a pat on the back saying everything is going to be OK.” Over time, counselors say a pattern started to emerge.

Wisconsin youth think they’re under way too much pressure. Pressure to succeed, pressure to make good grades, pressure to have a plan for the future, peer pressure to fit in.

Kids say they are over-booked and don’t know how to cope in this unbelievably fast-paced techno-society.

These stressors are dumped in kids’ laps by age 14 — along with preconceived notions parents and teachers put on kids, Granger said. Seldom are teens ever told it’s OK if they don’t want to go to college, or that it’s OK if they don’t get high ACT

scores.

“When is the kid portion of their lives being lived?” Bigalke asks. “We are paying the price for all this and children’s mental health is suffering and we do not have the resources.

We hear that all the time on Hopeline: Where are the resources?”

In some areas of the state, like rural northern Wisconsin, comprehensive mental health care for youth is scarce. Imagine, Bigalke said, a kid in a rural small town struggling to deal with his or her sexual orientation.

Hopeline offers a far-reaching arm of support. And kids need to talk about the problems so they feel like they are working through something.

Mike Crum of Appleton became a crisis counselor because he saw suicidal tendencies in so many of his fellow veterans.

He wanted to guide younger kids on how to deal with bad situations before they escalate.

“We talk to them about how it can be healthy to struggle, to learn how to figure stuff out through talking over problems,” Crum said. “We talk about how they got to this point, and then we break it down, to

find a root cause.”

By gathering data on users, Hopeline counselors have taken a hard look at stressors affecting the mental health of Wisconsin’s youth. Stress levels are recorded at the beginning of each text messaging session and again at the end. The average stress level is 7 going into a call and 3 by the time a conversation ends, Bigalke said.

So far, there have been only three instances among thousands of sessions that required law enforcement to intervene.

Although the target group is 12- to 18-year-olds, Hopeline is not just for kids.

“We have parents texting to say I don’t know what to do with my son, who is depressed,” Bigalke said. “A grandmother tells us she has her granddaughter for the weekend and she is talking about cutting herself.”

There are currently 1,600 Hopeline responders throughout the state that volunteer to fill four-hour time slots.

They receive 12 weeks of training that involves a considerable amount of role-playing.

Text conversations are anonymous, but remain on record, so counselors can refer back to past conversations and immedi-

ately know what a repeat caller may be dealing with.

Volunteers go into schools to talk with kids about coping and making good choices. Every week, more schools, more law enforcement officials and more hospitals are sharing Hopeline as a resource.

In Kimberly, for instance, all 1,485 students high school students received a Hopeline card on the first day of school.

“For us, the big thing is school ends at 4 p.m. and sometimes issues manifest at night or on weekends, and maybe a parent isn’t home,” Principal Mike Rietveld said.

“We want our students who are struggling to have somewhere to turn.”

An increasing number of mental health providers are learning how to reach kids and are developing text-based interventions for depression and anxiety.

Cellphone apps for safety planning have been developed, such as My3 and ReliefLink.

“When you help someone with everyday life struggles, you are helping to prevent suicide,” Granger said.

“In this environment we see immediate results, and it makes us want to do more.”

Reach Sharon Roznik: 920907-7936 or sroznik@gannett .com; on Twitter: @sharonroznik.

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On a typical weeknight, four Kiel teenagers might find themselves getting a crash course on Jaws of Life equipment from firefighters and then being whisked away to an emergency call at a moment’s notice.

The Kiel Fire Department started its cadet program to expose young people to firefighting and EMS services in hopes of sustaining the future workforce and volunteer pool, said Kiel Fire Department Lt. Kevin Voland.

But, the Kiel High School students who are part of the program’s inaugural year have contributed to the department in more ways than just serving as possible future recruits; they’ve given the men at the station an opportunity to mentor and guide them.

“Since our program began in April, older guys in our department have become more energetic and enthused,”

Kevin said. “We do this so much that everything becomes somewhat routine, but it is really exciting when you have new cadets asking questions that you haven’t thought of in 20 years.”

One of the guidelines of the program is that cadets cannot be in any imminent danger, but the young people still get field experience by performing tasks such as refilling water tenders, mopping up after grass fires and assisting EMS in rehabilitation of firefighters.

All the while, at least one senior member of the department is required to shadow the cadets to ensure their safety and answer any questions, which has led to strong bonds between the cadets and the older generation of firefighters.

“My favorite part of this whole thing is interacting with the guys because we’re really a part of the team and they always get us involved,” See STUDENTS, Page 2A

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About 50 Manitowoc County residents join professionals to discuss mental illness among kids at the Kids in Crisis Town Hall meeting at Silver Lake College on Monday.

Support grows for Kids In Crisis USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

T

GARY C. KLEIN/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

New restaurants come to downtown area in Two Rivers JOSH LINTEREUR USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

City officials say the owners of a new restaurant venue under construction at the former Bank First National building in Two Rivers are now looking to open by late April.

Once completed, the development will feature a pair of restaurants under one roof, officials said.

Maretti’s Deli will occupy the rear portion of the building and will include a pickup window, while Schwarz’s Pub, which will be a traditional pub and restaurant, will be in the front of the building.

The restaurant development is poised to become the second to open in downtown this year, following Casa Mexico, which opened in early February.

Two Rivers City Manager Greg Buckley said both projects are welcome additions to the downtown and are crucial to its long-term outlook.

“These are both vitally important developments when you look at traditional downtowns

INSIDE

that are successful,” he said. “Two locally owned independent restaurants, these are two big steps in the right direction.”

The owners of both restaurants didn’t return phone calls seeking comment.

Casa Mexico, which is at 1513 Washington St., follows what’s become a revolving door of restaurants — including The Element, Cottage and Remedy — at was once a Radio Shack and Lloyd’s Photo before it was redeveloped in the mid-2000s.

The property went into foreclosure about five years ago before being purchased by Chris and Tracy Rusch. It’s now leased to Casa Mexico’s operators.

The Maretti’sSchwarz’s development, at 1509 Washington St., is owned by Mike and Rebecca Schwarz, who purchased the building in 2015. The couple also own Maretti’s Deli and Tony’s Pizza in Manitowoc.

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KIDS IN CRISIS

MARCUS NESEMANN

Cadet leader Jared Roeck, left, explains procedures for rolling out the jaws equipment on Feb. 17 in Kiel. At far right is fellow firefighter Tyler Guell. The cadet program exposes students to firefighting and EMS services.

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hey say a topic that is hard to discuss is usually a topic that needs to be talked about the most.

When that topic has to deal with kids and the alarming rate at which they’re taking their own lives, the discussion becomes that much harder and that much more important.

It was that feeling that brought mental health professionals and about 50 people together for the first USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Kids In Crisis Town Hall meeting Feb. 22 at Silver Lake College in Manitowoc.

For more than six months, 25 journalists at USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin have worked collectively on a series of stories examining juvenile mental health issues in Wisconsin.

What has been uncovered is troubling, to say the least.

Wisconsin’s teen suicide rate is about a third higher than the national average, while state youths continue to report high levels of anxiety and depression.

Even more egregious, treatment is not always easily attained by those in need. Sometimes, the best-case scenario finds a troubled teen on a long waiting list. Other times, treatment isn’t available at all, especially in rural areas. Support systems throughout the state are struggling, including in families, schools and the juvenile justice system.

But help is on the way, as entities across the gamut implement new programs focusing on treatment and making sure that helping hand is there to grasp a kid in need.

As part of that overall effort, a series of public meetings throughout

Wisconsin in February and March have been designed to create community conversations and discuss solutions to a complex, and multi-faceted, issue.

During the first meeting, the panelists focused on three areas of concern — access to care, coordination of care and care in schools.

Sharla Baenen, president of the Bellin Psychiatric Center, said the limited access to mental health care comes from a shortage of mental health professionals.

“That is a huge need in our state and nationally,” Baenen said. “A recent report on the state of Wisconsin indicated that the state needs to 270 psychiatrists. ... That’s one of our huge challenges.”

Nancy Randolph, manager of the Children and Families Division of the Manitowoc County Human Services Department said limited access can be less of a worry if doctors pay as much attention to mental health as they do physical health.

“There needs to be a better link between the medical model and mental health,” Randolph said. “Pediatricians are wonderful people, but they very rarely look at mental health issues. If they could incorporate a mental health screening process into the work that they do ... there would be more success with children as they mature.”

Randolph’s comments highlight a need for better coordination between all entities that deal with mental health issues and the families those issues affect.

“The mental health system is very complex,” Baenen said. “If there’s not good communication (between departments and providers), kids can fall through the cracks.”

See CRISIS, Page 2A

Kids in Crisis meeting dates The Town Hall meetings will run 90 minutes and will begin at 6 or 7 p.m. » Tuesday, Feb. 23 — Green Bay, 7 p.m., Brown County Public Library, 515 Pine St. » Wednesday, Feb. 24 — Marshfield, 6 p.m., Mid-State Technical College, Community Engagement Room 126, 2600 W. Fifth St. » Thursday, Feb. 25 — Wisconsin Rapids, 6 p.m., McMillan Memorial Library, Fine Arts Center, 490 E. Grand Ave. » Monday, Feb. 29 — Fond du Lac, 6 p.m., Fond du Lac Public Library, McLane Meeting room, 32 Sheboygan St. » Wednesday, March 2 — Stevens Point, 6 p.m., Mid-State Technical College, Community Engagement Rooms 634 and 635, 1001 Centerpoint Drive. » Thursday, March 3 — Oshkosh, 7 p.m., Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel, Athearn Ballroom, 1 North Main St. » Tuesday, March 8 — Wausau, 6 p.m., University of Wisconsin-Marathon County Auditorium, 518 S. Seventh Ave. » Wednesday, March 9 — Sheboygan, 6 p.m., Mead Public Library, Rocca meeting room, 710 N 8th St. » Thursday, March 10 — Appleton, 7 p.m., Lawrence University, Warch Campus Center Cinema, 711 E. Boldt Way. » Thursday, May 5 — Madison, Overture Center for the Arts, 201 State St. (Event tentatively scheduled to start at 10 a.m.)

No injuries reported in Manitowoc garage fire USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

A garage in Manitowoc was significantly damaged after a fire broke out Sunday afternoon.

The Manitowoc Fire Rescue Department responded to the 3300 block of Yorkshire Lane shortly after 4:30 p.m. for a report of a structure fire. A large amount of smoke was visible from the fire station on 39th and Dewey streets, about half a mile away, Chief Todd Blaser said.

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When crews arrived on scene, flames and smoke were coming from the 13-stall detached garage at an apartment complex. Firefighters remained at the location for about four hours extinguishing the fire and performing overall and salvage operations.

A majority of the garages were damaged. An estimated dollar amount is not available.

No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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A garage unit in the 3300 block of Yorkshire Lane in Manitowoc caught fire on Feb. 21.

$1.50 RETAIL FOR HOME DELIVERY PRICING, SEE PAGE 2A

PAGE 2A | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2016

HTRNEWS.COM | HERALD TIMES REPORTER

Board to consider offering additional 5,900 acres for sale DNR officials expected to approve agency plan at Wednesday meeting TODD RICHMOND ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADISON - The Department of Natural Resources’ board is set to decide whether to sell nearly 6,000 more acres of land to help satisfy a state budget mandate but won’t take up a proposal to sell lakefront property to one of Gov. Scott Walker’s major donors.

The Natural Resources Board is expected to approve an agency plan Wednesday to designate 5,900 acres for sale at a meeting Wednesday in Madison. The board already has approved selling about 1,400 acres.

Republicans added provisions to the 2013-15 budget that require the DNR to sell 10,000 acres by mid-2017 to help pay down ballooning debt in the stewardship program, the mechanism the agency uses to borrow money for land purchases. The land must lie outside the boundaries of existing projects such as state parks or state forests.

GOP lawmakers have criticized the program for years; they say it takes too much land off the tax rolls, generates too much debt and forces the state to pay too much to local governments to offset lost property taxes when land enters the program. The

Crisis Continued from Page 1A

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closed — on Jefferson Street, but it was under different ownership at the time.

The $700,000 project includes a $232,500 loan from the city’s revolving loan fund and a $100,000 grant from the city.

The grant is funded by

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said cadet Montana Mattie, a senior at Kiel High.

“I like that there’s always someone beside us with tips and advice.”

Mattie previously served in the cadet program at another fire department in Sheboygan County, but he said Kiel’s program is “absolutely outstanding” in comparison, mostly because of the close bonds between team members and the overall welcoming environment.

Kevin’s daughter, Hannah Voland, is the first female to serve with the Kiel firefighters in the department’s history, and the Kiel High School freshman finds the station an ideal workplace for any woman.

“It’s really cool because everyone treats

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property taxes collected from a surrounding tax incremental financing district, which was created in 1994 to help fund improvements to the surrounding area. The district expires in 2022.

TIF districts allow cities to use tax revenue generated by property within the district for site improvements or to attract new development. Once a TIF expires, the property goes

back onto the general tax rolls, presumably at a higher value than before the TIF was created.

Buckley said the project requires a complete overhaul of the old bank building and the scope of the work means the opening date could change.

Reach Josh Lintereur at 920-453-5147, jlintereur@gannett.com or on Twitter @joshlintereur.

everyone the same here; they’re not sexist at all,” Hannah said. “It’s so easy to just form a bond and talk about anything.”

The other cadets are sophomore Hunter Roeck and freshman Cameron Karstaedt. Besides Mattie, who graduates at the end of the school year, all of the Kiel cadets plan to remain in the program through the end of their high school careers.

All four cadets said they foresee a future in firefighting services.

Kevin said the cadet program is currently only open to children of current firefighters and EMS personnel and foresees it remaining that way for at least another year and a half.

This will allow the station to navigate the program in its beginning stages with the parents’ already established authority.

Participants in the

program must also attend school in the Kiel School District.

While the older members at the Kiel Fire Department hope to give the cadets a clear view of the protocols, operations and safety issues at the station, they also understand that the youth are “only kids once.”

For example, the cadets are allowed to respond to calls to support the firefighting effort from a safe area, but they are encouraged to ignore their pagers when they are turning in for the night, studying or fulfilling some other teenage obligation.

“We absolutely push family, school and church over coming in to a call,” Kevin said. “I say that to the cadets all the time.”

Reach Leah Ulatowski at 920-453-5134, Lulatowski@sheboyganpress.com or @Leah_Bekah on Twitter.

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Randolph said another issue of coordination is the fact Wisconsin has no state Human Services system.

“We are 72 counties and we all reinvent the wheel on how to provide services,” Randolph said.

“Each county looks different. We don’t have a system (at the state level). ...

We provide so many services at the county level, but there’s so many variables because we’re just one county. If the state could pool all of its resources and we could just have one system of care, ...

I feel it would have more impact.”

State Rep. Paul Tittl, chairman of the Mental Health Reform Committee, said multiple bills are in the works to address the state’s needs.

“Mental health issues affect all of our lives,” Tittl said. “We have people that we know that, whether we admit it or not, are dealing with mental health issues. We need to come outside and encourage them.”

Kim Eithun, operations lead with the Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health, added that care doesn’t have to begin and end with mental health providers. She said people who have lived through mental health issues can be a great resource for others going through a similar experience.

“It’s very important to have people with lived experience, youth and parents, at the table as we’re making policies and deci-

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agency owns about 1.5 million acres and has easements on another 303,561 acres, according to a memo DNR officials sent to the Natural Resources Board earlier this month.

The board in June 2014 approved 1,407 acres for sale. The DNR has now recommended the board put another 5,900 acres on the sales block, including 23 parcels totaling 2,405 acres that would be sold to municipalities and tribes.

Most of the land would have to be kept open to the public for outdoor activities as a condition of sale.

The agency also has recommended selling 35 parcels totaling 2,486 acres with no legal access to a road to adjoining property owners; and 24 parcels totaling 1,009 acres to the general public via competitive bids.

The parcels are spread across more than two dozen counties. A complete list of the parcels is available on the DNR’s website.

The board is expected to vote on selling the parcels during a meeting Wednesday in Madison.

Approval would bring the total number of acres approved for sale to 7,307.

Board members also are expected to consider granting the DNR permission to begin studying the

sions,” Eithun said.

Equally important is early intervention for children with mental health issues. Baenen said schools are working on fully training staff to be able to identify and help kids with issues.

But parents, family and friends play an important role as well, Eithun said, especially in terms of identifying possible problems.

“Every person who touches the life of a child needs to know about social/emotional development and the things we can do to talk with the children about what their needs might be to catch things early,” Eithun said.

“Each one of us should learn about these things.”

Audience members were encouraged to participate in the discussion, and asked questions ranging from how to identify kids in crisis to what role poverty plays to how people can get their voice heard while trying to deal with mental issues.

In terms of identifying mental health issues, Alison Wolf, a parent peer specialist with Wisconsin Family Ties, said communication is the best way to learn more about children.

“Building those strong relationships is key,” Wolf said. “Young people and students will open up, especially when they know at least one parent or adult cares for them.”

Once the issue is identified, getting help can seem like a monumental task. Randolph said the best place start is a simple phone call. She said anyone with questions or a desire for more information should call her at 920-6834337.

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possibility of selling another 32 parcels totaling 2,195 acres.

The DNR has sold 394 acres so far, generating $637,000, DNR spokesman George Althoff said.

The board also was expected to consider selling 1.75 acres along the Rest Lake shoreline in the town of Manitowish Waters to Walker donor Elizabeth Uilhein on Wednesday, but Altoff said that sale isn’t on the board’s agenda and that the property’s future is “undetermined.”

Uilhlein and her husband, Richard Uilhein, gave Walker’s Unintimidated presidential PAC $3 million last year, according to federal campaign finance reports. She owns a condominium complex adjacent to the DNR’s Rest Lake property but the condos lack lake access.

The DNR had planned to sell her the land for $275,000. The agency said the land was appraised at $384,000 in February 2015 and again in June at $238,000. Walker’s critics ripped the deal, calling it a sweetheart deal for a donor.

The board was set to take up the sale during a meeting in September but tabled the proposal after Preston Cole, then the board’s chairman, said the board should take it up as part of the broader sale recommendations in February.

Randolph added that all who think there may be a mental health issue in their family should call, no matter what their economic standing. She said she’s seen many instances where poverty has played a role in keeping someone from seeking help.

“A lot of people have limited resources, limited education, limited knowledge of what’s available to help their family,” Randolph said. “But there are a lot of resources we have that we can use to help their family.”

Solutions and ideas generated by the meetings will be used to write the final series of stories focusing on avenues to addressing the thousands of Wisconsin youth, and their families, in crisis. Those stories will run in March.

Once the ideas are compiled, a final meeting will be held May 5 in Madison in an attempt to grab the ear of state legislators who can use the data to make a difference in the life of every child in need.

“We’re going to take all of those solutions and everything that comes out of these meetings and take that information to be used as a backbone of the event in Madison,” said Jim Fitzhenry, state business development director for USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. “We’re going to take everything we’ve learned from our communities, and bring that information right to our legislators.”

The event was livestreamed at htrnews.com and will be available for replays.

— Reach Marcus Nesemann at 920-242-4866 or mnesemann@gannett.com.

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Titletown District halfway to approval

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Board, committee give preliminary OK RICHARD RYMAN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

EVAN SIEGLE/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

From left, Teresa Wargo, regional coordinator and parent peer specialist with Wisconsin Family Ties, Christina Gingle, social work coordinator for the Green Bay Area Public School District, Kim Eithun, operations lead at the Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health, and Sharla Baenen, president of Bellin Psychiatric Center, share their insight during USA Today Network-Wisconsin's Kids in Crisis town hall meeting inside the Brown County Public Library in downtown Green Bay on Tuesday.

Coordinate and collaborate Experts, families discuss crisis for Wisconsin children

ASHWAUBENON – Titletown District is halfway to approval.

The Ashwaubenon Village Board and the village Site Plan Review Committee each gave preliminary approval to the Green Bay Packers' plans for a 35-acre commercial/recreational/residential development west of Lambeau Field.

The Plan Commission gave its preliminary approval Feb. 9. All three boards will have to consider the matter again for final approval.

Titletown District's announced anchors include Lodge Kohler, a four-star hotel and spa; Hinterland Brewery; and a Bellin Health sports medicine clinic. Initial investment in the project, including land acquisition and infrastructure improvements by the Packers, is estimated at $120 million to $130 million.

The district is bordered by Lombardi Avenue, South Ridge Road, Marlee Lane and Brookwood Drive. In the middle of the district will be 10 acres of public space that includes a football field-sized green space, a large skating See DISTRICT, Page 5A

TITLETOWN DISTRICT APPROVAL SCHEDULE

JEFF BOLLIER USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

N

ikki and Tim Rogers know it’s not easy to talk about juvenile mental health issues or for parents to find resources to help.

Their daughter, Skyler, died by suicide two years ago because of a combination of bullying and mental health diseases. Ever since then, they’ve tried to provide support to parents and waged their own battle against the stigma mental health diseases carry with them through the Skyler Rogers Stay Strong Organization’s Facebook page.

“Mental health has had this weird perception about it over the years. But it isn’t the plague. It’s more common than anyone realizes,” Nikki Rogers said.

“People may be more comfortable about opening up to us about these issues. We tell them no matter how hard it is, they can get through

» March 1, 5:30 p.m., Ashwaubenon Plan Commission, Village Hall, final consideration of PUD. » March 7, 3 p.m., Ashwaubenon Site Plan Review Committee, Village Hall, review of PUD and project details. » March 8, 6:30 p.m., Ashwaubenon Village Board, Village Hall, public hearing and final consideration on vacating street; hearing and final consideration of PUD.

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Combine is full of good LB prospects EVAN SIEGLE, EVAN SIEGLE/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

People listen during USA Today Network-Wisconsin's Kids in Crisis town hall meeting inside the Brown County Public Library in downtown Green Bay on Tuesday.

Starting today, coaches and general managers will be scooted through the East Club Lounge. Sports, 1C

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School, community bond over tragic car crash Counseling offered, web site raises funds PATTI ZARLING USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

PULASKI - Community and school support has flowed to a Hobart boy and girl who lost their parents in a weekend car crash.

Friends, families and others donated more than $16,500 in less than 24 hours to a GoFundMe page set up for Christopher Rush, a Pulaski

High School junior, and his sister Megan, a freshman.

Their parents, James and Wendy Rush, were killed Friday evening when a driver ran a stop sign and collided with their vehicle Friday night.

“I am absolutely pleased with that the Pulaski and Green Bay communities have been so good about reaching out to us to show their support,” said Lisa Misco, Pulaski School District student services director.

The website said 284 people donated $16,535 as of Tuesday evening.

Misco declined to give specifics about the family. According to the GoFundMe page, James Rush, 52, worked for Creative Converting in Clintonville. Wendy Rush, 47, was director of marketing at Integrative Therapeutics in Green Bay. James Rush was a baseball coach with the Pulaski Youth Organization as well as with the Tri-Cities Little League in Illinois. Wendy Rush was an active member of the Pulaski High School Music Boosters and was also heavily involved

in the youth organization baseball teams.

“A lot of people have shared stories, and they all say they wanted to be involved in whatever was important to their children,” Misco said.

The man accused of causing the crash, Daniel R. Boucher, 27, of Green Bay was charged in Brown County Circuit Court on Monday with two counts of homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle.

Boucher was driving an See CRASH, Page 5A

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A large crowd listens to the panel speakers during USA Today Network-Wisconsin's Kids in Crisis town hall meeting inside the Brown County Public Library in downtown Green Bay on Tuesday.

Crisis Continued from Page 1A

it,” Tim Rogers added.

Organizations from large health care providers to individual families such as the Rogers are actively trying to help families dealing with juvenile mental health issues.

On Tuesday, a panel of experts on juvenile mental health care said the disparate groups involved need to better coordinate and collaborate efforts to make more effective use of limited resources in Green Bay, Brown County and the state.

“We could hire 270 more psychiatrists to meet the (mental health care) needs in the state, but the the truth is, there aren’t 270 more psychiatrists to hire,” Bellin Psychiatric Center Director Sharla Baenen said.

Bellin Health and USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin co-sponsored Tuesday’s forum at the Brown County Public Library to generate public input and discussion about ways to bridge gaps in juvenile mental health care and to develop a more coordinated network of care and support that can respond to families’ needs quickly and connect them with care in a timely manner.

For more than six months, 25 journalists at USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin have worked collectively on a series of stories examining juvenile mental health issues in Wisconsin. Green Bay Press-Gazette Engagement Editor Peter Frank said solid turnout at the Brown County Public Library was evidence of the issue’s importance.

“Tonight’s turnout shows us this issue is vitally important and needs to be addressed,” Frank said.

Tuesday night’s meeting was one in a series of 10 forums USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin has organized throughout Northeastern and Central Wisconsin to generate input on how to address the daunting challenge of finding solutions to a complex and multi-faceted issue. Frank said the discussions will help shape the third part of the series and USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin’s call to action.

“In our communities across Wisconsin, we’ve

seen a teen suicide rate that’s one-third higher than the national average.

We’ve heard about youth stuck on waiting lists for mental health care,” Frank said. “We’ve seen a chronic shortage of mental health providers that’s even worse in rural areas. ... Our hope is that these discussions will make a difference as we discuss ways to improve children’s mental health care.”

The Rogers said they would like to see more resources allocated to area schools so that social workers can spend more time with students who need help.

“These organizations are doing a good job now, but there’s always more to be done,” Nikki Rogers said. “There needs to be more effort in the schools to engage kids.”

Teresa Wargo of Wisconsin Family Ties, a statewide nonprofit that supports families with children with mental health issues, said efforts in schools are important but the larger issue is one everyone can play a role in helping address.

“Anyone can take youth mental health first aid training,” she said. “The biggest thing you can do is form relationships with people. That positive relationship with one person in their life can make a difference.”

Frank said input from residents and juvenile mental health support agencies gathered at the 10 community conversations will help shape a call to action USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin will host at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison on May 5.

State Sen. Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay, said he hadn’t heard much about the depth of juvenile mental health issues until Tuesday’s forum. He said the state Legislature has put a few bills to increase resources on Gov. Scott Walker’s desk, but that he’s waiting to see how effective pilot programs in the state have been.

“A lot of people are looking for best practices,” Cowles said. “We need a full-blown audit of these programs to gauge their efficacy. We don’t know what’s working yet.” jbollier@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @GBstreetwise .

Anderson, Louise Louise (Parkinson) Anderson, 104, of Green Bay, passed away on Friday, February 19, 2016.

She was born on January 22, 1912 at Stiles Junction, WI to the late James N. & Ethel (Bigelow) Parkinson.

Louise graduated from West High School.

She married John F. Anderson, who preceded her in death in 1981.

Louise was employed by the San Diego Community College District until she retired in 1974.

She was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Green Bay and the Estrella Chapter No. 412, Order of the Eastern Star in San Diego.

Louise has made her home at Woodside Lutheran Home since 1982.

She was preceded in

death by her two brothers and sister-in-law, Keith Parkinson, Gerald & Betts Parkinson; sister, Ethelyn Parkinson; nephew, Gary Parkinson; and stepdaughter, Leanne Tenney.

Survivors include a sister-in-law, Catherine Parkinson; two step-granddaughters, Lori (Chris) Hogewoning and their children, Christina, Corey, Jackie (Dan) Abernathy and their children, Lahren, Tayler and Dallen; She is further survived by nephews and nieces including special nephew and niece Bruce and Kathy Parkinson, and special nephews, Jim, Scott and Richard Parkinson.

Private services were arranged by Lyndahl Funeral Home. Entombment will be at Fort Howard Mausoleum.

Ambrosius, Geneva, 87, De Pere, Feb. 22, 2016, Ryan Funeral Homes Anderson, Louise, 104, Green Bay, Feb. 19, 2016, Lyndahl Funeral Home Blozinski, Danny L., 65, Green Bay, Feb. 23, 2016, Proko-Wall Funeral Home and Crematory Carter, Mary Ann, 71, Allouez, Feb. 22, 2016, Ryan Cywinski, Marcella “Sally” C., 82, Green Bay, Feb. 21, 2016, Proko-Wall Delveaux, Rita Marie, 90, Green Bay, Feb. 23, 2016, Newcomer Funeral Home Grady, Francis “Frank”, 53, Freedom, Jan. 3, 2016, Private Groll-Picard, Clarice, 83, Oconto, Feb. 23, 2016, Gallagher Funeral Home Gussert, David, 53, Little Suamico, Feb. 22, 2016, Blaney Funeral Home Kepler, Perry, 63, De Pere, Feb. 22, 2016, Marnocha Funeral Home Lawniczak, Gale, 62, Krakow, Feb. 20, 2016, Marnocha Funeral Home

Leiterman, Gerald “Jerry”, 92, De Pere, Feb 26, 2016, Proko-Wall Funeral Home Nitka, Frank, 89, Green Bay, Feb. 22, 2016, Newcomer Funeral Home Paluch, Arlene, 91, Oconto, Feb. 22, 2016, Gallagher Funeral Home Price, Marian L., 82, Hilbert, Feb. 19, 2016, Wieting Family Funeral Home Renquin, Anne, 87, Oconto, Feb. 21, 2016, Gallagher Funeral Home See, Sylvester “Sy”, 77, Hilbert, Feb. 22, 2016, Wieting Family Funeral Home Sittarich, Bernadette P., 89, Green Bay, Feb. 10, 2016, Proko-Wall Stoveken, Janice, 90, De Pere, Feb. 23, 2016, Blaney Funeral Home Thomas, Arlene, 105, Algoma, Feb. 22, 2016, Wiesner & Massart Van Handel, Paul, 65, Oneida, Feb. 18, 2016, Boettcher Family Funeral Home Zastrow, Donald, 77, Chilton, Feb. 23, 2016, Wieting Family Funeral Home

Delveaux, Rita Marie Rita M. Delveaux, age 90, of Green Bay, passed away peacefully, Tuesday, February 23, 2016. She was born May 15, 1925 in Luxemburg, WI, daughter of the late Fred and Mabel (Rogers) Dart.

Rita loved life. She enjoyed polka music, loved to dance and she enjoyed Sunday drives around the countryside.

Rita is survived by 3 children: Carol (Roger) Wielgus, Mary Ann Huguet, both of Green Bay and Ronald Delveaux of Grafton, WI; 8 grandchildren: Joe (Christina) and Jodi Marin, Jeff (Nancy) and Craig (Lisa Johnkins) Huguet, Tamara (Alex) Henry and Jared, Cody and Kailee Delveaux; 5 great-grandchildren: Quinn and Kai Huguet, Alyssa and Makenna Huguet and Cassandra Marin and a brother, Irvin (Betty) Dart.

She was preceded in death by a daughter, Elaine Marin.

Friends and relatives may call at NEWCOMER FUNERAL HOME, (340 S. Monroe Avenue, Green Bay) on Friday, February 26, 2016 from 9 to 10:45 AM. A funeral service will follow at 11 AM. To leave an on-line condolence for the family, please visit www.NewcomerGreenBay. com or for more information, please call (920) 4324841.

Rita’s family would like to extend a special thank you to the Staff of Bornemann Nursing Home.

Paluch, Arlene Arlene R. Paluch, 91, of Oconto, passed away Monday, February 22, 2016 at Woodland Villages, Oconto. Arlene was born November 26, 1924 in Green Bay to the late Clifford and Dorothy (Palmer) Elkey.

She married Jules Paluch on September 4, 1947. He preceded her in death on August 26, 2010. Arlene graduated from Mountain High School and then from Holy Family Nursing School in Manitowoc.

She spent her first year in nursing in San Antonio, TX and then moved to Oconto and worked at the Oconto Memorial Hospital.

She also worked for Dr. Zantow for twenty three years. Upon his death she returned to Oconto Memorial Hospital, in charge of infectious control. The last ten years of her career were spent at Riverside Nursing Home as Director of Nursing. Arlene was an avid walker, seamstress, and water color artist. She also enjoyed knitting, crocheting and traveled extensively. Arlene was active in the community with her volunteer work.

Arlene was a devoted wife, mother and homemaker to three daughters, Catherine (Robert) Herald, Middleton; Patricia (Steven) Heimerman, Oconto; Janice Daniels, Oconto; a son, Thomas Paluch, New Ulm, MN; a sister, Marge Christenson, Green Bay; four grandchildren Andrew Heimerman, Paula (Paul) LeCalsey, James (Jennifer) Herald, Jeffrey (Amanda) Herald; and two

great grandchildren, Sophia LeCalsey and Ried Herald. She was preceded in death by a brother-inlaw, Leland Christenson.

The family will receive relatives and friends at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Oconto, from 9 to 11 AM Saturday, February 27, 2016. Memorial Mass will be celebrated 11 AM Saturday at the church with the Rev. Joel Sember officiating. Burial will be at the Oconto Catholic Cemetery. Online condolences may be expressed at www.gallagherfuneralhome.net.

In lieu of flowers a memorial fund will be established.

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Renquin, Anne Anne Marie Renquin, 87, of Oconto, passed away Sunday, February 21, 2016 at Bellin Oconto Hospital. The family will receive relatives and friends at the Gallagher Funeral Home, Oconto, from 12 Noon to 4 PM Fri-

day, February 26, 2016.

Memorial services will be conducted 4 PM Friday at the funeral home with the Rev. Bruce Blocker officiating. Online condolences may be expressed at www. gallagherfuneralhome.net.

Lawniczak, Gale Gale J. Lawniczak, 62, Krakow, died unexpectedly Saturday, February 20, 2016, at a Green Bay hospital, surrounded by her family. The daughter of the late Leonard and Jeanne (Hudson) Lawniczak was born January 1, 1954, and was a lifelong Krakow area resident.

Gale was a kind and generous woman who always put everyone before herself. She enjoyed snowmobiling and “mopeding.”

Gale never turned down a chance to go out to eat with family and friends.

She had two green thumbs and really enjoyed her gardens. Gale did a lot of work with the local DAV. She will be sadly missed by her daughter, Cheryl (Chris) Ruehle, Cecil; two grandchildren: Malique and Jadyn; the love of her life, her fiancé, Kenny Winter, Krakow; two sisters: Karen (Jim) Faust, Florida, and Linda (Bob) Luebke, Morgan; two brothers: Dennis (Holly) Lawniczak, Krakow, and Randy (Pam) Lawniczak, Krakow; nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends, and Bandit.

Gale was preceded in

death by two granddaughters: Maria and Jacqueline Garcia-Case; her parents; and one brother, Kenneth Lawniczak.

Friends may call at St. John Lutheran Church, 910 S. St. Augustine Street, Pulaski, after 10:00 a.m. Saturday. The Funeral Service will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m.

Saturday at the church, Pastor Larry Yaw officiating.

The family would like to thank the staff at St. Mary’s Hospital for their care and kindness.

The family requests NO FLOWERS PLEASE Online condolences may be expressed at www.marnochafuneralhome.com

Kepler, Perry Perry O. Kepler, 63, passed away peacefully in his sleep on February 22, 2016. He was born September 9, 1952, in Algoma to the late Oliver and Melinda (Gleasner) Kepler and graduated from Green Bay West High School. On November 16, 1972, Perry married Diane H. VanGheem at Assumption BVM Church in Pulaski, and they enjoyed 43 years of marriage together.

His greatest loves were his family, relatives, and all of the friends he had made over the years. He was very social and could strike up a conversation with anyone he met, so he had a lot of friends and acquaintances.

It gave Perry great joy to cook for his family. He enjoyed trying new recipes or making up his own.

The greatest birthday gifts that he ever gave were the birthday meals that he would prepare in your honor.

While he was a casual hunter as a teenager, after meeting Diane he was welcomed into a family of avid and experienced hunters. His father-in-law, Elmer, and the VanGheem boys shared their love and passion for hunting with Perry, for which he was always grateful. He enjoyed gun hunting and the challenge of bowhunting. He shot deer, bear, and turkey. He was most proud that he shot a 493 pound black bear in 2003 with his bow that was recognized by the Pope and Young Club. While he wasn’t a morning person, Perry loved nothing more than an early morning fishing trip with his brothers-inlaw. He always seemed to come home with more fish than he caught! Even if Perry didn’t see any game during his hunt or, if the fish weren’t biting, he appreciated being outdoors and enjoyed any wildlife he saw.

His most recent hobby was a passion for riding his motorcycle, which he bought in 2011. He enjoyed doing maintenance and modifications to the

bike and he was always on a quest to make it perfect.

He enjoyed taking long summer rides by himself and with his relatives and friends. He also really liked talking to all the other bike owners on the VTX forum, where he was a very active member.

When he retired, he was able to spend a lot more time with his two granddaughters. He loved to be called Gramps and was able to babysit and enjoy precious time with them, even though sometimes they had too much energy for him.

Perry is survived by his wife Diane, and his three daughters: Kelley Kepler, New Richmond, LeahAnn Czachor, De Pere, and Erinn Kepler, Peshtigo; his two granddaughters: Addison and Evie; his two brothers and sisters-inlaw, Bill and Darlene Kepler, New Mexico, Steve and Carol Kepler, Green Bay. He is further survived

by Diane’s brothers and sisters and their families.

Perry was preceded in death by his parents, Oliver and Melinda Kepler and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Elmer and Dorothy VanGheem.

Friends may call at Assumption B.V.M. Church, 119 E. Pulaski St., Pulaski, from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Sunday with a wake service at 6:00 p.m. Visitation continues after 10:00 a.m.

Monday at the church.

The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., Fr. Patrick Gawrylewski O.F.M. officiating.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.marnochafuneralhome.com

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Trump tops Wisconsin GOP polls; Democrats tied MOLLY BECK WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL

Six weeks before Wisconsin’s presidential primary, Wisconsin’s Republican voters are leaning toward real estate mogul Donald Trump as the GOP nominee while Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton remain in a close race on the Democratic side, according to the latest Marquette Law School Poll.

Trump has 30 percent

of GOP voters’ support, while Florida Sen. Marco Rubio has 20 percent and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz has 19 percent.

Meanwhile, Sanders leads Clinton 44 to 43 percent, essentially tied.

Wisconsin’s presidential primary is April 5, and could draw a lot of attention from both Democrats and Republicans if both races remain contested then. Wisconsin’s primary takes place in a stretch of the calendar with few other contests. It also comes

Trump

Clinton

after a majority of delegates are parceled out, so Wisconsin’s role will still depend on what happens on March 1, Super Tuesday, and possible other key primaries on March 15.

According to the latest

poll, 46 percent of Republicans said Trump is most likely to win the Sanders GOP nomination.

Twenty-five percent said they expect Cruz to win the nomination, while 11 percent said Rubio would be the nominee. Among Democrats, 60 percent said Clinton would be the nominee while 33 percent picked Sanders.

Overall, Sanders fared better against the top GOP candidates in a headto-head race, according to the poll results.

Poll director Charles Franklin said the poll was conducted between Feb. 18-21, by phone with 802 registered voters. The partisan makeup of the poll leans Democratic, Franklin said, with 40 percent of respondents considering themselves Republican and 49 percent considering themselves Democrats. Ten percent

are independents.

Trump has won the lion’s share of delegates in the Republican field at 82, while Cruz has 17 and Rubio has 16; 1,237 are needed to win the nomination.

Clinton has 505 delegates, while Sanders has 71. To win the nomination, a Democratic candidate needs 2,383 delegates.

In January, the poll found the race between Clinton and Sanders tightening in the state, while Trump was on top of the GOP field.

USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN FILE PHOTO

The Marshfield Cultural Fair takes place Saturday on University of Wisconsin-Marshfield/Wood County's campus.

Marshfield Cultural Fair will offer diversity MITCHELL A. SKURZEWSKI USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN JACOB BYK/USA TODAY NETWORK - WISCONSIN

Kay Jewell, president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Portage and Wood Counties, speaks at the Kids in Crisis town hall held at Mid State Technical College in Marshfield on Wednesday.

MARSHFIELD - Mexican and African dance troupes, exotic foods, large puppets and cultural pride all will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday on the campus of University of WisconsinMarshfield/Wood County campus, 2000 West Fifth St. in Marshfield.

There were more than 3,000 visitors to the cultural fair the past two years combined and the event is a chance for visitors to embrace the wealth of diversity in the Marshfield community.

“We have a lot of entertainment of all sorts, which is a big draw,” said Julie Tharp, president of the Marshfield Cultural Fair.

One of the entertainment highlights is Ballet Folklorico of Milwaukee. The dance group has dazzling costumes and colorful depictions of Mexican culture and performs at 1p.m. Tharp said popular African dance group Ko-Thi also is back from last year’s cultural fair, and will perform at noon. Also performing is Heart of the Beast, a large-scale puppet group from Minneapolis, in the children’s area.

Various ethnic food choices and children’s activities will fill a full slate of fun.

In the food court, new options will be available for visitors including Indian, Colombian food and sushi along with German, Polish, Chinese, Mexican and Jamaican options.

Each year, children attending the fair are given passports to take to the different country displays, where they receive a sticker for their book showing they visited. Tharp said it’s an event for all ages to attend.

“That was the original mission of this event, to meet their neighbors and develop a relationship with them,” Tharp said.

“We have Asian-Indian Ho-Chunk drumming circle coming that are local. Local Hmong and Jewish communities (are) represented. This is a good event for people to meet diverse community members.”

For more information, go to: http://www.marshfieldculturalfair.com.

Kids in Crisis seeks answers on mental health LIZ WELTER | USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

M

ARSHFIELD - When families coordinated network of care and support face an illness requiring a that can respond to families’ needs quickloved one to be in the hospital ly and connect them with proper care in a for treatment, friends and timely manner. neighbors rally to provide casseroles and For more than six months, 25 journalIN ists at USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconhelp where needed.

But when that illness involves mental Underwriting support fromsin Bellinhave Health worked collectively on a series of health, families often go through the trau- stories examining juvenile mental health ma and difficulties of coping issues in Wisconsin. completely alone, said Kay The “mental health or Jewell, who is a physician, mental illness” medical dimother of a daughter with IN agnosis should be changed mental illness and director to “brain condition: brain of the Wood and Portage health or brain illnesscounties National Alliance Underwriting support from Bellin Health ,”Jewell said, as a way of acon Mental Illness, or NAMI. knowledging that mental “I’ve been there,” Jewell illness is a disease involvsaid. She was among a panel of experts on ing the brain. juvenile mental health care featured at a The stigma around mental health isWednesday forum seeking ideas to im- sues causes parents to worry about havprove mental health in Wisconsin. ing their labeled with a defect, so Underwriting supportchildren from Bellin Health USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin they don’t seek help for their child, Jewell and Bellin Health co-sponsored the city’s said. And there is still a cultural perceptown hall at the Mid-State Technical Col- tion that if someone has a mental illness lege to generate public input and discus- that person is weak or lacks the moral sion about ways to bridge gaps in juvenile mental health care and to develop a more See KIDS, Page 6A

KIDS CRISIS

KIDS CRISIS

KIDS IN CRISIS

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Clerk seeks more time in new Avery trial request MARCUS NESEMANN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

The Manitowoc County Clerk of Circuit Court has requested another extension to gather files related to Steven Avery’s appeal for a new trial.

The office filed a second motion Thursday to extend the time limit on gathering the required files. A previous request extended the deadline to March 2. “Our criminal unit had to request another extension,� said Clerk Lynn Zigmunt. “The first (request), they did it because it was over the holidays and we had vacation time and things like that. This time, the date they gave us that it was due by, you need 10 days once the compilation is completed for the attorneys to be able to review it

to make sure it’s complete before it’s sent to the appeals court.�

Zigmunt said the compilation was sent out Feb. 24,

meaning the attorneys would not have had 10 days to review it before the Avery deadline.

The request asks the new deadline for the compilation to be received at the court of appeals by March 11. “We just need to allow time for each party to review the compilation,� said Deputy Clerk Roberta Brice.

Avery and his nephew, Brendan Dassey, who were convicted in 2007 of killing freelance photographer Teresa Halbach, have gained supporters worldwide since the Dec. 18 release of “Making a Murderer.� The 10-episode Netflix series questions the tactics used

by the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Department and raises concerns about the validity of the convictions.

Avery has yet to file a federal appeal, but he has sought relief on multiple occasions from the trial court and the state appeals court.

His most recent court filing was on Jan. 7, when he claimed that his property was illegally searched and that any evidence gathered as a result can’t be used against him.

That case is separate from any appeals his new team of attorneys, headed

by Kathleen Zellner of Downers Grove, Illinois, will file in the future.

Reach Marcus Nesemann at 920-242-4866 or mnesemann@gannett.com.

Reporter Andy Thompson contributed to this report.

Multiple deaths, injuries after series of attacks in Kansas ROXANA HEGEMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS

HESSTON, Kan. - A sheriff in south-central Kansas said Thursday that four people, including a gunman, are dead after a series of shootings at a business, its parking lot and two streets nearby.

Harvey County Sheriff T. Walton said at a news conference that all the dead were shot inside Excel Industries, a plant in Hesston that makes lawn mower products. He said 14 were injured in the shootings, 10 critically.

A law enforcement officer killed the gunman, who worked at the plant, after he began shooting at them, Walton said.

The man traveled between sites firing from a vehicle before reaching the plant, the sheriff said.

Walton said about 150 people were likely in the plant at the time of the shooting, and that the law enforcement officer who killed the suspect “saved multiple, multiple lives.� He said the gunman had an assault weapon and a pistol.

The officer who killed the

FERNANDO SALAZAR/THE WICHITA EAGLE VIA AP

Police guard the front door of Excel Industries in Hesston, Kan., Thursday, after a gunman killed an undetermined number of people and injured many more.

man is “a hero as far as I’m concerned,� Walton said. “This is a fairly peaceful community and to have something like this is tragic,� he said.

The sheriff would not discuss a motive but said “there was some things that triggered this individual.�

Erin McDaniel, spokeswoman for the nearby city of Newton, said the suspect was known to local authorities. She wouldn’t elaborate.

The shooting comes less than a week after authorities say a man opened fire at several locations in Kalama-

zoo, Michigan, leaving six people dead and two severely wounded.

Martin Espinoza, who works at Excel, was in the plant during the shooting.

He heard people yelling to others to get out of the building, then heard popping, then saw the shooter, a coworker he described as typically pretty calm.

Espinoza said the shooter pointed a gun at him and pulled the trigger, but the gun was empty. At that point, the gunman got a different gun and Espinoza ran.

“I took off running. He came outside after a few people, shot outside a few times, shot at the officers coming onto the scene at the moment and then reloaded in front of the company,� Espinoza toldtThe Associated Press. “After he reloaded he went inside the lobby in front of the building and that is the last I seen him.�

A nearby college was briefly locked down.

Hesston is a community of about 3,700 residents about 35 miles north of Wichita.

Excel Industries was founded in Hesston in 1960.

The company manufactures Hustler and Big Dog mowing equipment and was awarded the Governor’s Exporter of the Year award in 2013 from the Kansas Department of Commerce.

Walton said the FBI and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation have been called in to assist. A spokeswoman for the Kansas City office of the FBI did not immediately return a call seeking comment Thursday night. “This is just a horrible incident. ‌ There’s going to be a lot of sad people before this is all over,â€? Walton said.

Kids Continued from Page 1A

character to cope, she said.

The strong turnout for the Marshfield event is an indication of the issue’s importance, said Jamie Rokus, Community Engagement Editor at the Marshfield NewsHerald. The event attracted about 40 people.

Wednesday night’s meeting was one in a series of 10 forums USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin has organized throughout northeastern and central Wisconsin to generate input on how to address the daunting challenge of finding solutions to a complex and multi-faceted issue.

Input from residents and juvenile mental health support agencies gathered at the town halls will help shape a call to action USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin will host May 5 at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison.

Neuroscience shows that brain development among children in the first three years of life is critical to their future success, said Kim Eithun, operations lead with the Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health, one of the four panelists at the forum.

Funding for early childhood development programs and mental health programs that reach children will save communities and the state money in the long run, Eithun said.

Studies have shown the earlier a child or a family receives help, the more likely the child will succeed and avoid future mental health pitfalls, said Casey Parks, who works with children in the Comprehensive Community Services Program at the Wood County Human Services Department. “Prevention is important, so its really important for providers, anyone who works with children to know the early warning signs for mental health. To be educated on this topic, for parents too, is very important which is why it’s good to see a lot of people here,� Parks said.

Families need help to navigate the labyrinth of mental health services provided in communities and throughout the state, said Hugh Davis, father of four children with mental health needs and director of Wisconsin Family Ties, which is a nonprofit organization providing support for families of children with emotional, behavior and mental disorders. “Understanding and acceptance (is also important for families) and stigma is the great enemy to understanding and acceptance,� Davis said. “Mental illness is often called the illness that knows no casseroles; if a person is hospitalized, the community gathers and rallies and that involves lots of food. If it’s a hospitalization that involves mental illness, people stay away in droves,� Davis said. “And that needs to change. We believe there is no shame in a child having a disorder they did not ask for and have no control over.�

Reporter Liz Welter can be reached at 715898-7008, or by email at liz.welter@ gannettwisconsin.com. Find her on Twitter as @welter_liz.

NOT QUITE A PRO AT SPEARING STURGEON Hello friends,

This past fall I remembered to purchase my sturgeon spearing tag by the October 31st deadline (there would be a lot more tags sold if the deadline was December 31st and what would it really hurt).

The last two weeks I have been thinking sturgeon spearing on Winnebago and I have to tell you I was getting into it.

My plan was rather Neanderthal but I have no cares about that.

I would be totally on my own. I would use my 13x8 foot portable “Eskimo� ice fishing shack, as a spear shack and I would also live in it for two nights.

To cut my 6x3 foot hole through 20-inches of ice, I would use my chainsaw to mark and finish it and I would use my Jiffy “Pro 4� propane ice auger to cut the vast majority of the hole

Friday, February 12th High 6, low minus 9, windchill INSANE So I am driving from Necedah to Oshkosh on Highway 21 and my truck is literally loaded as full of gear as I can get it plus my golden retriever ‘Fire’. Today’s drive was the most insecure drive that I have ever had to start a trip.

The temp read two-degrees on my trucks mirror, which I had no cares about. What had me extremely concerned was the sustained 21-mph wind with gusts to 40. By myself I was going to try to put this shack up and I had no idea how I was going to do it and not have it blow away.

Also, it was flipping cold out and I figured that my chainsaw was going to freeze up big time.

Another rather large part of the equation is that I was rather short on daylight.

bottom which aids in seeing a sturgeon as it swims over the top).

So my sources told me to hit Fishermen’s Rd, which is on the southeast side of Winnebago about 4-miles north of Fond du Lac. I hit the ice at 3:30 and was working my saw and auger ASAP. After I had the hole cleaned out I tried putting up my shack and it kind of blew into my hole. I had to hold onto it with everything that I had and use my screw gun to drill holes for my ice spikes, which anchor the shack.

The day before I was feeding my steers and like the redneck that I am, I used the baler twine from a bale of hay to hold my decoy, as it was underwater.

Not a good idea the twine rotted and my mallard swam south.

When all was said and done my very wet and now freezing shack was up, anchored, and I had only broke one pole. Two hours after dark I had no cares as I had a cabin on the lake. Two propane lanterns were rigged inside of it. Two heaters were running and my cot was set up with two sleeping bags on top of it. This, my friends would be the biggest victory of the rest of my weekend.

Saturday, February 13th High 10, low minus 14 It was pretty cool to be on the ice this morning and watch the caravan of truck lights as they hit Winnebago, folks you have to experience this to believe it.

So my official decoy is a magnum mallard duck decoy that I cut a hole in yesterday so it would sink.

To see the bottom of the lake I have dropped the rails from the kid’s bunk beds to the bottom of sturgeon heaven. I was over 9-feet of water and could only see the rails down to 8 so they had to suspend which kind of sucked (long white rails, rain gutters, ect are placed on the

Twice my spear head fell off my spear and I did not notice that it was gone for quite some time as it was in the water and I could not see boo.

Visibility was not real good and I was happy to see my “new decoy� a stainless steel, pan 6-feet down.

I have been having some pretty nasty headaches on the left side of my head so I refrained from joining the festivities in the area and had 48-extremely quiet hours, my radio is broke too (I melted it next to my heater).

Not once did I even see a minnow, I never gave up or became bored and in reality I have come up with a new and improved plan for next year.

That is providing that I remember the October 31st deadline to buy my tag.

Love this sport! Sunset

The spearing hole and the tools of the trade!

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Walker signs bill to test mental health care Bill clears way for providers to deliver patient care with new methods NATHAN PHELPS USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

NATHAN PHELPS/USA TODAY NETWORK -- WISCONSIN

Gov. Scott Walker signs a bill Friday that will test new delivery and payment models for mental health care.

Gov. Scott Walker said a newly signed law is part of a longer-term effort aimed at improving patient access to mental health services in Wisconsin.

The bill, which passed without opposition last fall, comes in the midst of a shortage of behavioral care providers in the state and nation that can leave patients waiting weeks or months for care.

It creates a pair of pilot programs to test alternative-care delivery and payment models designed to reduce costs and im-

prove care for Medicaid recipients who have significant or chronic mental illness, according to the governor’s office.

“If they’re able to provide better, coordinated, effective and efficient care in a more cost effective way, we’re going to look to expand beyond just the pilots,” Walker said after signing the bill.

Walker signed the bill at Bellin Psychiatric Center in Allouez Friday.

Sharla Baenen, president of Bellin’s psychiatric center, said the bill marks a significant step in improving mental health care access in the state. It essentially clears

the way for providers to try new methods of delivering care, like integrating mental health care into primary care and establishing a system to help patients efficiently navigate the care system.

“That’s a case management component, which today, is kind of hit or miss for a lot of people, or they are touched by a lot of different case managers,” Baenen said. “This would be a consistent resource.”

The Behavioral Health Care Coordination Pilot program is open to two providers that apply to be part of the program.

Tying mental health care directly to general

medical practice — and treating physical and mental issues in a connected manner — is model that is slowly taking root around the nation.

Providers in Colorado have spent more than a decade developing integrated-care programs, while a number of providers in Wisconsin — including Bellin, Prevea Health and Aurora Health Care — are adopting varied programs linking doctors with behavioral health specialists in exam rooms and clinics.

The bill also sets up an online system for trackSee WALKER, Page 4A

Grieving mom speaks up for parents Families can be confused by web of mental heath resources

MEGAN MCCORMICK/USA TODAY NETWORK WISCONSIN

Joseph Reinwand, 56, appears in Portage County Circuit Court in Stevens Point, Monday. He was convicted of shooting and killing his wife, Pamela, 19, at their home in Plover on May 13, 1984.

LIZ WELTER

Reinwand guilty of wife’s death in 1984

USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

W

ISCONSIN RAPIDS When psychiatric nurse Kris Cahak became concerned that her daughter’s moodiness might be depression, she made an appointment for the 15-yearold to see a counselor.

But her daughter, Morgan Pieper, never made it to her mental health evaluation — she died from suicide the day before her appointment.

“Protecting my children was always my priority, but I never imagined I needed to protect my daughter from herself,” Cahak said as her voice cracked with anguish.

Finding a better way to help children with mental health needs and getting parents the resources they need brought Cahak to a “Kids in Crisis” town hall meeting Thursday in Wisconsin Rapids because, she said, “this hits home for me.” The meeting at the McMillan Memorial Library sought ideas to improve mental health in Wisconsin, as part of a series of forums conducted

by USA TODAY NET-

CHRIS MUELLER USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

MEGAN MCCORMICK/USA TODAY NETWORK - WISCONSIN

KIDS CRISIS

Kris Cahak, a psychiatric nurse, speaks about her daughter, Morgan Pieper's,IN 15, death by suicide during the Kids in Crisis town hall at McMillan Memorial Library in Wisconsin Rapids, Thursday.

Underwriting support from Bellin Health

WORK-Wisconsin.

For more than six months, 25 journalists at USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin have worked collectively on a series of stories examining juvenile mental health issues in Wisconsin.

The news network, which includes Daily Tribune Media in Wisconsin Rapids, and Bellin Health co-sponsored the town hall to generate public input and discussion about ways to bridge gaps in juvenile mental health care and to develop a more coordinated network of care and

support that can respond to families’ needs quickly and connect them with proper care in a timely manner.

Cahak’s anguish became more poignant when she told the audience of more than 50 people that police investigating her daughter’s death found she had posted suicidal thoughts on social media sites and told two people about her suicide plan. Cahak of Wisconsin Rapids, had been living in Florida when Pieper died June 25, See PARENTS, Page 4A

KIDS IN CRISIS

Underwriting support from Bellin Health

Additional town halls scheduled in central Wisconsin cities

STEVENS POINT - It took a Portage County jury about four hours to convict a man of shooting and killing his wife, whose death in 1984 was initially thought to be a suicide.

Joseph Reinwand, 56, was found guilty of first-degree murder for killing his wife, Pamela, 19, at their home in Plover on May 13, 1984. Reinwand is already serving life in prison in connection with the 2008 shooting death of his daughter’s ex-boyfriend, a 35-year-old Wisconsin Rapids man named Dale Meister. The investigation into Pamela Reinwand’s death was reopened after Meister’s death.

The trial began Monday and concluded Friday with jury instructions from the judge and closing arguments by the attorneys before the jury was allowed to start deliberating at about 10:30 a.m. The jury returned to the courtroom shortly after 2:30 p.m. and handed the verdict to Judge Thomas

KIDS IN CRISIS

support from Bellin Health March 2 —Underwriting Stevens Point, 6 p.m., Mid-State Technical College, Community Engagement Rooms 634 and 635, 1001 Centerpoint Drive.

March 8 — Wausau, 6 p.m., University of WisconsinMarathon County Auditorium, 518 S. Seventh Ave.

See REINWAND, Page 4A $1.50 RETAIL FOR HOME DELIVERY PRICING, SEE PAGE 2A

Central Wisconsin newspapers win 23 awards USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

MADISON - Reporters and editors at USA TODAY NETWORK’s central Wisconsin sites won 23 statewide awards Friday night during the annual Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation convention in Madison.

Among the 23 honors were six first-place winners; two awards for reporting on the legal system; honors for reporting on local schools and local governments; several photography awards and

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T'XER ZHON KHA/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Awards for reporting

Merrill's Drew Hoff (3), left, hurdles to avoid Medford's catcher Jake Geiger's (2) tag to score on home base during a boys baseball game match at Athletic Park in Merrill.

First-place awards for reporting went to: » The Wausau Daily Herald for a four-day series on Wausau’s near west side — a diverse, changing neighborhood that is facing both challenges and promise. Reporter Nora Hertel led the project, which won in the special projects category. » Storytelling editor

about your 401(k)?

I can help you make the right decisions about your 401(k). Call today – I can help you plan for life.

Modern Woodmen of America Scott Paterick, FICF, LUTCF, ChFC, CLU PO Box 422 Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54495 715-424-1873 Scott.S.Paterick@mwarep.org

See AWARDS, Page 6A

Beatrice Hiller Judith V. Sommerfeldt

INDEX

BUSINESS 4B CLASSIFIED 7B,8B COMICS 6B

LOCAL OPINION RECORDS

3A 5A 2A

SPORTS

1B WI-5001980870

PAGE 4A | SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2016

WISCONSINRAPIDSTRIBUNE.COM | WISCONSIN RAPIDS DAILY TRIBUNE

Parents

Reinwand

Continued from Page 1A

Continued from Page 1A

2015, during a vacation with her father in Loyal. “But no one came forward or told an adult so we could help her,� Cahak said.

Understanding the seriousness of mental health issues will make a difference to prevent suicide and help children seek resources for help, said Ryan Schultz, who works with youths with mental illness in the Wood County Human Services Comprehensive Community Service program.

Schultz was one of the four panelists who spoke at the forum.

Wisconsin’s teen suicide rate is about a third higher than the national average, while state youths continue to report high levels of anxiety and depression.

Often children don’t talk about how they feel because “they don’t want to be looked at differently,� Schultz said.

While the stigma around mental health issues often causes people to not seek help, an equally important factor is that many people don’t know how to find resources, the other panelists said. “I think one of the biggest issues is getting the word out there,� said Kay Jewell, who is a physician, mother of a daughter with mental illness and director of the Wood and Portage counties chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. “Things are happening in our communities� including events and support services in Wood County organized by NAMI, Jewell said.

The Wood County Health Department publishes a one-page “road map� of mental health services and a document with a complete listing of mental health resources in the county, Schultz said.

The good turnout at both town halls in Wood County shows people in the communities are concerned, said Jamie Rokus, community engagement

Flugaur, who read it aloud in court.

Reinwand, who did not visibly react when the verdict was read, will be sentenced April 22.

Assistant Attorney General Robert Kaiser told the jury during his closing argument to pay close attention to the conflicting statements Reinwand gave to police and relatives shortly after his wife’s death, and how neither appeared to fit with the physical evidence in the case.

Reinwand’s defense attorney, Jeffrey Jazgar, told jury to instead note the statements Reinwand gave in 1984 did not raise any red flags for the investigators who first worked on the case.

Reinwand told investigators at the time that he was sitting on the couch after the couple returned

MEGAN MCCORMICK/USA TODAY NETWORK - WISCONSIN

USA TODAY NETWORK - Wisconsin engagement editor Jamie Rokus, left, introduces the panel during the Kids in Crisis town hall at McMillan Memorial Library in Wisconsin Rapids, Thursday.

MEGAN MCCORMICK/USA TODAY NETWORK - WISCONSIN

Director of pupil services for Wisconsin Rapids Public Schools Glen Haupt speaks during the Kids in Crisis town hall at McMillan Memorial Library in Wisconsin Rapids, Thursday.

editor at the Daily Tribune. Rokus attended a similar town hall in Marshfield Wednesday that attracted about 40 people.

Input from residents and juvenile mental health support agencies gathered at the town halls will help shape a call to action USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin will host May 5 at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison. “One of the over-arching issues is the lack of understanding about mental health issues,� said Deb Ramacher, a panelist and

assistant director of Wisconsin Family Ties, a nonprofit that supports families of children with emotional, behavior and mental disorders.

From scheduling medical appointments to understanding the variety of county and state services, navigating mental health can be overwhelming for families, Ramacher said. “Peer support is very important because families who have been there understand and want to help,� she said. “The world of mental health resources is very challenging.�

The role of the Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health, formed in 2013, is to assess the state’s services and improve the coordination and collaboration among the services to better meet the needs of youths and families, said Kim Eithun, Office of Children’s Mental Health operations lead and forum panelist.

Studies have shown that the community where a child is raised affects the physical and mental health of the child, Eithun said. “The children in this community are very lucky to have you concerned citizens who are here to make this a better and safer place for them,� she said.

Reporter Liz Welter can be reached at 715-8987008, or by email at liz.welter@gannett wisconsin.com. Find her on Twitter as @welter_liz.

home from a night of dining and drinking when his wife grabbed a pistol off the kitchen table, pointed it at her own head and pulled the trigger, according to a criminal complaint.

Reinwand also told investigators at the time that he “slapped her up a little� when they returned home, then changed that to “OK, slapped her up a lot,� the complaint said, but maintained that she killed herself with the pistol.

The case was reopened after new information came to light during the investigation into Meister’s death. Reinwand was found guilty by a jury of Meister’s death Oct. 30, 2014, after a trial in Wood County. He was immediately sentenced to life in prison.

Chris Mueller can be reached at 715-345-2251 and christopher.mueller@ gannettwisconsin.com.

Follow him on Twitter as @AtChrisMueller .

'RHV <RXU +RPH 1HHG $ )DFH /LIW" 5220 $'',7,216

Continued from Page 1A

ing available in-patient psychiatric beds. The Wisconsin Hospital Association says the tracking system is aimed at reducing wait times in emergency rooms by allowing staff to quickly identify hospitals that have the right kind of care and availability for patients. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wisconsin health care providers are among the most innovative in the country,â&#x20AC;? said Eric Borgerding, president and CEO of the association, stated in an email. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They welcome an opportunity to publicly test new integrated and coordinated care delivery and payment models that can reduce utilization, lower costs and produce better

We are

outcomes for individuals with mental illness in the Medicaid program.â&#x20AC;?

Walker said beefing up mental health care is not only a quality of life issue for Wisconsin, but also has economic ramifications. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford to have people who have been suffering from mental illness sitting on the sidelines if they want to be in the workforce. We need them in the workforce,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is one where you think this is only a mental health issue, it is, but â&#x20AC;Ś it has a direct impact in helping en-

sure more quality people are in, and able to maintain their presence in, the workforce.â&#x20AC;?

Walker was the recipient of a leadership award earlier this month from Mental Health America, due in large part to the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s $30 million investment in behavioral health care programs and services as part of the 201315 state budget.

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Blowing snow hits Fond du Lac MADELINE ZUKOWSKI USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN DOUG

With the start of March came snow.

Fond du Lac residents awoke Tuesday morning to low temperatures, drifting snow and slushy, slippery roads.

IN plows were out A few snow Underwriting Bellinthan Health two at 4 a.m.,support and from more dozen plows were dispatched around 7 a.m. to start clearing the streets, said Stephen Kees, the operations director of the city’s Municipal Service Center.

IN Fond du Lac was hit with

RAFLIK/USA TODAY NETWORK -WISCONSIN

Taylin St. Mary, left, and Hailey Rose of Eden brave the snow Tuesday to do some shopping at Forest Mall.

KIDS CRISIS

KIDS CRISIS

about four inches by the time the winter weather advisory from the National Weather Service expired at 2 p.m.

The roads were snowcovered and slippery, said Tom Janke, the commissioner of the Fond du Lac County Highway Department, but “travelable if you drive within a reasonable speed.”

During the snowfall, there were 14 runoffs and eight crashes in Fond du Lac County, said Capt. Rick Olig of the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office.

A few took place on Highway

151 in the morning, but there were no injuries or road closures.

County highways were clear by early afternoon, with the only blockage being the left lane of Interstate 41 northbound near Oshkosh, Janke said.

City police responded to 12 crashes and two runoffs from Monday night to about noon Tuesday, said Assistant Chief of Operations Steve Klein.

Wednesday’s forecast predicts a mostly sunny day with a high of 25 and a low of 19 degrees.

Underwriting support from Bellin Health

Journal Media Group shareholders OK sale to Gannett

KIDS IN CRISIS Underwriting support from Bellin Health

KEVIN MCCOY USA TODAY

Shareholders of Milwaukee-based Journal Media Group on Tuesday approved the company’s $280 million sale to Gannett, the publishing company that owns USA TODAY and media businesses in 92 local markets.

More than 92 percent of the shares voted at a special meeting of shareholders were in favor of the transaction, representing more than 71 percent of all outstanding shares, Journal Media Group said.

The merger remains subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval, the company said.

The transaction, announced in October, is expected to close this month.

The deal calls for Journal Media Group shareholders to receive $12 in cash for each share of the company they

State of

opportunity State of

opportunity

See SALE, Page 4A

State of opportunity State of opportunity

COMPLEX SOLUTIONS

State of

opportunity State of Non-traditional

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students find niche at UW-FDL NATE BECK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Seth Vandermolen was 35 and at a crossroads when he decided to go back to school.

For more than fifteen years after high school, he worked at the Arc of Fond du Lac, an organization that serves people with disabilities. But he quit to help care for his father who, for two and a half years, fought a terminal illness that eventually killed him.

After his dad died and he and his wife divorced, Vandermolen signed up for classes at the University of WisconsinFond du Lac. About 30 percent of UWFond du Lac students are non-

DOUG RAFLIK/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Panelists at the Fond du Lac Kids in Crisis town hall meeting Monday were, from left, Hugh Davis of Wisconsin Family Ties; Matthew Doll of Agnesian Healthcare; Marian Sheridan, director of school health and safety at the Fond du Lac School District; Joann Stephens of the Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health and Rory Linnane of USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

SERVICES, EARLY IDENTIFICATION DISCUSSED SHARON ROZNIK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

A

Kids in Crisis town hall meeting Monday in the Fond du Lac Public Library brought citizens and experts together to talk about children, teenagers and mental health.

Among the questions posed by the audience was how a child raised in a loving and supportive family could struggle with a mood disorder and suicidal thoughts.

“We have the ideal child we

imagined…and we have the child we have,” said Matthew Doll, director of behavioral health/autism at Agnesian HealthCare, one of four panelists at the event. He spoke of unrealistic expectations, shame and guilt as barriers that hinder treatment of mental illness today.

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and Bellin Health co-sponsored the town hall meeting to generate discussion about a mental health crisis among today’s youth.

Wisconsin’s teen suicide rate is a third higher than the national aver-

age. Many who need treatment face long waiting lists and a chronic shortage of mental healthcare providers.

For more than six months, 25 journalists at USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin have worked collectively on a series of stories examining childrens’ mental health issues in Wisconsin.

Monday night’s meeting was one of 10 forums USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin is hosting See SOLUTIONS, Page 6A

See STUDENTS, Page 3A

BODY | 3A Police ID body of 50year-old man found near Lake Butte des Morts

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Trump wins 5; Cruz takes Texas, Okla.

DAVID JACKSON

Clinton takes the South

USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump scored wins in at least five states on Super Tuesday while Ted Cruz took his home state of Texas and Oklahoma, according to network news projections of contests that could set the stage for the end of the Republican presidential race.

Trump took Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Massachusetts, and Virginia, while Vermont and Arkansas remained too close to call from early returns and exit polls.

Cruz, in addition to a

Hillary Clinton wins four Southern states while Bernie Sanders captures Vermont and Oklahoma. Page 4A.

must-win in his home state of Texas, also took Oklahoma, the networks projected.

Trump’s status as an “outsider” who has never held public office helped in most of these contests, according to exit polls.

GOP voters expressed dislike for the current Republican Party establishment.

John Kasich appeared to be battling the billionaire front-runner in Ver-

mont’s early returns, while Arkansas looked to be a close contest between Trump and Cruz. Meanwhile, Marco Rubio ran a close second to Trump in Virginia, but was winning nowhere.

Results began coming in after a day in which Trump, Cruz, Rubio and Kasich sought to manage expectations for the biggest primary day of the campaign calendar.

Trump and Cruz indicated they would pressure Rubio to exit the race if he does not carry a single state on Super Tuesday.

“I think he has to get out,” Trump told “Fox &

Friends.” “He hasn’t won anything and Ted Cruz very rightly points out Marco has not won ... I would think he would have to get out.”

Cruz told reporters that a candidate who has not won a state after Tuesday’s events should consider getting out.

“If you want to beat Donald Trump, we’ve got to get to a head-to-head, a one-on-one race,” Cruz said, noting that he has proved he can beat the New York billionaire with his victory in the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 1.

Rubio was not taking his rivals’ advice, saying he expects to pick up many many delegates Tuesday and to sweep to victory in Florida in two weeks, establishing himself as the main alternative to Trump.

“Two weeks from tonight, right here in Florida, we are going to send a message loud and clear,” Rubio told backers in Miami. “That the party of Lincoln and Reagan, and the presidency of the United States, will never be held by a con artist.”

As returns came in Tuesday, the Rubio campaign sent an email to supporters vowing a “long war” against Trump, saying that “we are NOT going to hand over our party to a dangerous con artist.”

Kasich, the governor of Ohio, also hopes to be the last candidate standing between Trump and the nomination, figuring that establishment forces will then rally around him.

While Kasich is considered an underdog in the states voting Tuesday, he is looking ahead to more favorable primaries in his neighboring state of Michigan (next Tuesday) and his home state of Ohio (March 15).

Solutions Continued from Page 1A

throughout northeastern and central Wisconsin to address the daunting challenge of finding solutions to such a complex problem.

Needed in Wisconsin is an increase in community-based services for treatment of youth, said Hugh Davis of Wisconsin Family Ties, a parent-run nonprofit that provides support for families. He described how residential childcare facilities are delinquency-focused, and often force parents to sign a statement through the child welfare system, saying they are unable or unwilling to care for their child. Parents are asked to pay child support for the time the child is out of the home, he said.

“To most parents, that is pretty offensive,” Davis said.

“When a child is injured in an accident, we don’t ask those parents to go to court. We do the right thing and care for that child.”

Too much time, energy and effort is spent pulling children “out of the river,” instead of figuring out who upstream is “throwing babies into the river,” Doll told the audience of nearly100 people. Investment in early identification and intervention are key components to saving our youth, he said.

The Fond du Lac School District has been screening students for mental health issues for years, said panelist Marian Sheridan, director of school health and safety. Out of 10,000 children screened for mental illnesses since 2002, 1,800 were identified as needing further

evaluation and connected with services. She is pushing for universal screening of all youth.

“The majority of children as well as adults are suffering in silence. If we wait for them to tell us, we are not going to be able to help our children,” she said.

Navigating a complex mental-health system when a parent is worried about their child and needs immediate help is no easy task, said Joann Stephens of the Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health. She has lived with mental illness since childhood, has children who are dealing with mental illness and has experienced the stigma surrounding the malady, she said.

“We don’t look at mental illness the same way we look at physical illness,” Stephens said.

“It is not as acceptable to get treatment, because it is looked at as a personal flaw or character flaw.”

With only 6,000 child psychiatrists available nationwide, Doll said it is difficult to recruit with such high demand and low opportunities in Wisconsin for those who may not embrace a rural life. In turn, everything is stretched thin, and general physicians are going above and beyond to be “heroes” and try and fill the gaping hole.

Input from residents and juvenile mental health support agencies gathered at the 10 town halls will help shape a call to action May 5 at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison presented by the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

Reach Sharon Roznik at sroznik@fdl reporter.com or 920-9077936; on Twitter: @sharonroznik.

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UWSP set for playoff run POINTERS HOST DEPAUW UNIVERSITY TONIGHT IN NCAA TOURNAMENT | SPORTS, 1B

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Mosinee ex-Republican introduces Obama mune disease and ran out of money for treatment.

Brown also joined the president for lunch before an event at a Milwaukee middle school, where Obama trumpeted the nation’s declining uninsured rate and said 20 million people have gained insurance as a result of his signature health coverage law.

Brown described himself as a “dead man walking,” but added, “then this guy

ASSOCIATED PRESS AND USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

FILE/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

The BoDeans kick off Riverfront Rendezvous back in 2008 at Pfiffner Pioneer Park in Stevens Point. The band will return to headline this year’s event, which will take place July 1-3.

MILWAUKEE - A Mosinee man who introduced President Barack Obama during a Milwaukee stop on Thursday said he was a Republican who never voted for Obama and actually campaigned against him.

Brent Brown of Mosinee said he became an Obama supporter because the president’s health care law saved his life after he was diagnosed with an autoim-

EPA

Brent Brown, leaves the stage after introducing President Barack Obama on Thursday in Milwaukee.

See OBAMA, Page 6A

BoDeans returning to Riverfront Rendezvous NATHAN VINE USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

STEVENS POINT - National recording artists The BoDeans will kick off this year’s Riverfront Rendezvous, which will take place July 1-3 at Pfiffner Pioneer Park.

The band, formed in Waukesha in 1983, will appear on the Main Stage from 9 to 11 p.m. on July 1.

The BoDeans last performed at Riverfront Rendezvous in 2008 Also performing that first night will be Grand Union from 7 to 11 p.m. on the North Tent, and the Evergreen Grass Band from 7 to 10:30 p.m. in the Pfiffner Building. Other headlining acts on the Main Stage are the Devon Allman Band on Saturday and Aubrey Sellers on Sunday.

Beyond musical performances, Riverfront Rendezvous will feature events like the Carp Classic fishing contest, the city parade, Kids Day and a fireworks show throughout the weekend.

The following is the current schedule of events for Riverfront Rendezvous:

Friday, July 1 Entertainment — Main Stage: TBA, 6:30 to 9 p.m.; The BoDeans (rock), 9 to 11 p.m.; North Tent: Grand Union (country), 7 to 11 p.m.; Pfiffner Building: Evergreen Grass Band (bluegrass), 7 to 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, July 2 Events — Carp Classic (fishing contest), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pfiffner Building Deck; Parade, noon, Downtown Stevens Point.

Entertainment — Main Stage: Adrian + Meredith Band (folk rock), 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.; Altered Five Blues Band (blues), 6:45 to 8:45 p.m.; Devon Allman Band (rock), 9:30 to 11 p.m.; North Tent: Bingo (games), 1 to 4 p.m.; Hyde (rock), 7 to 11 p.m.; South Tent: Mad Science (science experiments), 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.; Kevin Adair (comedy juggler), 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.; Pfiffner Building: Trivia contest, 1 to 3 p.m.; TBA, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.; Mark Twain: An American Life (storytelling), 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; Ray Konkol Band (polka), 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 3 Events — Emergency Vehicle Display, noon to 3 p.m., Crosby Ave.; Kids Day, 1to 2:30 p.m., South Tent; Lighted Boat Parade, 9:15 to 9:45 p.m.; Fireworks, dusk, launched from Mead Park.

Entertainment — Main Stage: TBA, 1:30 to 3 p.m.; Andi and Alex (rock), 6 to 7:30 p.m.; Aubrey Sellers (rock/Americana), 8 to 9:45 p.m.; North Tent: Bingo (games), 1 to 4 p.m.; Consult the Briefcase (rock blues), 7 to 11 p.m.; South Tent: John P. Hopkins (comedy magic), 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.; Pfiffner Building: Poetry Slam, 1 to 2:30 p.m.; Blues Summit Band (blues), 4:30 to 7:30 p.m.

For more information on Riverfront Rendezvous, visit www. stevenspoint.com/rr.

Nathan Vine can be reached at 715-345-2252 or nvine@gannett .com. Find him on Twitter as @NathanAVine.

OBITUARIES 2A

MEGAN MCCORMICK/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Director of the Wood and Portage counties chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Kay Jewell speaks during the Kids in Crisis town hall at Mid-State Technical College in Stevens Point on Wednesday.

Experts: Parents need KIDS CRISIS help for troubled kids IN

Underwriting support from Bellin Health

LIZ WELTER USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

STEVENS POINT – Mental health care for children and teenagers in Wisconsin will not improve until a system is developed that makes it easier for parents to get help, experts said during a Kids in Crisis town hall.

The mental health system across the state is a daunting bureaucracy and parents often feel overwhelmed and alone when seeking care for their children, said Hugh Davis, father of four children with mental health needs and director of Wisconsin Family Ties, a nonprofit organization providing support for

State Technical College to discuss ways to help families quickly before a child’s mental health issue develops into a crisis, or a tragedy.

For more than six months, 25 journalists from the news network have worked collectively on Kids in Crisis, a series of stories examining Underwriting support from Bellin Health juvenile mental health issues in the state. families of children with emotional, “I’d like to see (Wisconsin) have behavior an mental disorders. an actual children’s mental health Davis was among a panel of ex- system,” Davis said. “Today we perts on juvenile mental health care have a collection of disparate serwho spoke during a crowded vices and many of the children’s Wednesday forum in Stevens Point. mental health programs we have in Underwriting support from Bellinthe Health USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisstate have limited enrollment. ... consin and Bellin Health co-sponsored the city’s town hall at Mid- See HELP, Page 6A

KIDS IN CRISIS

KIDS IN CRISIS

Evidence planting claims not limited to Avery case JOHN FERAK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

From the moment Teresa Halbach’s disappearance made the news in 2005, a teary-eyed Steven Avery insisted that the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office was again trying to railroad him. Avery had already lost 18 years of freedom because of a botched rape investigation.

But Avery’s claims of innocence in Halbach’s murder were brushed aside by police.

Authorities swiftly arrested him after a pile of human bones were found in a burn pit on his property. By February

Michael Braunsky Gary Moyer Francis Kisner Marjorie Tylka

INDEX

2007, Avery’s defense attorneys, Jerry Buting and Dean Strang, made allegations of planted blood and fabricated evidence the central theme of Underwriting support from Bellin Health the trial.

The strategy didn’t work.

Avery was convicted of firstdegree intentional homicide and was sent to prison for life.

But that didn’t end speculation that evidence was planted in Avery’s case. The release in December of ‘Making a Murderer” sparked worldwide interest in the case — and prompted questions about other cases involving

KIDS IN CRISIS

See EVIDENCE, Page 4A

BUSINESS ............4A CLASSIFIED .....5,6B COMICS/TV .........4B

LOCAL ...................3A NATION .................5A RECORDS..............2A

FILE/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Steven Avery’s defense attorney Dean Strang questions Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Sgt. Andrew Colborn.

SPORTS ................1B

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PAGE 6A | FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 2016

Court: Estate can’t sue over ambulance crash that killed man ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADISON - The estate of a man who died after an ambulance transporting him to the hospital crashed can’t sue the rescuers, a state appeals court ruled Thursday.

According to court documents, 72-year-old Clarence Collis suffered a heart attack at his home in the Town of Jamestown in Grant County in 2012. The Hazel Green Rescue Squad responded and loaded Collis into an ambulance.

The ambulance driver lost control of the vehicle about a half-mile from Collis’ home. The ambulance rolled and Collis was thrown into a ditch. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Collis’ estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the rescue squad in 2014. Grant County Circuit Judge Robert Van De Hey decided the case in favor of the rescue squad last year, find-

Help Continued from Page 1A

I want to see a system that is more responsive to the families’ needs.”

The Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health was created in 2013 to evaluate services provided across the many different state agencies, said Joann Stephens, a family relations coordinator in the office. Stephens said she has lived with

Obama Continued from Page 1A

signs this bill.”

“The Affordable Care Act saved my life,” he said. “I want to repeat that: The Affordable Care Act saved my life.”

Brown also described himself as “a Republican who falsely accused him,” but said it was thanks to the president’s “fortitude” that “this chump (referring to himself) gets a second shot at life.”

He called on the Republicans trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act to “do what is right.”

Obama visited Milwaukee to congratulate local leaders for winning a national health insurance enrollment contest.

The president acknowledges that millions more are eligible to enroll but have yet to do so. He attributes some of that to

ing that the estate failed to properly serve notice of the claim.

Wisconsin law mandates that anyone who makes a claim against a municipality based on the negligent use of a vehicle must provide notice to the municipality.

The estate argued it didn’t need to provide notice because the rescue squad isn’t a government subdivision.

The 4th District Court of Appeals disagreed, upholding Van De Hey’s ruling. The towns and villages that jointly operate the rescue squad are municipalities, making the squad a municipality for the purposes of negligence actions, the court said.

That means it was entitled to notice, the court concluded.

The estate’s attorney, listed in court documents as Colista Anglese, didn’t’ immediately return a voicemail left at her office on Thursday morning.

Additional town hall in Wausau A Kids in Crisis town hall will be held 6 p.m.

Tuesday at University of Wisconsin Marathon County Auditorium, 518 S. Seventh Ave.

mental illness since childhood and has children who are dealing with mental illness.

“Navigating this system is difficult,” Stephens said.

the acrimony over the law, saying people haven’t always known what’s true and what’s not.

More than 38,000 Milwaukee-area residents newly signed up for health coverage. That’s out of about 51,000 uninsured people who were eligible to enroll. The city’s sign-up ratio was the highest among the 20 cities competing in the president’s “Healthy Communities Challenge.”

The winning city was promised a visit by the president, who is also using the trip to promote the Affordable Care Act. For the first time, more than 9 in 10 Americans have health insurance. And the number of uninsured has dropped from about 44.8 million in 2013, the year before the health care law’s big coverage expansion, to about 28.8 million, according to the latest estimates.

An improving econo-

STEVENSPOINTJOURNAL.COM | STEVENS POINT JOURNAL

STATE BRIEFS

Gasoline odor investigated

Riverfront site to become available

KENOSHA Emergency crews have been investigating numerous reports of a strong odor coming from an abandoned sewer line in Kenosha.

Authorities and a hazardous materials team went to the incident near the Kenosha County Public Safety Building on Thursday afternoon.

Ed St. Peter, general manager of the Kenosha Water Utility, said a gasoline odor was first reported last week and tracked to a manhole outside the Public Safety Building.

Authorities evacuated streets and nearby parking lots on Thursday, and told all nonessential employees in the building to leave.

The building was closed to the public as a precaution.

Authorities were still trying to find the odor’s source Thursday evening, but there was no public threat and city water is safe to drink.

SHAWANO - City leaders in Shawano are moving forward with demolition of a hospital located on a prime piece of riverfront property.

The old Shawano Medical Center served the city for more than 80 years, but now sits empty.

Its owner, ThedaCare, had explored repurposing the building, but the options didn’t materialize, so it plans to tear it down, pending City Council’s approval.

Developer Todd Dobberstein said that he had been eyeing the building for a possible community center.

However, now that plans call for demolition, Dobberstein said a mix of retail, residential and restaurant space is a possibility.

City administrator Brian Knapp said all development proposals will be evaluated.

—Associated Press

The state’s mental health system should be integrated to include medical, school, community and health services, which will make it easier for parents to help their children, she said.

The Stevens Point Area Public Schools have started programs to teach staff members and students and raise awareness about mental health, but it’s still not enough, said Greg Nyen, director of student services.

“We still have students languishing in need who

are unsupported and don’t have the resources they need to be successful in our schools, let alone in our communities,” Nyen said.

Schools are hampered by decreasing revenue from the state, he said.

“Year after year, as resources are cut ... we are left as educators to do the best with what we have,” Nyen said.

The town hall at MidState Technical College was packed to capacity, about 75 people, with folks standing in the back

Measures to ease some college costs go to Senate MOLLY BECK WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL

A host of bills pushed

by Gov. Scott Walker that are aimed at making college more affordable passed a Senate committee on party-line votes Thursday.

Democrats said that the Republican-sponsored legislation doesn’t go far enough.

The bills, which will go to the Senate floor on March 15, eliminate a $2,500 cap on student loan interest deductions, fund “emergency grants” to help students cover unexpected expenses, require colleges to provide students with information about the debt they are taking on and require the Department of Workforce Development to coordinate internships.

The committee, however, did not take up a bill that funds student internship coordinators at University of Wisconsin System.

Walker and officials from the University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin

of the room.

“It’s gratifying to see a full house,” said Robert Mentzer, an editor for Stevens Point Journal Media, part of USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. “You get a feeling that people want to pull together and make a difference on this issue.”

Wednesday night’s meeting was one in a series of 10 forums the news network has organized throughout northeastern and central Wisconsin as part of its Kids in Crisis project.

Technical College systems support the bills.

The increased funding for need-based grants is expected to help 500 technical college students annually; officials say nearly 35,000 eligible students don’t receive those grants now because the program doesn’t have enough money.

Republicans say the tax proposal — which would eliminate the cap on the deduction borrowers can claim for paying their student loan interest, currently set at $2,500 — will benefit about 32,000 people.

While Democrats in both houses have called for legislation that addresses student loan debt, Democratic members of the Senate committee voted against the bills, saying they aren’t a true fix.

Sen. Janet Bewley, DAshland, offered an amendment to require the emergency grant funding be built into the state budget going forward, but that amendment was voted down.

The ideas and experiences of residents and support agencies gathered at the town halls will help shape a call to action USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin will host May 5 at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison. The public is invited to participate in the Madison event.

Reporter Liz Welter can be reached at 715-8987008, or by email at liz.welter@gannett wisconsin.com. Find her on Twitter as @welter_liz

my has also helped boost coverage, analysts say.

Still, polling continues to show that slightly more Americans view the law unfavorably than favorably. And repealing the law has been a mantra of Republicans running for federal office as critics argue that the law’s mandates have increased coverage costs unnecessarily.

Obama’s visit to Milwaukee came just before the sixth anniversary of his signing the Affordable Care Act on March 23, 2010.

After arriving in Wisconsin, Obama went to lunch with a few people who wrote letters to him describing how the Affordable Care Act helped them. Brown was among them.

Editor’s note: This story has been supplemented with a pool report from a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel journalist.

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CLOUDY

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PARTLY CLOUDY

RAIN INTO SNOW

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SNOW

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Oshkosh

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City recalls slaying of teen

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KIDS IN CRISIS

Events mark fatal police shooting

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BRYNA GODAR ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADISON - Numerous public meetings have been held. Tasks forces have investigated, protests have been held and a lawsuit filed. Yet the efforts have brought little change in Madison since the fatal police shooting of a biracial man one year ago, according to some residents and activists.

Community members have planned a series of events this weekend to mark the one-year anniversary of the death of 19-year-old Tony Robinson, who was unarmed when fatally shot by a white police officer on March 6, 2015. They say they hope the events draw attention to the lack of tangible difference in the city’s policing.

“From my perspective, nothing has changed,” said Brandi Grayson, organizer of the Young, Gifted and Black Coalition, which led protests last year. “Our black and brown community continues to be impacted negatively due to over-policing of the neighborhoods, the criminalization

JIM KOEPNICK/USA TODAY NETWORK -WISCONSIN

The Oshkosh Northwestern hosted a town hall meeting to discuss local juvenile mental health issues as part of USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin's Kids in Crisis series. The meeting was open to the public and held at the Athearn Ballroom of the Best Western Premiere Waterfront Hotel.

Prevention group creates plan

See SHOOTING, Page 6A

Team hopes to end youth suicide by targeting risk factors NATHANIEL SHUDA | USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Youth suicide is a problem in Winnebago County — a problem that nobody talks about, experts say.

Nearly 1,000 high school students in Winnebago County reported having seriously considered attempting suicide in the previous 12 months, according to data from the 2013-14 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. More than 700 said they had attempted suicide at least once.

The Winnebago County Child Death Review Team hopes to change that. The group of educators, law enforcement officers, health care and emergency medical providers and crisis intervention advocates released a list of 11 recommendations Thursday for ways communities to help prevent suicide deaths by identifying and reducing risk factors and making support available.

“We’re hoping people take a look at them — the community as a whole — and at least take one thing,” said Teresa Paulus, a registered nurse at the Winnebago County Health Department who helps coordinate the

team. “I think people first need to understand the magnitude of the problem — not just the percentages but the actual numbers.”

“Our whole mission is looking at how and why children are dying, so we can make recommendations on how to prevent deaths,” she said.

Paulus was one of about 120 people who turned out Thursday for a town hall meeting, sponsored by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin and Bellin Health, to generate discussion about youth mental health.

Held at the Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel, the event was one of 10 forums throughout northeast and central Wisconsin being held in February and March in conjunction with the news organization’s sixmonth “Kids in Crisis” series, which examines children’s mental health issues throughout the state.

Input gathered at the 10 town halls will be used to write the final series of stories focusing on See SUICIDE, Page 6A

By the numbers

2 in GOP added to ethics, elections panels

» 1,381 students in Winnebago County reported feeling so sad or helpless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row that they stopped doing some usual activities. » 984 reported having seriously considered attempting suicide the past 12 months. » 852 reported having made a plan about how they would attempt suicide. » 735 reported having attempted suicide at least once. » 271 youth through age 19 were hospitalized for intentional self-inflicted injury in Winnebago County from 2010 to 2014. » 212 visits by youth to emergency rooms in Winnebago County for intentional selfinflicted injury » 12 deaths by suicide in youth from 2010 through 2014; there were no youth suicides in 2015 and one so far in 2016.

Source: Winnebago County Child Death Review Team

Partisan groups replace GAB BRYNA GODAR ASSOCIATED PRESS

Hank on Thursday and determined he was the same dog the Brewers adopted as their unofficial mascot in Maryvale two years ago.

Additional medical records and his microchip tracker put to bed the conspiracy that Hank the Dog had been replaced during a real press conference the team actually held at the Wisconsin Humane Society in Milwaukee on Friday.

The team continued the joke by trotting out a big white dog of a completely different breed before the real Hank the

MADISON - Two more Republicans have been appointed to Wisconsin’s newly created, partisan ethics and elections commissions.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos announced Friday that he’s appointing former state Rep. Pat Strachota to the ethics commission and Republican Party national committee member Steve King to the elections panel.

Vos Strachota was a state representative from 2005 to 2015 and was briefly Assembly majority leader. King is the founder of private investment firm King Capital. Vos said in a statement both of his appointees will bring “a great deal of experience” to the jobs.

The commissions will replace the nonpartisan Government Accountability Board, which is being dissolved June 30. Critics of the

See HANK, Page 6A

See PANELS, Page 6A

Brewers confirm Hank the Dog is actually Hank Good food, grooming make a difference CHRIS COLE AZCENTRAL SPORTS

Well it’s settled.

Hank the Dog is alive, and he has not been replaced by an imposter.

“Hank 1” is the one and only.

The Brewers were officially just messing with all of us.

And we all (OK mostly me) fell into their trap.

The team provided a notarized letter from a “Dr. William S. Rice of Lakeside Animal Hospital,” who examined

INSIDE

FOX VALLEY WILL HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR FOR MEIJER, 2A

COURTESY OF BREWERS ON TWITTER

The Brewers brought out the real Hank the Dog during a press conference in Milwaukee on Friday.

INDEX

ADVICE . . . . . . . . . . . . 3B BUSINESS . . . . . . . . . 2A CLASSIFIED . . . . . . . . 6B

COMICS . . . . . . . . . . . 4B CROSSWORD . . . . . . 4B LOTTERY . . . . . . . . . . . 2B

OBITUARIES . . . . . . . . 3A SPORTS . . . . . . . . . . . 1B TV LISTINGS . . . . . . . 3B

USA TODAY . . . . . . . . . 4A WEATHER . . . . . . . . . . 2A

$1.50 RETAIL FOR HOME DELIVERY PRICING, SEE PAGE 2A

PAGE 6A | SATURDAY, MARCH 5, 2016

THENORTHWESTERN.COM | OSHKOSH NORTHWESTERN

Minnesota nurse returning to Sierra Leone to be midwife HANNAH WEIKEL THE MINNESOTA DAILY

BROOKLYN PARK When Alice Karpeh’s second husband was murdered in West Africa in 1992, she put her dreams on hold, again, to hide from militants who wanted her dead and to get the nine children in her charge safely to the U.S. Now, more than 20 years later, Karpeh will move back home to Sierra Leone and reconnect with the village she grew up in, the Minnesota Daily reported.

Since childhood, Karpeh said she wanted to be a midwife and care for women and children in a country where 1,360 of 100,000 mothers die in childbirth, making it the fifth-highest in the world, according to the Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook.

In 2011, Karpeh founded the Rural Health Care Initiative to bring health care to mothers and children near Tikonko, Sierra Leone — Karpeh’s birthplace and home to much of her family, said Boynton Health Care Service and RHCI Board member Dr. Carol Nelson.

Next month, Karpeh and other doctors and nurses from Minnesota will return to Tikonko and build a center where pregnant women can spend the last days before childbirth to reduce maternal and infant mortality in the surrounding villages, Nelson said.

The trip will be the longest time Karpeh has been home since fleeing in 1993, she said.

Karpeh was born in 1955 in a small village in southern Sierra Leone.

She said she went to school there and grew up experiencing the difficulties that many West Africans still face —poverty, lack of transportation, malnutrition, poor health care and infant

Suicide Continued from Page 1A

avenues to addressing the thousands of Wisconsin youth, and their families, in crisis.They also will help shape a call to action which will be held May 5 at the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison.

Among the team’s recommendations are to create a standardized suicide report form to document what potential risk factors were present in the person’s life; to educate various stakeholder groups — educators, parents and youth — about risk factors and how to reduce them, as well as resources available; and to provide news media and schools with guidance on how to appropriately and responsibly address the issue.

“Parents need to take more responsibility in learning more about mental health,” Paulus said, noting parents should lead by example and seek help with their own mental health issues. “Kids actually do listen to their parents, so parents need to be talking about it.

“It’s really important

Hank Continued from Page 1A

Dog made an appearance in front of the present media.

The Brewers admitted that the questions about Hank’s appearance were logical, but

JOE SULIK/MINNESOTA DAILY

Nurse Alice Karpeh poses in her home in Brooklyn Park, on Feb 16. Alice is returning to Sierra Leone to provide care.

mortality.

Now, Karpeh wants RHCI to help Tikonko reduce its childbirth mortalities, said Hassan Kamara, RHCI board member and Sierra Leone Community in Minnesota treasurer.

RHCI, with help from SLCM, raised funds to send doctors and resources to Tikonko and rebuild what was lost in the war, said Dr. Gary Johnson, an occupational physician and RHCI board member.

The group works with traditional birthing attendants in Sierra Leone and Tikonko’s health clinic, Nelson said.

Johnson said they bought a small truck to use as an all-purpose vehicle, which is essential because lack of transportation is a main reason women die in childbirth.

In recent years, RHCI started mobile clinics, motorbikes that reach more than 20 villages near Tikonko, Johnson said, and planted five acres of crops to feed clinic patients.

When she was 17, Karpeh’s family moved to the Liberian coastal city Monrovia for her stepfather’s job. There, she continued schooling to be a midwife. Shortly after the move, she met her first husband, said her oldest daughter Jiaba Kennedy.

Karpeh’s stepfather took her out of school for her to marry her first husband — who was older and wealthy — but he beat her and had kids with another woman during their marriage.

“There would be times that my mom would leave and my grandparents would bring her back and tell her to apologize to my dad so she could go back into the house,” Kennedy said, “because they needed the support that he provided.”

Kennedy said people in Africa live with the richest family members, and many of Karpeh’s relatives lived with them or relied on their money for support.

But Karpeh couldn’t shake her dream of finishing school and becoming a nurse, Kennedy said. Karpeh got the courage to leave her husband for good when Kennedy was 12, she said.

Karpeh had three children, Lamin, Jiaba and Amie, with her first husband and left them with him when she married her second husband, Albert Karpeh, a Liberian foreign ambassador and minister of defense.

In 1988, Alice and Albert Karpeh moved to Freetown, Sierra Leone.

At the time, Liberia was plagued by a bloody, gruesome civil war that

Winnebago County Suicide Prevention Recommendations 1. Suicide and youth risk data needs to be shared more extensively throughout the community.

2. Educators and others who work with youth need to be equipped to teach resiliency, identify mental health concerns, and seek out help for kids.

3. Parents need to be educated on how to promote mental health wellness and address mental illness for their children.

4. Youths need to be educated about suicide prevention and understand risk factors and safe practices.

5. Community organizations should provide a means for early identification of youth with mental health concerns.

6. Community organizations should help prevent access to lethal means (an object utilized to carry out a destructive act such as firearm, medications) to all youth. Ensure elimination of access to those identified at being at risk for suicide/selfharm.

7. More effective ongoing communication between professionals serving youth in schools is essential to serve students with mental health crisis and prevent suicides 8. Interventions with youth with family members who have died by suicide are needed because they are at a greater risk for suicide and mental health issues.

9. Youth affected by a loss to suicide should have targeted intervention at multiple levels.

10. Provide media and schools with guidance on how to appropriately and responsibly address the aftermath of a suicide or other death.

11. Create a standardized Suicide Report form that would be relevant to identifying risk factors with ultimate goal of effective prevention efforts.

Source: Winnebago County Child Death Review Team

to include the kids in these efforts, too,” she said. “Kids have a good way ... a unique way of communicating with their peers.”

Sadly, there remains a stigma associated with talking about mental health issues and suicide, said Debbie Peters, executive director of

Community for Hope, an Oshkosh-based nonprofit organization promoting suicide prevention, intervention, and grief support.

“The stigma is like this heavy wet blanket that really stifles much of what we do,” Peters said. “Nobody has problems talking about their

normal food and grooming contributed to the change in his looks.

Essentially, the Brewers used this as an opportunity to bring attention to the benefits of animal adoption, as well as microchipping your animal.

Very noble of them.

Twitter, understandably, breathed a sigh of

relief upon hearing the news. @Mrs_McCarthy32: “I don’t think my heart could have handled a Hank switch.” @MikeBatesSBN: “So what you’re saying is, maybe with proper veterinary care and grooming, I can look as good as Hank the Dog?” @jh_moore: “we had it

spilled into Sierra Leone, and Albert Karpeh tried to organize Liberian troops who had fled to escape the rebel army.

“I don’t know what happened, and he was killed,” Alice Karpeh said.

Alice Karpeh was granted asylum to the U.S. a year later, she said.

Kennedy said her mother left for Philadelphia to find a job and later sent for them but had to sneak back into Sierra Leone to get the nine kids — her five children, two step kids and two nieces — to the U.S. “It was such a big risk to go back to Sierra Leone,” Kennedy said.

“That was one of the biggest sacrifices my mom made, to make sure we could all come here.”

Alice Karpeh and her kids went to Philadelphia when they got asylum, but they eventually made their way to Minnesota in 1999.

Alice Karpeh finished school and became a licensed practical nurse in May 2004, the first step in fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a midwife.

Her sister lived in Minnesota at the time but died from a brain aneurysm on the way to Alice Karpeh’s graduation.

That summer, Alice Karpeh made her first journey back to Sierra Leone to bring her sister’s body to their mother in Tikonko, Kennedy said.

Dr. Carol Nelson said Alice Karpeh began working at the University of Minnesota’s Boynton Health Service Clinic later that year.

Alice Karpeh has worked at Boynton the last 12 years but will spend the next six months in Tikonko, she said.

“It’s exciting. It’s scary, but I’m just looking forward to it. . . I’ve met some beautiful, good people here, but I want to go home.”

asthma ... but talking about their mental health is a game-changer. The stigma runs deep, with even physicians and law enforcement.”

Luckily, there are resources available and ways people can become part of the solution, Peters said. For example, undergoing QPR training — which stands for Question, Persuade, Refer — is one simple way to learn how to help individuals who might be contemplating suicide.

Other ways people can help are to learn more about mental health issues, which will help eliminate preconceptions about those who struggle with them, said Hugh Davis, executive director of Wisconsin Family Ties, a statewide, family-run nonprofit organization for families with children and adolescents affected by social, emotional, behavioral and mental health challenges.

“Even without all that training, suspend judgement and just look at others with empathy,” Davis said.

Reach Nathaniel Shuda at 920-426-6632 or nshuda@thenorth western.com; on Twitter: @onwnshuda.

checked out officially and Hank is still a good boy” @ccole20: “DON’T WORRY GUYS IT’S THE SAME HANK” That’s that, I guess.

Everyone can go back to covering those important exhibition games the Brewers will be playing for the next few weeks.

BRYNA GODAR/AP

About 100 people gathered on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus Friday to protest the fatal police shooting of 19-year-old Tony Robinson one year ago. They held a rally on Library Mall before marching to the state Capitol.

Shooting Continued from Page 1A

of our youth.”

Some community leaders are optimistic, saying recent task force recommendations will enhance trust with communities of color and that change takes time. NAACP of Dane County President Greg Jones has said the a task force built a bridge between law enforcement and the communities, with both participating in the conversations.

Police also say officers have redoubled their outreach efforts over the last year. Madison Police Chief Mike Koval has encouraged officers to park and get out of their vehicles while on patrol and interact with people in neighborhoods if they’re not responding to calls.

“I want people to know that we’re not going to go into a shell and be hermits,” Koval said. “We’re not going to remain tethered to a narrative that is defined by an 18-second event that occurred on March 6.”

Madison police officer Matt Kenny, who is white, shot Robinson in the stairwell of an apartment house after responding to calls about Robinson behaving erratically. Kenny said he entered the house to investigate sounds of a disturbance, and Robinson started punching him.

An autopsy showed Robinson had traces of drugs in his system, including hallucinogenic mushrooms. Kenny was later cleared of criminal wrongdoing, and an internal investigation found he didn’t violate any police policies.

The shooting sparked protests throughout the city, a federal civil rights lawsuit from Robinson’s family, calls for examination of police use of force and renewed efforts by police to educate and en-

Panels Continued from Page 1A

new commissions worry they will be overly partisan.

“These are partisan people,” said Jay Heck, director of Common Cause in Wisconsin, which opposed the law. “No matter how high-quality they are, they’re never going to replace the impartial retired judges that served on the Government Accountability Board and made decisions independent of who appointed them.”

Supporters of the change have said it will be an improvement over the Government Accountability Board, which they have critiqued as having a partisan bias against Republicans.

That criticism stems in part from the board’s role in the secret investigation of Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s 2012 recall campaign. Board Director Kevin Kennedy has defended the board, saying the real goal of the change is to exert more political control over an independent government agency.

Walker signed the bill in December to replace the board with the two partisan commissions.

The new law allows Re-

gage the community. The shooting also came amid a time of heightened scrutiny of shootings by police nationwide, particularly those involving unarmed young black men.

The conversations are continuing in Madison.

About 100 people gathered Friday afternoon at the University of Wisconsin-Madison amid frigid weather to march toward the state Capitol, chanting Robinson’s name and carrying a banner demanding justice. A community dinner will be held Saturday, and another march is scheduled for Sunday on Williamson Street — where Robinson was shot.

Over the past year, multiple efforts have launched to examine the police department’s policies and procedures.

A United Way of Dane County task force that formed months before Robinson’s death — in the aftermath of the fatal police shooting of 18-yearold Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri — published a report last month with 60 recommendations. Koval said Madison police already practice many of the recommendations, such as implicit bias training. He said wants to look at others more closely.

A city committee is conducting an analysis of the police department’s policies, with plans to have a report finished by October.

Robinson’s mother, Andrea Irwin, said the family’s lawsuit is still in the discovery stage, so it will likely be months before anything changes. She said she lost her job in August but is starting a nonprofit to help victims of state violence. She also said the time hasn’t helped her heal.

“In the beginning, you’re numb, you’re shocked, you don’t really realize it. But as time goes by and things sink in it tends to hurt a lot more,” said Andrea Irwin.

publican and Democratic leaders in the Assembly and Senate to appoint one member each to the elections and ethics commissions. The governor also has two appointees to both commissions and nominates two former judges to the ethics commission and two former county or municipal clerks to the elections commission.

The state Senate must confirm gubernatorial appointees.

Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, already appointed Republican Party of Wisconsin secretary Katie McCallum to the ethics commission in February.

Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling also appointed Milwaukee attorney Ann Jacobs, who has contributed to Democratic campaigns, to the elections commission. Vos’ Friday announcement adds two more Republicans to the list.

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Sushi bar Wasabi to open in Weston MITCHELL A. SKURZEWSKI USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

WESTON - Kiew Law has always heard during his time owning Royal Tokyo in Marshfield how popular a restaurant like it would be in Wausau.

Now, he is “giving it a go.”

Law and his head chef Tony Tsai are now co-owners of Wasabi Teppenyaki & Sushi Bar in Weston, located at the old Ravioli’s and Pine Ridge Restaurant spot, 3703 Schofield Ave. in Weston. The new restaurant opens Thursday.

“We have quite a few people from Wausau who always come to Royal Tokyo and have suggested how well we would do in Wausau,” Law said. “We were looking for a location and found a nice spot, so we thought we’d give it a go.”

The restaurant location has been a revolving door of owners and new establishments, but that doesn’t concern Law. “I think it is all about how much effort the own-

ers put in,” he said. “I think the turnover is not because of the location, it’s how you run your business and provide quality food and quality service.”

One big difference from the Marshfield restaurant Royal Tokyo is that Wasabi will hold lunchtime hours. Wasabi will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., then will re-open from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Tuesday through Sunday.

The restaurant will be closed Mondays.

Wasabi will have four hibachi grills with six to 10 seats available at each grill, Law said. Law encourages customers to make reservations. There also will be a sushi dining area that can accommodate about 40 people. Law said that he and his staff have done some remodeling and anticipates more additions in the first couple weeks of being open.

Going Out Reporter Mitchell A. Skurzewski can be reached at 715-8987006, mskurzewski@gannettwisconsin.com or on Twitter @MSkurzewski

Man gets jail, probation for false crash report CHRIS MUELLER USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

STEVENS POINT - A 20-year-old Wisconsin Rapids man accused of falsely reporting a capsized boat in the Wisconsin River in Stevens Point was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in jail and two years of probation.

Zachary Linzmeier was charged in connection with an incident that began shortly after 4 a.m. Oct. 25, when he reported a boat was stuck in the Verso Corp. dam and capsized, spilling multiple people into the river, according to a criminal complaint.

Linzmeier appeared Wednesday in Portage County Circuit Court and pleaded no contest to criminal damage to property, resisting or obstructing an officer and entering a locked building, according to court records.

The charges are all misdemeanors.

In addition to jail and probation, Linzmeier was ordered to perform 50 hours of community service and pay restitution and other costs in connection with the criminal damage to property charge. The judge ordered a cost hearing be held to determine what costs remain to the Hull, Plover and Stevens Point fire departments.

Linzmeier also received an imposed and stayed nine-month jail sentence that could be re-

imposed if he violates the terms of his probation. He received concurrent Linzmeier sentences on the remaining charges.

Employees at Verso Corp. told police they found Linzmeier in the main building and later found broken windows and other damage on the property, the complaint said. Levers inside the building had been pulled, which caused the dam generators to stop and the power to go out to part of the building.

Emergency crews asked Canadian National to stop train traffic while they responded to the incident near the railroad bridge, the complaint said. Two medical helicopters and a dive team from Marathon County were asked to respond to the incident.

The investigation by police eventually found Linzmeier was intoxicated and no boat had capsized, the complaint said.

A preliminary breath test indicated Linzmeier had a 0.183 percent blood alcohol content. The legal limit for driving in Wisconsin is 0.08.

Chris Mueller can be reached at 715-345-2251 and christopher.mueller @gannettwisconsin.com.

Follow him on Twitter as @AtChrisMueller .

4 from central Wis. face charges in meth cases KAREN MADDEN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

MADISON - Two Wausau residents and two Merrill residents are facing drug charges in federal court for separate incidents.

Patrcik Keenan, 29, of Wausau, Jaimie Pankow, 32, of Wausau, Andrew Nelson, 31, of Merrill and Karen Zais, 48, of Merrill, are charged with possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with intent to deliver. Nelson and Zais also face charges of conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.

Nelson and Zais conspired to deliver meth from January 2014 to June 2014, according to the federal indictment. They possessed more than 50 grams of the illegal substance on June 4, 2014.

Keenan and Pankow originally were charged in U.S. District Court in Madison on Feb. 29, according to a news release.

Marathon County deputies found methamphetamine in Keenan and Pan-

Keenan

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016 | PAGE 3A

KIDS IN CRISIS

local&region KIDS IN CRISIS

KIDS IN CRISIS FACES OF

KIDS IN CRISIS

T'XER ZHON KHA/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Panelists Dr. Kristine Gilmore, left, Elizabeth Hudson, Deb Ramacher, and Dr. Vincent Ramos discuss about mental health issue with the audience Tuesday night during Kids in Crisis forum at the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County auditorium in Wausau.

Experts: Up to 3,000 troubled kids in Wausau LIZ WELTER USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

W

AUSAU - The mental health care system for children and teenagers is a daunting bureaucracy and reforming it is a complex problem with few easy solutions, experts said during a Kids in Crisis town hall.

The breadth of the problem also is overwhelming, with one expert estimating 3,000 children in the Wausau area alone need some form of mental health care.

But there is a way to begin — and it starts with kindness and empathy, said Deb Ramacher, one of four panelists and assistant director of Wisconsin Family Ties, a nonprofit that supports families of children with emotional, behavior and mental disorders.

“Be kind to people. It really is that simple,” Ramacher said. “We don’t have tons of money and we don’t have tons of resources and it doesn’t cost anything to say ‘How are you doing today?’ and it doesn’t cost anything to say ‘It looks like you need some help; can I help you with that?’ Just be kind.”

USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin and Bellin Health co-sponsored the Wausau town hall at the University of Wisconsin Marathon County on Tuesday night, with about 100 people attending and providing questions for the panel.

The stigma about mental health often prevents children from talking about problems or seeking help, Ramacher said. The perceived shame also causes families coping with mental illness to feel isolated, she said.

“The biggest thing about stigma is just talking about it,” Ramacher said. “And this is a start.”

The town hall was one in a series of 10 forums USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin has organized throughout northeastern and central Wisconsin to generate discussion about ways to bridge gaps in juvenile mental health care

with providing a roadmap for improving youth mental health in the state.

Creating an integrated mental health care system is the way to improve the services for children with emotional and mental health needs, said Vincent Ramos, a retired child psychologist. A wrap-around system of care should also include family, friends and faith, he said.

“The needs of our kids are complex and we don’t have T'XER ZHON KHA/USA TODAY the resources,” Ramos said.

NETWORK-WISCONSIN “The reality is that there are a Audience listens to the panelists lot of kids out there who are discuss during Tuesday night's Kids not getting the help that they in Crisis forum at the University of need and kids are our greatest Wisconsin-Marathon County resources. ... We need to advoauditorium in Wausau. cate and collaborate for effective partnerships that provide these services.” and to respond to families’ When D.C. Everest Area needs quickly.

School Superintendent KrisFor more than six months, tine Gilmore pointed that her 25 journalists at USA TODAY district and Wausau have NETWORK-Wisconsin have 15,000 students combined, Raworked collectively on a se- mos noted that nationally 20 ries of stories examining ju- percent of school children are venile mental health issues in coping with an emotional or Wisconsin. The series re- mental illness. That ratio vealed there are daunting equates to 3,000 children in challenges to find solutions the Wausau area, Ramos said. for a complex and multi“Do we have the resources faceted issue. to address those needs? No, A survey about mental but this is a great start to the health posted online last week conversation,” he said. by the Wisconsin Office of The Wausau community is Children’s Mental Health is supportive of its schools and showing that respondents be- cares about its residents, Gillieve the resiliency of a child more said. is fostered by having a rela“The schools are a reflectionship with a supportive tion of the community,” Giladult. The USA TODAY NET- more said. “If there’s a comWORK-Wisconsin sites also munity that can figure this have published the link to the out, it is us.” survey on their websites.

The large crowd and “There have already been thoughtful questions posed over 270 responses to the sur- by audience members is an invey link,” said Elizabeth Hud- dication of the issues’ imporson, director of the state of- tance in the community, said fice. The responses are “rein- Mark Treinen, executive ediforcing research that the tor of Daily Herald Media, meaningful relationship with part of USA TODAY NETone caring adult who is con- WORK-Wisconsin. sistent in a person’s life” is Input from residents and one of the of the primary ele- juvenile mental health supments to build resilience in port agencies gathered at the young people, Hudson said. town halls will help shape a The survey asks respon- call to action the news netdents about their experiences work will host May 5 at the and needs related to mental Overture Center for the Arts health. The results will in- in Madison. form the work of the state OfLiz Welter: 715-898-7008 or fice of Children’s Mental Health, which has been liz.welter@gannettwisconsin tasked by Gov. Scott Walker .com; on Twitter @welter_liz.

Nelson

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteer opportunities Pankow

Zais

kow’s vehicle during a traffic stop Feb. 28 on State 29. At that time, they were placed in federal custody.

If convicted, Keenan and Pankow each face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years.

If convicted, Nelson and Zais face a minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life.

You can contact reporter Karen Madden at 715424-7308, karen.madden@ gannettwisconsin.com or follow her on Twitter @KMadden715.

Become a Peyton’s Promise advocate: If you are in grades four to 12 and want to help fight hunger, Peyton’s Promise wants you! We will train you to speak to your school about the problem and the solution.

Contact Peyton or Teena at 715-218-4401, or peytonsweetness@ yahoo.com.

Fight hunger: Mosinee Community Center of Hope is hosting a fundraising event Saturday, March 12, at Mosinee High School. For just $10, choose a homemade bowl to take home, and enjoy a bowl of soup and bread. Vote for local business “can sculptures” and more. Contact

Amy at 715-693-7145, or info@cchope.net.

“Community Coffee Hour” at The Women’s Community: Persons of all ages are invited to The Women’s Community from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., Thursday, March 10, at 3200 Hilltop Ave., Wausau. Enjoy a cup of coffee while you discover what they are doing to empower communities and individuals to survive the effects of violence and how you can help.

Contact Tony Omernik at 715-298-5721, or tomernik@united waymc.org.

Who do we appreciate: Wausau River District is hosting its first ever “Downtown Employee Appreciation Week” from June 13 to 17. Help with Wausau’s

Largest Coffee Break, yoga on the roof, a cocktail party and time with the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Contact Elizabeth at 715-297-1829, or elizabeth@wausauriver district.org.

Bowl a Strike For Kids: Help with raffle items, T-shirts and some friendly competition at the Big Brothers Big Sisters annual “Bowl for Kids’ Sake” April 29 and 30 at Dale’s Weston Lanes. Contact Linda at 715-848-7207, or lindak @bbbsncw.org.

In-kind donated items needed Clean up: Stable Hands can use Windex, toilet paper and paper towels. Contact Faith at 715-297-5502, or fgokey @gmail.com.

Stop watches/whistles: Any type of whistle or watch to help in training or timing for Special Olympics. Contact 715359-9134, or cjdomino @msn.com.

Gas gift cards: Give the donation of a gas gift card to help Blessings in a Backpack cover the costs of transporting needed food items. Contact 715-551-5037, or contact@bibdcewausau .org.

United Way Volunteer Connection and Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, or RSVP, match volunteers and in-kind donated items with agencies that need them.

For more information, visit www.UnitedWayMC.org, or call United Way’s 2-1-1 helpline.

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THURSDAY

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KIDS IN CRISIS

KIDS IN CRISIS

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS

Paychecks skyrocket for WIAA executives

Kids in CrisisKIDS panelIN CR talks mental health FACES OF solutions KIDS IN CRIS LEAH ULATOWSKI USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

JIM MATTHEWS/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

The scoreboard at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon advertises the WIAA state girls basketball tournament, which begins today. The WIAA receives most of its funding from operating the state’s annual postseason high school athletic tournaments.

Six officials overseeing Wisconsin prep sports now earn six figures KEEGAN KYLE USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

M

ADISON - The business of high school sports tournaments has never been bigger in Wisconsin, generating $7.6 million last year from ticket sales, broadcasting rights, sponsorships and other sources.

The paychecks of top Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Associa-

tion executives have followed suit, according to nonprofit tax records reviewed by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

The WIAA reported paying its top six executives $1.1 million last year, a 72 percent boost from 2001 tax filings that outpaced hikes in other workers’ compensation.

Executive director Dave Anderson received a $162,000 salary in addition to $78,000 in benefits, including retirement contributions.

His predecessor’s salary in 2001 was about $37,000 less and his benefits cost $47,000 less.

The WIAA receives most of its funding from operating the state’s annual postseason athletic tournaments. Tickets this year for the girls basketball tournament in Ashwaubenon, which starts Thursday and runs through Saturday, are $10 for each of the seven sessions See WIAA, Page 2A

Source of bloodstream infection in state still a mystery GRETCHEN EHLKE ASSOCIATED PRESS

MILWAUKEE - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent additional investigators to Wisconsin to find the source of a blood infection that officials described as the largest outbreak of the bacteria now linked to at least 15 deaths.

Wisconsin health officials said on their website Wednesday that the total number of reported cases now stands at 48.

Infections were centered in the heavily populated southeastern quarter of the state, including the Milwaukee area and

INSIDE

surrounding suburban counties.

Infectious disease specialists expect more infections to be found because health care providers and laboratories have been alerted to look for the bacterium called Elizabethkingia.

Health officials initially reported the bacterium had been tied to 18 deaths, but the state Department of Health Services revised that figure to 15 late Wednesday afternoon. Agency officials said they couldn’t confirm that one person with Elizabethkingia had died and re-

1st case of illness found in Sheboygan County Wisconsin’s Elizabethkingia outbreak has spread to Sheboygan County, according to an updated report from the state Department of Health Services on Wednesday.

At least one case has been confirmed in Sheboygan County, although the DHS could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon to confirm if more than one case had been reported in the county.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has sent additional investigators to Wisconsin to find the source of a blood infection that officials described as the largest outbreak of the bacteria now linked to at least 18 deaths.

See INFECTION, Page 2A

BRADLEY’S FUTURE MATTERS MORE THAN PAST | OPINION, 4A

INDEX

USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin’s Kids in Crisis series gave a face to troubling statistics. Wisconsin’s teen suicide rate is about a third higher than the national average and a staggering number of youths are reporting high levels of anxiety and depression.

Reporters found resources were spread thin or sometimes not available at all in these raw portraits of families and youth navigating mental health concerns.

But, it is not enough to highlight the problems; upcoming articles will outline a blueprint for action and possible solutions. The transition to this next phase of stories has been aided by a series of public meetings throughout Wisconsin designed to give professionals a chance to discuss ways to address this complex issue at the local level.

The Sheboygan Press hosted one such event Wednesday at Mead Public Library. Four panelists drew from their backgrounds to provide input on the situation and answer questions from community members.

They focused on ways to support parents in their quest for help, combat stigma surrounding mental health issues, address bullying in schools and encourage the small personal gestures that can save a child’s life.

Hugh Davis, executive director at Wisconsin Family Ties, shared that his four children all have mental health needs. He stressed the importance of professionals taking parents seriously when they first report having concerns about their children as opposed to “taking a fail-first mentality” that waits for symptoms to worsen before intervening.

“I’ve come to believe that the only experts on kids who have mental health needs are the parents, so we need to be much more responsive to them,” Davis said.

An audience member inquired what steps a community can take when parents or families refuse to acknowledge their children might have mental health challenges.

Davis said one of the best ways to encourage them is by providing them with peers in the form of fellow parents who have navigated similar situations. He also expressed the importance of mental health professionals to minimize “blame and shame” when working with parents.

“We still to this day hear things like, ‘Imagine what these kids’ home life is like,’ and those kinds of comments do not have any place in this,” Davis said. “We need to treat people with unconditional positive regard and accept them where they are, even if it is not yet where we would like to see them.”

Carla Vorpahl, a social See CRISIS, Page 2A

ADVICE..................5B ASTROGRAPH ......5B CLASSIFIED ......... 7B

COMICS ............... 6B COMMUNITY .......3A CROSSWORD ......6B

WEEKEND ........... 1B OBITUARIES ....3/5A SPORTS ................8A

TELEVISION .........5B WEATHER .............3A

$1.00 RETAIL FOR HOME DELIVERY PRICING, SEE PAGE 2A

PAGE 2A | THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016

WIAA Continued from Page 1A

at the Resch Center.

Until this year, hundreds of public and private school districts have also directly funded the association through

SHEBOYGANPRESS.COM | THE SHEBOYGAN PRESS

membership fees and dues. School district funding last year totaled $424,000, according to the WIAAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tax filings.

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin took a closer look at the WIAAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spending in light of a proposal moving through the Capitol that would require the association to

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comply with government transparency laws. Some legislators say the WIAA is so strongly tied to public schools that it deserves equal scrutiny.

Tax filings, open to public review under federal laws, already provide some insight into the associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operations and how paychecks at the top have climbed even through years in which public school officials complained of state funding shortages.

About 13 cents of every dollar raised by the WIAA ultimately flows into the pockets of its top six executives: Anderson, four lower-ranking directors and an association spokesman. Each received a six-figure salary and more than $57,000 in benefits last year.

Anderson, in response to our review, said salaries are approved by a member-elected board of school officials and reflect industry rates. He said directors work 10 more hours per week than in 2001 and noted rising consumer prices as a factor in pay changes.

Anderson disputed the

fairness of comparing total compensation reported in tax filings, saying federal laws today require nonprofits to account for benefits differently than 15 years ago.

By the WIAAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calculations, the reported cost of Andersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s benefits last year wouldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been about $28,000 lower under 2001 reporting laws.

Still, Anderson and three WIAA board members interviewed by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t challenge our core finding that executive pay has grown alongside the associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expenses as a whole. The combined salaries of the top six executives alone have climbed by about 40 percent since 2001 and one personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s salary has nearly doubled.

Anderson isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a public employee. But as the WIAAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s executive director, he now earns more than just about every administrator at a WIAAmember public school as well as the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s superintendent and governor.

Overall growth

Infection Crisis Continued from Page 1A

Continued from Page 1A

ceived duplicative and incorrect reports from various sources.

They stressed that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not clear whether the infection caused the deaths.

A team of eight disease investigators, including three recently dispatched from the CDC, worked with the state Department of Health Services to interview those infected in 11 southern counties. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to get through all of the basic information when memories are still fresh and they remember what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve eaten and where theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been,â&#x20AC;? said Michael Bell, the CDCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deputy director of Healthcare Quality Promotion.

The organism is common in the environment, including water and soil, but it rarely causes infections, Bell said Wednesday. And because the cases tested so far come from the same genetic â&#x20AC;&#x153;fingerprint,â&#x20AC;? investigators looked for a common source, he added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is essentially tenfold in what we expect to seeâ&#x20AC;? generally, Bell said.

worker for the Sheboygan Area School District, addressed the topic of stigma. Sometimes a student can be having a very open conversation with her, but the youth will immediately put up walls if she mentions the possibility of depression. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is still an incredible amount of stigma that is tied to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia,â&#x20AC;? Vorpahl said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It takes a while to bring that wall down.â&#x20AC;?

An audience member suggested children may be more open to discussing mental health if the vocabulary can be changed, such as using the terms â&#x20AC;&#x153;brain healthâ&#x20AC;? or â&#x20AC;&#x153;mental wellness.â&#x20AC;?

Vorpahl agreed about the importance of terminology and also stressed how vital it is to educate the community on the fact that mental health is just another component of overall health and seeking help should not carry any more shame than going to the doctor for â&#x20AC;&#x153;broken hip.â&#x20AC;?

The WIAA has been able to provide larger paychecks to its executives over the past 15 years in part due to hikes in ticket prices, referee licensing fees and broadcasting partnerships.

In just the past decade, association figures show revenue from operating the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high school tournaments has grown from about $5.9 million to $7.2 million annually while royalties have increased eightfold to $476,000.

In some cases, those royalties have come from media organizations seeking to cover high school postseason competition.

The WIAA in 2009 sued The Post-Crescent and the Wisconsin Newspapers Association over the broadcasting rights of state tournament contests held in public schools. A federal appeals court sided with the WIAA, rejecting the argument that the games were public events. The Post-Crescent is part of USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

The WIAA operates more than 3,000 competiThe panel also spoke on the topic of bullying and how it factors into a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mental health to continually receive negative feedback from others. Elizabeth Hudson, director of the Office of Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mental Health, touched on how schools can foster positive connections between students, such as by establishing a â&#x20AC;&#x153;friendship benchâ&#x20AC;? on playgrounds for children to sit on when looking for a playmate.

Davis stressed the importance of adults moving away from â&#x20AC;&#x153;the kids will be kids mentalityâ&#x20AC;? when it comes to bullying. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The people who have the most power in a bullying situation are the bystanders,â&#x20AC;? Davis said.

To close the event, Kayla Ostermann, a counselor on the behavioral health unit at Sheboyganâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aurora Medical Center, and the other panelists acknowledge that waitlists can be long and resources are sometimes spread thin despite the diligence of professionals.

Nevertheless, each stressed the importance that small gestures from community members can have on a struggling childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life.

Learn more Check out more of our investigation online at SheboyganPress.com.

tions annually, with more than $2 million flowing back to host schools through payments that vary by sport. For example, hosting a basketball tournament pays $60 per game compared to $80 per game for football.

Sanders said growing revenue was critical to eliminating membership fees and dues last year.

The Board of Control wanted to make the decision permanent, he said, but that can only happen under a vote of all member school districts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a goal of (Andersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s) ever since he took over as executive director,â&#x20AC;? Sanders said.

Keegan Kyle is an investigative reporter for USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin. He can be reached at kkyle@ gannett.com or on Twitter @keegankyle.

What should he write about next?

Davis shared the story of how a friend of his spent time in a psychiatric hospital as a teenager and was â&#x20AC;&#x153;totally shunnedâ&#x20AC;? by everyone in school upon his return.

He had an intense interest in motorcycles, which a teacher picked up on.

Every day, the teacher would pick up a motorcycle magazine in line at the grocery store and just memorize a few facts to discuss with the young man at school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My friend, now a middle-aged man, refers to those interactions as a lifeline that kept him from taking his own life as a teenager,â&#x20AC;? Davis said.

In closing, Sheboygan Press Editor Jason Smathers addressed the crowd of about 70 individuals to share that their interest and attendance was the first step in addressing the issue of childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mental health. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is hope, and you being here is proof of that,â&#x20AC;? Smathers said.

The next installment of Kids in Crisis articles will be running from March 20-25.

Reach Leah Ulatowski at 920-453-5134, Lulatowski@sheboyganpress.com or @Leah_Bekah on Twitter.

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ADVOCATING FOR CHILDREN TOWN HALL ON YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH URGES PARENTS TO SPEAK UP, SEEK HELP

WM. GLASHEEN/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Chong Lee listens to his lawyers Wednesday prior to him being convicted in the 2013 shooting death in Appleton.

Luna verdict a big victory for police, prosecutor Homicide conviction comes despite lack of physical evidence ALISON DIRR USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

RON PAGE/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Panelist Casey Hanson speaks to the audience during a Kids in Crisis town hall meeting Thursday at the Warch Campus Center on the Lawrence University campus.

KATHERINE LYMN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

A

PPLETON - Parents seeking answers gathered Thursday evening for the last of 10 town halls on youth mental health in Wisconsin.

Panelists acknowledged the shortage of mental health professionals in the state and offered advice to parents on navigating the often complex world of mental health care and in reaching out to kids who are in crisis.

“Be a strong advocate for your

See CHILDREN, Page 5A

Watch the town hall To see a replay of Thursday’s Kids in Crisis town hall meeting in Appleton or view more photos, visit postcrescent.com.

RON PAGE/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Bill Becher of Menasha listens to a panel discussion during a Kids in Crisis town hall meeting Thursday at Lawrence University. More than 100 people attended.

APPLETON - The jury in the Luna Lounge homicide case delivered a resounding victory Wednesday for the Outagamie County District Attorney’s Office and the Appleton Police Department.

To get the guilty verdict on the homicide charge against Chong Lee, prosecutors had to overcome the absence of any eyewitnesses to the shooting or video of the shooter pulling the trigger, a lack of physical evidence at the scene, witnesses who were not forthcoming and a murder weapon that was never found.

Members of the Appleton Police Department, including officers who had testified in the case, squeezed into the crowded Outagamie County courtroom Wednesday evening for the reading of the verdict in a case in which the defense called into question the department’s investigative tactics.

“It’s easy for people to put the police under a microscope,” Outagamie County District Attorney Carrie Schneider said Thursday. “... It’s always easy, I think in really any field, you can try to go back and say, well, you should have done this or you should have done this or you could have done that.”

After four hours of deliberation, the jury found the 30-yearold Lee guilty of first-degree intentional homicide in the death See VERDICT, Page 4A

Neenah woman cherished friendship with Reagans Schrang, who led GOP presidential push in 1980, died one day after former first lady JIM COLLAR USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

This afternoon’s funeral for former First Lady Nancy Reagan will bring mourning and memories of a woman with style and conviction — and a true partner in a presidency that continues to influence the modern

American story.

Closer to home, residents might also pause to remember Barbara Schrang. The former Neenah resident and a friend of the Reagans lived an adventurous life, and was active in the community during her decades here. She died on Monday, one day after Nancy.

Schrang, 84, who was most recently living in St. Louis, was a Wisconsin chairwoman for Ronald Reagan’s 1980 presidential campaign and maintained a relationship with the couple after the election. Her son, Stephen Schrang, didn’t think much of it then or in the years that followed.

“Now that I think back on it, it’s a bit larger than life — to walk

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Barbara Schrang, right, welcomes Nancy and Ronald Reagan during a 1980 presidential campaign stop in Neenah.

See SCHRANG, Page 4A

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WHEN A YO U N G PERSON COMMITS SUICIDE, WE ALL DIE A LITTLE. Suicide does more than take a life. It devastates lives all around it. No one is the same afterwards, and the problem is becoming a crisis. Fortunately there are things we can do to help our kids before it’s too late.

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Bradleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s romantic relationship became issue in 2005 case ASSOCIATED PRESS

MILWAUKEE - Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley had a romantic relationship with a former coworker and went on to represent the man in a child custody case, prompting the manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exwife to try to remove her for alleged conflict of interest, a newspaper reported Thursday.

Bradley acknowledged a relationship with her client in a filing opposing her removal, but argued that it presented no conflict, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported. The judge in the 2005 case eventually sided with Bradley.

The Journal Sentinel story was the latest in a series of negative Bradley headlines this week for Bradley, who is in a tight race with Court of Appeals Justice JoAnne Kloppenburg for a 10year term on the high court. She has repeatedly apologized this week after revelations of old opinion columns from her days as a Marquette University student, including one that including anti-gay comments, and said they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t reflect who she is now.

Gov. Scott Walker, who

appointed Bradley to the high court last fall to finish the late Justice Patrick Crooksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; term, has faced questions about his vetting of her since the columns surfaced, and has said he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know about them. Spokesman Laurel Patrick told the Journal Sentinel that the governor also didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know of the custody case.

Bradleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attorney, Dan Kelly, told the newspaper the case was a â&#x20AC;&#x153;non-eventâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;a nothingâ&#x20AC;? that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t merit bringing to the attention of the governor. Bradley cut off a brief interview with the newspaper, saying the Journal Sentinel â&#x20AC;&#x153;should be ashamed of itself.â&#x20AC;?

Patrick and Kelly didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press.

The Journal Sentinel reported that court documents show Bradley and her husband, Gordon Bradley, filed for divorce in April 2004 and it was finalized that October. Gordon Bradley said they were married for eight years.

In September of that same year Bradley began representing J. Andrew Bednall in his child custody dispute with his exwife.

Bradley and Bednall had worked together at the Milwaukee law firm Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek in the early 2000s.

Bednall was the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chief operating officer when Bradley joined in 2000. Bednall left the firm in November 2003; Bradley left two months later to take a job at a Brookfield-based software firm.

In her 2005 filing responding to the request for her removal, Bradley wrote she had known Bednall for four years and the two had once had a romantic relationship. She wrote they had broken it off in November 2002, but continued to date â&#x20AC;&#x153;on a nonexclusive basis since that time.â&#x20AC;?

Both Gordon Bradley and Kelly told the newspaper that the Bradleys were living apart at the

time of her relationship with Bednall.

Bradley defended her decision to represent Bednall in her affidavit, saying she concluded she could ethically represent him because working for him wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t affect any other clients, and Bednall had agreed to waive any potential conflict.

Her attorney at the time, Randal N. Arnold, said in filings that the ex-wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s motion was designed to embarrass Bradley and harass Bednall.

A court-appointed attorney representing the sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interests supported Bradleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s removal, but Judge Michael O. Bohren rejected the request without comment.

Johnson: Nominee vote possible if president were Republican SCOTT BAUER ASSOCIATED PRESS

MADISON - A Republican senator suggested on Thursday that the Senate might consider filling the current vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court if President Barack Obama were a conservative.

Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, who faces a tough re-election contest in November, has been united with other Senate

Feingold

Johnson

Republicans in opposing moving forward with any Obama nominee to replace Antonin Scalia, who died last month. But on Thursday, Johnson suggested things would be different if Republican

Mitt Romney were president. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a different situation,â&#x20AC;? Johnson said in response to the hypothetical question from the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Morning Messâ&#x20AC;? radio host. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Generally, and this is the way it works out politically, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re replacing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; if a conservative presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s replacing a conservative justice, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little more accommodation to it.â&#x20AC;?

Johnson faces Democrat Russ Feingold this

November in a rematch of their 2008 race. Feingold has joined with other Democrats in saying the Senate should move ahead with consideration of whoever Obama may nominate.

Johnson has branded Feingold a hypocrite because when he was in the Senate in 2006 he supported a filibuster of President George W. Bushâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nomination of current Justice Samuel Alito.

Feingold has said thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

different because he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t oppose Bushâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to put forward a nominee, he just objected to Alito being the one.

Johnson reiterated his position in the Thursday interview that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worried an Obama nominee would flip control of the court from conservatives to liberals. He said waiting to confirm the next Supreme Court justice next year after the election would be â&#x20AC;&#x153;very reasonableâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;probably the

fairest thing to do.â&#x20AC;?

A spokesman for Johnson is downplaying the comments he made. Johnsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s campaign spokesman Brian Reisinger noted in a follow up email that the senator â&#x20AC;&#x153;did not say what the Senate would or would not do under a hypothetical situation.â&#x20AC;?

Feingold spokesman Michael Tyler says that â&#x20AC;&#x153;Johnson is confirming that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only willing to do his job if it helps Washington Republicans.â&#x20AC;?

Madison mayor returns volley in Oscar Mayer loss blame game MATTHEW DEFOUR WISCONSIN STATE JOURNAL

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin sharpened criticism of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Republican leadership Thursday in response to Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald blaming him for the pending closure of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Oscar Mayer headquarters.

Soglin blasted Fitzgerald, Gov. Scott Walker, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. for the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weak economic performance over the past five years compared with other states.

He specifically pointed to a report from the Kauffman Foundation,

Children Continued from Page 1A

kids,â&#x20AC;? said Hugh Davis, executive director of Wisconsin Family Ties, a Madison-based advocacy group for families dealing with mental health issues.

He suggested parents make use of organizations like his or seek out other parents whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been in similar situations with kids with mental illness. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Reach out to other parents that have walked in similar shoes,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is something that can help provide hope when you feel that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in a situation that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a whole lot of hope for a good outcome.â&#x20AC;?

More than 100 people turned out Thursday evening at Lawrence Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Warch Campus Center for the town hall hosted by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. The series of town halls followed extensive reporting on the troubling state of youth mental health in the state, reporting that has involved all 10 USA TODAY NETWORK newspaper sites in Wisconsin.

The third and final chapter of the Kids in Crisis series begins March 20 and will incorporate feedback collected from the town halls.

Lori Hilt, an assistant professor of psychology at Lawrence University and one of Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s panel members, said parents can also advocate by seeing what their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s schools have available.

Some schools participate in the 10-minute computer-based â&#x20AC;&#x153;connected

Fitzgerald

Soglin

which tracks entrepreneurial activity, showing Wisconsin ranked 50th in new business startups in 2015 and a quarterly jobs report released Wednesday showing Wisconsin ranked 36th in job creation from September 2014 through September 2015. â&#x20AC;&#x153;WMC has been writing the playbook and feeding it into the senatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and governorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office and all we have is failure,â&#x20AC;? Soglin said at a community wellness screensâ&#x20AC;? for mental illness, she said.

Hilt said parents can ask their childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school about getting the screening done, and let other parents know about it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Spread that knowledge throughout our community; we want to reach everyone,â&#x20AC;? she said.

More than parents can play a role in our kidsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mental health, though.

The panelists urged community members at large to look into initiatives like QPR (â&#x20AC;&#x153;Question, Persuade, Referâ&#x20AC;?) suicide prevention training and Youth Mental Health First Aid. A hallmark of QPR is teaching people how to ask the â&#x20AC;&#x153;suicide question,â&#x20AC;? asking someone if they are thinking of killing themselves, despite how uncomfortable it feels. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Giving educators, giving fellow students the tools to be able to ask those questions I think can go a long way,â&#x20AC;? Hilt said.

If nothing else, just be kind and compassionate, said Elizabeth Hudson, head of the Wisconsin Office of Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mental Health. She said to think not about whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wrong with a parent or child who is struggling in a grocery store, but what has happened to them that day or in their life. Rather than look at them with disdain, ask how you can be supportive.

The panelists agreed stigma is a huge barrier to kids getting the mental health care or prevention services they need. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stigma prevents so many individuals from reaching out to those care and prevention services,â&#x20AC;? said Casey Hanson, a clin-

news conference. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Five years of Walker and five years of Fitzgerald and everything has gone downhill.â&#x20AC;?

Soglin also chastised WMC, the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chamber of commerce, for saying it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have an inkling about the possibility that Oscar Mayer would close and WEDC for not contacting his office with information it obtained from WMC in June that other states were luring Kraft Heinz facilities out of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin State Journal reported that information last week based on emails WEDC released under the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Public Records Law. â&#x20AC;&#x153;How could you be in these businesses and not

have an inkling?â&#x20AC;? he asked. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They knew Kraft Heinz was being wooed by other states with economic development packages.

They did nothing. Someone has some explaining to do.â&#x20AC;?

Soglin continued to defend his office not contacting WEDC prior to the surprise announcement in November of the Oscar Mayer closure. Soglinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office contacted Oscar Mayer in March after the merger between parent company Kraft and Heinz was announced, and in July said assistance was available, but the company never showed interest. Soglin said he acted on instinct, but doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know if thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s enough reason to contact

the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job-retention agency.

Fitzgerald issued a statement Tuesday in which he said he was requesting records from Soglinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office to learn more about what Soglin knew about the closure and why he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t contact WEDC or his office. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ultimately, the closure of the Oscar Mayer facility took place in the City of Madison under Mayor Soglinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s watch,â&#x20AC;?

Fitzgerald said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;His misguided attempts to shift blame onto WEDC or other state business groups are no more than a smokescreen to disguise his officeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s culpability.â&#x20AC;?

Soglin said Fitzgeraldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s statement was meant to cover up the

â&#x20AC;&#x153;vast economic failure that is Wisconsin over the last five years.â&#x20AC;?

Fitzgeraldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spokeswoman Myranda Tanck responded saying Soglin would rather delay with a press conference than respond to the records request. Soglin said he would release responsive records within the next few days after completing a search.

Walker, WMC and WEDC officials didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Walker has touted the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economy in recent weeks, noting the state is one of 10 that has an unemployment rate lower than what it was before the last recession.

ical psychologist with Catalpa Health. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Be kind and spread that understanding of the needs of all in our community.â&#x20AC;?

One parent in attendance reported her child was told to simply â&#x20AC;&#x153;snap outâ&#x20AC;? of their mental illness. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We would never say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Snap out of itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to a child who has some other kind of a disability,â&#x20AC;? Davis said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If a child needed to use a wheelchair, we would never say, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Well, if you really wanted to, you could walk.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

Katherine Lymn: 920996-7232, or klymn@ postcrescent.com; on Twitter @KathLymn

RON PAGE/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

A Kids in Crisis town hall meeting Thursday night drew a full house at the Warch Campus Center in Appleton. A replay of the livestream of the session on youth mental health can be seen at postcrescent.com.

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RORY LINNANE AND JAMES FITZHENRY USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Fifteen years, two months and six days.

Perhaps the most poignant plea came from the one person who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to be there. Though hers is broken, Kris Cahak knew the number by heart. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too late for Morgan,â&#x20AC;? Cahak told the crowd in Stevens Point, taking a deep breath as her daughter smiled in a photograph projected behind her. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I will continue to help in any way I can because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the right thing to do, and I know in my heart itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what she would want me to do.â&#x20AC;?

From the first welcome in Manitowoc to the final goodnight in Appleton, one thing was certain throughout USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Kids in Crisis town hall meetings: Wisconsin is filled with concern, compassion and countless ideas for improving childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mental health.

More than 800 attended the 10 town halls, bringing hundreds of questions for 28 expert panelists.

A lethal combination of factors are at work. Not only is the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s teen suicide rate about a third higher than the national average, youths here report high levels of anxiety and depression. Yet getting help can be daunting.

Federal statistics peg the state as having the most severe shortage of mental health professionals in the nation. And despite progress in combating stigma, the shame that surrounds mental illness makes discussing See BLUEPRINT, Page 4A

If you go What: Kids in Crisis Call to Action event When: 10 a.m., May 5 (free, public invited) Where: Overture Center, 201 State St. in Madison

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27 expert panelists at Kids in Crisis town halls JAMES FITZHENRY USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Twenty-seven experts served as panelists at 10 USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Kids in Crisis town hall meetings.

Each panelist spoke about his or her experience working with children’s mental health and how to improve the system.

They also took questions from the audience.

The panelists included: » Sharla Baenen, president of Bellin Psychiatric Center, who is responsible for overall operations for an 80-bed licensed private, freestanding psychiatric hospital and 11 outpatient mental health clinics. In the greater Green Bay community, she is the current chair of the Brown County Coalition for Suicide Prevention and the Brown County Mental Health Task Force. She is also an active member of the Brown County Alcohol and Substance Abuse Task Force and the Wisconsin Hospital Association Behavioral Health Task Force. » Laura Binder, president of PIER WI (Parents Information and Education Resource), which works with various other agencies to provide education and resources to the public. She founded the Anger Me Not Foundation which provides education, training and resources to parents, educators, other professionals and caregivers. She has four children; two of which have mental illness along with other disabilities. » Hugh Davis, executive director for Wisconsin Family Ties, a statewide parent-run nonprofit that serves families that include children with social, emotional or behavioral challenges, is the father of four children who have mental health needs. His experience navigating complex systems to secure treatment and services for his children led to a career change and his current position. » Dr. Matthew Doll, director of Behavioral Health/Autism Services at Agnesian HealthCare, who with his wife started their own mental health and consulting clinic in 2000 where they provide mental health and consulting services to the Fox Valley area. He graduated from the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana in 1981 and completed his doctorate degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Clinical Psychology in 1991. » Kim Eithun, Operations Lead at the Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health, who oversees the Children’s Mental Health Collective Impact (CMHCI) initiative’s backbone activities. CMHCI Executive Council and work group meetings are leading to new ways of thinking about service integration, measurement, and outcomes resulting in renewed hope that together Wisconsin will bring optimal health and well-being to our state’s children and families. » Kristine Gilmore, superintendent of the D.C. Everest School District. As a former teacher and principal, and now as a superintendent for the past thirteen years, she has great appreciation for the many needs of children and their families in our community. In 2014, she served as a panelist at the State of Wisconsin Mental Health Summit. » Christina Gingle, social work coordinator in the Green Bay Area Public School

Blueprint Continued from Page 1A

the subject difficult.

Cahak, who shared the story of her daughter Morgan Pieper’s death by suicide, knows that all too well. Morgan had expressed her pain via social media, even posting a photo that said, “I’m not OK.” Pieper’s photo got 44 likes, but no one warned Cahak. She spoke at three town halls and called for enhanced mental health screenings in schools, the creation of peer support groups and additional training for anyone who works with kids.

“Education for everyone on the front lines with kids,” she said. “I urge you all to get involved, as you are here tonight. Stay involved, reach out, stand up for this cause, because the one thing I can absolutely guarantee you is the last place you want to be standing is in my shoes.”

Common themes While each town hall had a distinct local flavor, several themes were consistent throughout all 10, including stigma, semantics, schools and silos: » Stigma. The baggage surrounding mental illness remains the most significant barrier to early detection and treatment. Advocates said sympathy for mental health problems falls outside the “casserole” zone, where friends and family members rally to bring meals and share support.

“When it’s a mental illness that causes a hospitalization, people stay away in droves. And that needs to change,” said Hugh Davis, director of Wisconsin Family Ties, a nonprofit that provides peer support for families.

“We don’t believe that there is any shame at all in a child having a disorder that they didn’t ask for and have no control over.”

Just how ingrained is stigma? The president of the National Alliance for Mentally Ill chapter in Portage-Wood Counties said she was stunned by the reaction when she began serving on community coalitions.

Gleason

Baenen

Binder

Davis

Doll

Eithun

Gilmore

Gingle

Hanson

Hilt

Hudson

Jewell

Laabs

Nyen

Parks

Peters

Ramacher

Ramos

Randolph

Schultz

Sheridan

Stephens

Wargo

Wolf

District, who is responsible for oversight of social work led district initiatives as well as grants designed to improve both academic and social-emotional outcomes of students.

She worked in a variety of clinic settings prior to entering the educational setting where she worked as a school social worker at a high school for 10 years. » Michelle Gleason, youth services manager for North Central Health Care’s Community Treatment program, who oversees three programs that serve youth and their families in Lincoln, Langlade and Marathon county – Children’s Long Term Support and Family Support, Comprehensive Community Services and Coordinated Services Team. » Patricia Grace, a full-time Mental Health Specialist for Ministry Medical Group Pediatrics. Along with providing therapy services, she has been the administrator for two mental health clinics. She has a private practice working with a population with chronically mental illness and children who suffered from autism, ADHD, ODD, and depression and other delays. » Casey Hanson, a psychologist for Catalpa Health who specializes in psychological evaluation, autism spectrum disorders and OCD. She completed her Master of Science in psychology and a Doctor of Philosophy-Psychology from Marquette University and resi-

dency at Mendota Mental Health Institute, Madison, Wisconsin. She also has a Master of Science in clinical psychopharmacology from Fairleigh Dickinson University, New Jersey. » Lori M. Hilt, an assistant professor of psychology at Lawrence University, who teaches classes on child clinical psychology and neuroscience. She co-edited the Handbook of Depression in Adolescence and has published research on depression and nonsuicidal self-injury. She is on the editorial board for the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and also serves on the local boards for the Appleton Youth Education Initiative and Connected Community TeenScreen. » Elizabeth Hudson, director of the Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health, who has worked in the field of trauma prevention and treatment for over 25 years as a sexual assault and domestic violence advocate, mental health clinician, clinical supervisor, and non-profit administrator. Previously, she served in the University of WisconsinMadison’s School of Medicine and Public Health. » Kay Jewell, president of the National Alliance for Mentally Ill chapter in Portage and Wood Counties, who is a family member, a mother and a physician as well as a person living with a mental health condition. She has

“It was like I stopped existing,” Kay Jewell said during the Marshfield town hall. “People told me their opinion of me changed and usually it went down. I was stunned.”

That is an indicator of a larger, and more ominous, perception.

“If you have a mental health condition, it’s like over. Your life is sort of over,” she said. “That is the basic belief that a lot of people have and so they don’t want to have a mental health condition, they don’t want to tell people they have a mental health condition because they just feel like their future has gone down the tubes.”

Paradoxically, that stigma is costing Wisconsin lives and resources.

“Economically, we know that the sooner we intervene, the more successful we are and the less we have to spend for services that are more intense,” said Kim Eithun, a manager at the Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health. » Semantics.

Many panelists said the very words people use for mental health put up barriers.

The vocabulary is entirely different than other physical illnesses.

“We don’t look at mental illness the same way we look at physical illness,” said Joann Stephens, family relations coordinator at the Office of Children’s Mental Health. “It is not as acceptable to get treatment for mental illness because it is looked at as a personal flaw.”

Some called for replacing the term “mental health” with “brain health” to emphasize it as a medical issue rather than a character flaw. It’s the terminology used by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and it’s being adopted in other settings.

“We really do avoid ‘mental illness’ whenever possible because most of us, when we think about it, have a real negative gut reaction to that,” said Jewell, of NAMI Portage and Wood Counties.

Both genetics and life experiences can determine whether a brain will develop a disorder. Whatever the cause, experts said it’s important to recognize the disorder as a

health issue that is not a reflection of a personal weakness.

“When we are traumatized in our youth, our brains are changed,” said Dr. Matthew Doll, a psychologist at Agnesian HealthCare in Fond du Lac. The good news, he said, is the brain can be changed again to become healthy through strong positive relationships, therapy, or medication.

“With early identification and intervention, we really have a lot of hope,” Doll said. » Schools. The challenges and opportunities of treating youths in schools dominated the discussion at several town halls. Many panelists recommended a universal screening that would be offered to all Wisconsin students at certain ages.

Marian Sheridan, coordinator of school health in Fond du Lac, said her district has screened 10,000 students since 2002. She said 1,800 students have been flagged and connected with resources for mental health care.

Sheridan said that with a nearly 20 percent referral rate, the mental health screenings catch more issues than other health screenings like those for vision, hearing or scoliosis. She encouraged all school districts to do screenings, and said they should start earlier than ninth grade.

“I think we have to get more comfortable with talking about the necessity of screening,” Sheridan said. “There’s no way children can achieve academically when they’re being faced with so many mental health challenges.”

But screenings are inconsistent throughout the state. A statewide youth risk behavior survey anonymously measures some mental health issues, but it doesn’t identify specific students at risk to get them help.

Kristine Gilmore, superintendent of D.C. Everest schools, said her district has considered screenings but does not do them currently. Addressing Cahak directly, Gilmore said her district is strapped for resources to address mental health challenges.

been support to family members who had both physical and mental health issues. » Cheryl Laabs, a public health nurse with the Winnebago County Health Department who is actively involved in re:TH!NK, Winnebago’s Healthy Living Partnership.

She has been involved in implementing multiple mental health initiatives, including organizing and coordinating the re:TH!NK Mental Health Share Shop, assisting with promotion and implementation of the Connected Communities Wellness Screen at local high schools and participating in the newly formed Zero Suicide Community Coalition. » Greg Nyen, director of pupil services for the Stevens Point School District. Over the past 18 months, it has worked to develop collaborative partnerships with a number of mental health providers.

It now has satellite clinics of 4 local providers in all 13 of our schools, which translates to one day per week of mental health therapist time in each of its 13 schools. » Kayla Ostermann, a counselor on Behavioral Health unit at Aurora Sheboygan Medical Center, who graduated from Lakeland College’s master of counseling program in 2010. Previously, she worked as a Parent Educator at Family Resource Center, line therapist with autistic children for Phoenix Behavioral Health, Mobile Crisis Counselor for

Family Services of NEW in Sheboygan County. » Teresa Paulus, a public health nurse with the Winnebago County Health Department, who presented a report on behalf of the Winnebago County Child Death Review Team with a series of suicide prevention recommendations. » Casey Parks, service facilitator for the Comprehensive Community Services program for Wood County Human Services, who provide services to adults and children to help them achieve the goals they set for themselves for living, working and participating in the community successfully.

Comprehensive Community Services is a voluntary recovery based program for individuals of all ages with mental health and/or substance abuse issues. » Debbie Peters, who has served as the Executive Director of Community For Hope since 2012. She is charged with carrying out its mission of suicide prevention, intervention and grief support. She works closely with community partners in providing QPR Gatekeeper Training, attending a multitude of community events, and working to eliminate the epidemic of suicide. » Deb Ramacher, associate director for Wisconsin Family Ties, a statewide parent-run nonprofit that serves families that include children with social, emotional or behavioral

challenges,who is the parent of a young adult daughter with mental health needs.

Her lived experience as a parent includes firsthand experience with nearly every type of mental health service available to children and adolescents in Wisconsin. » Vincent Ramos, a licensed psychologist and educator working in Wausau with over 25 years of experience working with youth and adults in a variety of settings including private practice, the public schools, and criminal justice system. He recently retired from higher education with almost 16 years of experience teaching at the University of North Texas and at Argosy University where he chaired the Forensic Psychology and School Psychology programs. » Nancy Randolph, Co- Director, Children & Families Division Manitowoc County Human Services, who is a founding partner of Painting Pathways Clubhouse. She started as a dispositional worker with Youth and family Services, transitioned to supervising the Family Resource Unit. » Ryan Schulz, a service facilitator for the Comprehensive Community Services program for Wood County Human Services, who enjoys working with kids, families, schools, and service providers building the needed relationships to help kids realize their potential.

He has been working in the Human Services field for 10 plus years devoted primarily to children and young adults. » Marian Sheridan, coordinator of Health, Safety, Attendance and Transportation for the Fond du Lac School District and the Project Administrator for CSI Project. She is committed to the vision of healthier children today, a healthier community tomorrow. » Joann Stephens, Family Relations Coordinator Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health, who is a mental health consumer and the parent of children with mental health struggles. She has been actively involved in systems change initiatives in Wisconsin since 2004, serving nine years on the Wisconsin Council on Mental Health and partnering with state and county agencies to improve access to quality care. » Carla Vorphal, a social worker for the Sheboygan Area School District assigned to South High and Horace Mann Middle schools.

Her work focus is on identifying, assessing and supporting students with mental health challenges and their families, to remove barriers that get in the way of educational success.

She also works extensively with habitually truant students at the high school and middle school levels. » Teresa Wargo, regional coordinator and parent peer specialist with Wisconsin Family Ties, a statewide parent-run nonprofit that serves families that include children with social, emotional or behavioral challenges, who supports northeast Wisconsin families that include children with mental health needs. » Alison Wolf, parent peer specialist, intake specialist and regional coordinator with Wisconsin Family Ties, a statewide parent-run nonprofit that serves families that include children with social, emotional or behavioral challenges, who has lived experience, through her children, of dealing with anxiety, depression and behavioral challenges. She has worked with families on many different levels for over 20 years.

More Kids in Crisis » Monday: Wish lists for improving youth mental health » Tuesday: Minnesota school program boosts test scores, reduces discipline » Wednesday: Gov. Scott Walker, lawmakers share plans for mental health bills » Thursday: Readers share their stories, ideas for improving lives of children » Friday: A USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin editorial outlines next steps » Thursday, May 5: Call to Action event at the Overture Center in Madison at 10 a.m.

WM. GLASHEEN/ USA TODAY NETWORK-WIS

A collage of questions from the Kids in Crisis series taken at Houdini Plaza in Appleton, Wis.

“My heart breaks for you, and I’m telling you it is my biggest fear every day that something bad will happen to one of our students,” Gilmore said.

“I know counselors feel that way, and I know teachers feel that way, and they don’t always have the resources they need.”

Gilmore said it has helped to have outside mental health providers set up appointments on campus for students, making it easier for families to overcome stigma, transportation issues and timing problems to meet with professionals.

More than 300 schools in Wisconsin have tried to facilitate this by allowing satellite clinics on their grounds.

“The barriers are removed and we’re seeing a lot of success,” Gilmore said. » Silos.

Geography, history and numerous programs and agencies make access difficult and lead to wide variations in the availability of services.

“Wisconsin does not have a state system of human services. We are 72 counties and we all reinvent the wheel on how to provide services,” said Nancy Randolph, a manager in Manitowoc County Human Services.

She recommends a more uniform approach.

“If the state could pool all of its resources and we could all have one system

of care that was the same in each county, I sometimes feel it would have more impact,” Randolph said. “Right now, if a family moves from one county to another, things look completely different for that family and what services are available.”

The Office of Children’s Mental Health’s Stephens said navigating the system is especially difficult for parents.

“Children with mental health needs are served in many different systems — systems that don’t talk to each other,” Stephens said The office was created as part of a mental health legislative package in 2013. One of its initiatives is collaborating with leaders of various systems that serve children and families and standardizing measurements and outcomes.

“Currently it’s the parent’s job, in moments of crisis, when you’re trying to raise a child with a severe illness, to understand the differences of each system,” she said.

“And then you’re meeting with all of these different systems separately to try and piece together a service array that meets the needs of your family and it’s extremely difficult.”

Final event planned The USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin will hold a Call to Action event at 10 a.m. May 5 at the Overture Center in Madi-

son.

Held on National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, the event is designed to bring advocates, policymakers and citizens together to push for positive change following the three-month Kids in Crisis series.

Children’s mental health leaders said the coverage of the issue is unprecedented.

“I want to particularly thank the (USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin) series for committing so many resources and doing this community journalism that I really haven’t seen in Wisconsin before where not only you’re giving important facts, telling important stories but then having interaction with the public and making sure that peoples’ voices are heard,” Elizabeth Hudson, who heads the Office of Children’s Mental Health said at the Wausau town hall meeting.

“This is exemplary and the office of children’s mental health is just honored to be part of it.”

Patricia Grace, a therapist who works with children at Ministry Health in Stevens Point, said the stories have already had a positive impact.

“I’ve been in this field for so many years. I never thought I’d see it in our newspaper,” Grace said.

“And it’s wonderful, and it’s opened the door in so many different ways in so many communities.”

Reach Linnane: 920993-7184 or Rory.Linnane @gannettwisconsin.com ; Fitzhenry: 920-993-7154 or Jim.Fitzhenry@gannett .com.

NATION | ARIZONA’S PRIMARY MATTERS MORE THIS YEAR | USA TODAY, 2A

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New clinic offers holistic health care NATE BECK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Holistic care in the region gets a boost Monday when Fox Valley Hematology and Oncology in Oshkosh opens for business, filling a void for this type of care that surfaced when Affinity Health System shuttered a holistic center in the city last November.

Fox Valley Hematology and Oncology, which had operated inside Oshkosh’s Mercy Oakwood Medical Building, will move to 491 S. Washburn St. At 12,000 square feet, the ground-floor office will be twice the size of that in the medical building.

At least one face at the Fox Valley clinic will be familiar to former patients at the shuttered Affinity center, which was called the Mary Kimball Anhaltzer Center for Integrative Medicine.

Elizabeth Kimbrough, who specialized in holistic medicine at the Anhaltzer Center, was hired at the Fox Valley clinic to lead counseling sessions, yoga sessions and other programs.

See CLINIC, Page 4A

FILE/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

People register to vote at First United Presbyterian Church in De Pere. Voter ID rules will be in effect for elections this year.

RORY LINNANE, KATHERINE LYMN AND SHARON ROZNIK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

With a dearth of child psychiatrists in the state, Wisconsin must expand a program that prepares primary care doctors to treat the kids they already see who show signs of mental illness.

That was one of the solutions suggested by experts to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. As part of our reporting on Kids in Crisis, we’ve been on a journey, exploring all the twists and turns involving children’s mental health in the states. We also asked parents, advocates and providers in the field to offer their best answers on the policy and culture changes to help kids.

See WISHES, Page 5A

More Kids in

Crisis

program nesota school » Tuesday: Min e lin ip sc di s ce es, redu boosts test scor Walker, t ot Sc v.

Go : » Wednesday tal health e plans for men lawmakers shar licies legislation, po stories, : Readers share ay sd » Thur es liv ing children’s ORKideas for improv TW NE Y DA A TO » Friday: A US eps st xt rial outlines ne n Wisconsin edito tio Ac to ll Ca ay 5: ison » Thursday, M ad M in verture Center blic event at the O pu e th to en and op at 10 a.m. Free

WATER | 7A Child lead testing erratic in Wisconsin

SHARON ROZNIK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

More area voters are turning to absentee ballots for the upcoming election on April 5.

The interest in absentee ballots might be due to the potential for delays given the need for voter identification this election, or it might be a trend toward convenience, said North Fond du Lac Village Clerk Chuck Hornung.

“Absentee ballots are becoming more popular than going to the polls because people can stop in when they want,” Hornung said.

Voters will go to the polls during the spring election to cast their votes in the presidential primary, Wisconsin Supreme Court race, Fond du Lac County Board and City Council races, along with school board and local government seats in outlying municipalities.

To accommodate the expected increase, North Fond du Lac Village offices are extending the hours citizens can stop in to request absentee ballots.

See BALLOTS, Page 4A

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Wish lists for improving children’s mental health in Wisconsin Expand use of suicide text Hopeline (741741) Barb Bigalke is executive director of the Center for Suicide Awareness and Hopeline, a text-messagebased emotional support line.

1 Expand the use of Hopeline.

Use the Hopeline Bigalke in every school and county and in teen-to-teen support groups where other teens can talk about their mental health needs and build support networks within the school. By providing support networks and more safe zones, you are creating a sense of security and minimizing the impact of suicide, bullying and other issues. (Text "HOPELINE" to 741741 for assistance.)

Empower youths to start conversations Julianne Carbin is executive director of the Wisconsin chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

1 Empower youth. The launch of NAMIWisconsin's initiative, "Raise Your Voice: Youth creating a new conversation about mental health," is one example of a program that aims to end the stigma around mental illness by providing young adults the necessary tools to start new conversations about mental health through peer-led support, education and advocacy initiatives.

Carbin 2 Expand the availability of the Child Psychiatry Consultation Program to every county in Wisconsin. Due to the shortage of child psychiatrists in the state, general practice physicians treat high numbers of children with mental health needs. Tele-based consultation services have been piloted in Wisconsin and are in high demand statewide.

3 Increase information and support services that focus on youth suicide prevention.

Nationally, suicide is the third-leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 24.

Create new children's mental health code Hugh Davis and Deb Ramacher work at Wisconsin Family Ties, an organization that provides peer support to families of youth with mental illness and other behavioral issues.

1 Re-envision the parent peer specialist certification planning process. Wisconsin has a process for certifying adult peer specialists and is working on a process for parent peer specialists. The state’s emphasis in both certifications has been solely on expansion of the Davis number of these specialists without a plan to determine if such an expansion is producing positive outcomes. We recommend re-envisioning the parent peer specialist certification planning process with a focus on fidelity to established,effective parent peer specialist models.

2 Enact comprehensive regulation and public statewide reporting of seclusion and restraint in all child-serving settings. Wisconsin’s dirty little secret is that children with disabilities are routinely restrained and secluded in many of the settings that are supposed to help them, including schools, day treatment and residential care. Too often, their parents are unaware of the extent to which these practices are being used. In recent years, incidents of restraint have resulted in serious injuries and death.

3 Eliminate expulsion in publicly-funded education except in specific cases. Wisconsin’s school expulsion statute grants broad authority to school districts. Expulsion deci-

Wishes Continued from Page 1A

More than 15 experts across Wisconsin shared steps we can take as individuals, as communities, and as a state to end Wisconsin’s mental health crisis.

1. Get more help Six of our experts brought up the need to attract and retain more child psychiatrists and other mental health professionals in Wisconsin.

The shortage here is worse than any other state in the nation.

Experts say efforts to make medical school more accessible (such as the new Medical College campuses), tuition payback, loan forgiveness programs and other incentives could encourage more doctors to enter the field.

One expert suggested a “marketing blitz” for the entire profession to encourage people to go into the line of work despite the low income compared to similar professions.

“Right now there is little incentive to do so and those who are doing it are truly responding to their calling — and going broke and burning out in the process,” said Tracy Oerter, director of mental health services for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, to reduce dependency on psychiatrists, seven of our experts stressed the importance of empowering pri-

More online Wish lists were edited for space. Read the full versions and more wish lists on our website. sions cannot be appealed on the merits (for example if subsequent information exonerates the student), and while districts are required to continue to educate students with disabilities post-expulsion, such education often consists of a couple of hours of instruction per week. We recommend eliminating expulsion of students age 10 and under and further limiting expulsion of older students to cases involving serious bodily harm or weapons violations.

4 Expand financial support to peer- and family-run organizations focused on mental health. Family-run organizations help parents access the resources, treatment and support their children need. There is substantial evidence in Wisconsin and across the nation that a primary driver of the success of peer specialists and parent peer specialists is their employment in a peer- or family-run organization.

5 Create a separate children’s mental health code in statute. Wisconsin’s mental health act for persons of any age, Chapter 51, was enacted in 1975. Since then, understanding of child and adolescent brain development has grown exponentially; we not only know that what works for adults is different than what works for kids, we now know why.We recommend creation of a child and adolescent mental health code, separate from the current Chapter 51, that ensures: A comprehensive service array; voluntary access to mental health services without having to file a CHIPS petition and enter the child-welfare system; an expanded network of in-home and community-based services and supports; residential treatment, when needed, specifically designed to address mental health issues (distinct from the current Residential Care Center model, which relies heavily on behavior modification); and eligibility screening for Medicaidrelated services for children’s mental health based on state-of-the-art assessment practices (instead of the current, inadequate functional screen used by the state).

Stop shackling kids in courtrooms Ramona Gonzalez is a presiding judge in La Crosse County Circuit Court and member of the board of directors of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

1 Stop shackling children. At this time, without much guidance, children in the Wisconsin Juvenile Justice System may be restrained while in the courtroom. In practice, the approach to the shackling of children is very much dependent on the county in which the child appears in court. Often the decision is one made without any consideration of the trauma to the child or to the particular risk that would justify the use of restraints for a particular child. In La Crosse County, with the consent and support of our sheriff, our court security procedures now assume that a child will be brought into court without restraints unless the risks associated with a particular child are brought to the attention of the judge before whom the child is to appear. The use of restraints is not the default but the exception in La Crosse County, as Gonzalez it should be in all 72 counties in Wisconsin. This desired change in how Wisconsin currently works would complement ongoing state initiatives focusing on addressing the effects of adverse childhood experiences.

Fostering Futures, online at www.fosteringfutureswisconsin.org and sponsored by first lady Tonette Walker, is one such initiative.

The vision and mission of this initiative should be an inspiration and a template for change. The policy decision on the use of restraints on Wisconsin children should be the product of thoughtful, deliberate, trauma-informed discourse leading to a developmentally appropriate approach to juvenile justice that limits the use of shackles for all chil-

mary care doctors to help their patients more with mental health care.

As families struggle to find specialized professional help, many are turning to their pediatricians. In response, some doctors have sought out educational opportunities and collaborations that allow them to help beyond their traditional scope.

Wisconsin can support these efforts by funding the expansion of the child psychiatry consultation program, which makes psychiatrists available to give primary care doctors advice on patients.

2. More support, less restraint at school Many experts asked for more support for struggling students in schools and less punitive action against them.

Greg Nyen, director of pupil services for Stevens Point schools, said budget cuts have led to schools cutting counselors and social workers, leaving students with unmet mental health needs. Nyen was among three of our experts who recommended more training for teachers to catch and respond to mental illness in students.

“Teachers are not adequately prepared to address the needs of all students who enter their classrooms on a daily basis,” Nyen said.

Instead, students with mental health challenges can quickly end up on disciplinary tracks. Students with emotional behavioral disabilities, commonly linked to mental illness, are more likely than their

dren in the Wisconsin Juvenile Justice System.

Provide equal access to mental health care Phyllis Greenberger and Barbara Beckert work at Disability Rights Wisconsin, a group that provides advocacy for people with disabilities in the state.

1 Enhance integration of physical health and mental health, so that primary care providers can assume more responsibility for mental health care. This should include strength-based social and emotional development screenings as part of primary care pediatric visits, and ensuring linkages to care for those identified as being in need of services.

2 Ensure that youth and families in every county have access to the same array of comprehensive community-based mental health services, including Comprehensive Community Services and Coordinated Service Teams, with the state paying the local Medicaid match as approved in the 2013 – 2015 biennial budget. CCS is a communitybased program in which the majority of services are provided in clients’ homes and communities.

3 Parents and caregivers of youth who receive publicly funded services should have the options Greenberger of working with a parent peer specialist.

4 Redesign the Medicaid Prior Authorization process to maximize efficiency, eliminate red tape and improve the timeliness of access to services.

5 Wisconsin should implement best practices, such as those identified through the Zero Suicide Initiative, to ensure that youth who are suicidal receive coordinated and integrated services in clinical settings.

6 Collaboration is vital to improving youth mental health. This includes improved collaboration, coordination and data-sharing between a range of agencies and systems that serve youth with mental health needs, such as Wisconsin counties, school systems, healthcare provides and the child welfare system. In addition, reform must prioritize meaningful participation and leadership of youth, parents and caregivers.

Expand Medicaid to boost treatment Shel Gross is the director of public policy for Mental Health America of Wisconsin.

1 Enhance positive youth development and reduce trauma in child-serving settings.

Expand implementation of the pyramid model, an evidence-based framework (not a curriculum) that is applicable in all systems serving young children and has a parent component. Eliminate interventions such as seclusion and restraint by providing training and technical assistance to providers of services to children on alternatives such as trauma-informed care and therapeutic crisis intervention.

2 Strengthen the workforce serving children with emotional and behavioral issues.

Provide accessible and affordable trainings related to infant and early childhood mental health for professionals and for parents. Provide training and technical assistance to support implementation of trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy, an evidence-based practice. This approach is comprehensive, training providers and parents together and providing learning collaborative calls.

3 Expand access to child psychiatrists.

This may occur through the efforts of the new medical schools in Green Bay and Wausau, the expansion of loan forgiveness programs incentivizing psychiatrist to work in rural, underserved areas, and the expansion of the child psychiatry consultation program. Implement best practices such as those identified through the Zero Suicide Initiative, to ensure that youth who are suicidal receive coordinated and integrated services in clinical settings. Expand use of parent peer specialists for families who have kids with serious emotional disturbances.

4 Improve access to community-based services for youth with emotional and behavioral issues. Continue to build access for youth in comprehensive community services and coordinated service team programs. In-

peers to be suspended or expelled.

Mental Health America recommends that schools not exclude children from school for more than a day without doing a questionnaire with the student to see if the student needs support for underlying mental health challenges.

Students with disabilities also comprise 80 percent of students who are secluded or restrained at school. Four of our experts said these incidents should be reduced and more carefully reported, as these experiences can be traumatizing.

3. Teach traumainformed care Restraining unruly children may actually be triggering them from past experiences, and could be making the situation worse.

Looking closer and acting more sensitively with a child coming from a difficult home is part of what’s called a trauma-informed approach, something half of our experts said they wanted more of, often in the classroom.

This philosophy means having school staff members trained in recognizing the symptoms of trauma in students, and knowing the best ways to help those students succeed in spite of that, while also not re-triggering them.

Public schools in the state are already working on incorporating research about the effects of trauma on students’ lives into the classroom, but experts want more universal teacher train-

crease screening for emotional issues in schools and primary care and ensure care for those in need of services. Return 17-yearolds to the juvenile corrections system and provide appropriate, evidencebased treatment options in the least restrictive settings.

5 Expand Medicaid to 138 percent of the federal poverty line to ensure these families have access to the Gross broader array of mental health services provided through Medicaid with fewer out-of-pocket costs.

Reform how we pay for mental health Dr. Gabi Hangiandreou is a child and adolescent psychiatrist with the Medical College of Wisconsin. She is also part of the Child Psychiatry Consultation Program, a pilot program which provides quick mental health advice and support from psychiatrists to physicians in the field via phone.

1 For people of child-conceiving age to make mindful decisions about procreation before pregnancy occurs, and to put the child’s best interests at the forefront after it occurs!

2 For more well-trained child and family psychotherapists using evidence-based techniques, and more who are willing to see patients under 6 years of age.

3 For adequate education regarding diagnosis and treatment of mild to moderate mental illness and substance abuse difficulties to be incorporated into the training programs for primary care practitioners.

4 For reform in the current insurance reimbursement system for providing psychiatric care to children. Organizations requiring a production-based method for payment penalize providers who attempt to provide Hanggood care, due to iandreou the marked amount of time spent in necessary coordination of care and communication with family members, teachers, social workers and others that can be involved. This non-face-to-face time is currently not reimbursable in the majority of payment systems, but is often crucial in the delivery of appropriate care. This leaves the provider with an awful decision to make: either skip the non-face-to-face elements of good care to meet productivity quotas, or essentially do the non-reimbursable tasks on their own time, for free. One option to address this issue may be to have social workers embedded in the office via a grant or funding.

5 Loan repayment grants for child psychiatrists to ensure financial barriers aren’t deterring people from entering the field.

Create a K-12 mental health curriculum Lisa Kogan-Praska is president of Catalpa Health, a collaboration formed of three health organizations to serve Fox Cities' youth mental health needs. These are her wishes for youth mental health in the state: 1 Funding for school-based mental health and alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse programs and services.

2 Funding to cover the cost of delivering mental health care, especially for patients with medical assistance health care coverage.

Kogan-Praska 3 Additional reimbursement to provide case management services for clients and families to remove barriers to care.

4 Mental health literacy curriculum standards for pre-K through 12th grade to increase awareness of mental health issues.

5 Trauma-informed care and suicide prevention competencies for all health and human services providers.

6 A statewide system for streamlined universal credentialing of mental health providers to eliminate the time and resources it takes to credential a provider at each agency/organization, especially when there have not been any gaps in employment.

7 The elimination of stigma surrounding mental health issues.

Allow docs to consult with psychiatrists Kia LaBracke is the executive director of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Her organization helps primary care doctors connect with training opportunities to expand their expertise in mental health care.

1 Allow doctors to consult with psychiatrists. All primary care physicians statewide need timely access to infant/early childhood, child and adolescent psychiatry consultation to augment the quality of care for patients with mild to moderate concerns within the medical home. This addresses improvement of communications between primary and specialty care and strengthens professional relationships in communities of practice.

2 Expand the Child Psychiatry Consultation Program. There should be full funding and statewide implementation of the Child Psychiatry Consultation Program (CPCP), at $500K per regional hub, per year (with five or six hubs being anticipated). The program currently provides phone and email consult to the primary care physician. An improvement would be to implement second opinion/ LaBracke face-to-face consult within a reasonably brief time-frame. The program, when implemented with fidelity, also provides links to community and other resources.

3 Give doctors freedom to consult with families and educators. Through strong educational and advocacy initiatives, support and fund other models of consultation and treatment (infant/early childhood mental health consultation, home visiting, etc.), intensive family-based therapy, and schoolbased mental health services. These must be reimbursed by Medicaid and private payers.

4 Provide ongoing education. There should be ongoing education for all primary care providers (not only physicians) on mental and behavioral health concerns, including implementation of trauma-informed systems at all points of interaction with children and families.

Understand, track causes of suicide Janet McCord is an associate professor of thanatology (study of death) at Marian University in Fond du Lac. 1 Conduct psychological autopsies. We have some data that suggests that psychological autopsy studies can help communities learn about the specific drivers of suicide in their communities. There are not many people trained in this methodology although I believe there are three trained in Wisconsin. The perception is that doing a psychological autopsy is very expensive and it can be, but it doesn't have to be.

There is a fair McCord amount of evidence that participating in one is healing and helpful to the families themselves. Let's educate the community about what suicide us, and what it is not. Let's talk about it.

Create panel to monitor spending Greg Nyen is the director of student services at Stevens Point Area Public School District.

1 Increase access. Wisconsin has rejected the expansion of Medical Assistance

“With so many

culum at all levels.”

kids who are

4. Provide wraparound care

physically (and)

With so many systems to navigate — including schools, county services and private treatment options — finding the help for a kid can be overwhelming.

Three of our experts suggested expanding funding for case management and wraparound teams to help families navigate care. Wraparound models of care draw on natural supports in a kid’s life, bringing together family members, educators, clergy, coaches and other caregivers into a team with a professional. Working with the youth, the group makes a plan for the student that may include treatment as well as other goals like joining a sports team or eating better.

The state Legislature recently expanded funding for wraparound Coordinated Service Teams, which operate at the county level for youth with or without Medicaid. Experts say these and similar initiatives have been successful and should be expanded. While nearly every county now offers these teams, youth are backed up on waiting lists to access them.

emotionally abused it is important to address mental health early on by providing necessary training and education to teachers.”

BARB BIGALKE CENTER FOR SUICIDE AWARENESS

ing and awareness of this philosophy.

“With so many kids who are physically (and) emotionally abused it is important to address mental health early on by providing necessary training and education to teachers,” said Barb Bigalke, executive director of the Center for Suicide Awareness, which operates the state’s HOPELINE, a texting hotline for kids.

She recommended training teachers in trauma-informed care, and that schools use arts or yoga to help kids carrying those troubled experiences with them.

Disability Rights Wisconsin said teachers should have ongoing training in this, and that the practices should be “infused into school curri-

5. Don’t avoid the problem The resounding message repeated by those involved in children’s mental health care is the need to invoke community conversations as a way to reduce stigma and draw people from the shadows.

funds to the detriment of families desperately in need of support. The expansion of such a resource will make a significant positive impact on our low-socioeconomic-status families. Minnesota has created a model with the expanded Medical Assistance funds under Medicaid that should be used as a model for Wisconsin.

2 Decrease the bureaucratic red tape around licensing for child psychiatrists in Wisconsin. Akin to the expansion of Medical Assistance funding is the huge barrier placed in front of would-be mental health providers in Wisconsin, specifically child psychiatrists. There is currently such a shortage of child psychiatrists in Wisconsin that many students in crisis have to wait months to receive regular treatment. The amount of paperwork and "hoop-jumping" necessary to become licensed to bill Medical Assistance in this state has become a barrier to recruiting and retaining these much-needed providers.

3 Provide adequate funds for school districts and/or counties to support children in need.

Public entities have realized significant reductions in their budgets over the past three biennial budgets, which have translated to the reduction of positions Nyen perceived as unnecessary. Unfortunately, positions like school counselor and school social worker are among the first to be eliminated because they are not viewed as having a direct impact on student achievement. School districts and county governments are left to attend to the significant needs of families with mental health issues but cannot support the significant costs associated with treatment.

4 Provide professional development for educators. Teachers are not adequately prepared to address the needs of all students who enter their classrooms each day. Targeted staff development across the state must be implemented to empower our educators to recognize, identify and support children in need.

5 Create an independent, non-partisan oversight committee designed to monitor and support counties, school districts, local support agencies and families in need across Wisconsin. Ideally, this committee would track the flow of resources and monitor outcomes and use such data to make decisions about future resource needs and allocations.

Train family doctors in psychiatric care Dr. Darold Treffert is a psychiatrist and the world’s leading expert on Savant Syndrome. He is the former director of Winnebago Mental Health Institute.

1 Train family doctors in psychiatric care.

The majority of psychiatric mental health care, including medication management for those children who require it, is actually done by family doctors and pediatricians rather than child psychiatrists, which are in such short supply. Providing psychiatric training to those family doctors and pediatricians would be one way to spread resources further and improve quality of care.

That can be done by TV or podcasts rather than conventions or meetings away from home and practice. Even better is to have consultation on specific cases available by telephone or telemedicine. Better still, is psychiatric care to more remote areas by tele-medicine with patient, family and doctor connected via TV. Treffert 2 Monitoring of violence in entertainment media. We need some sort of reasonable monitoring in movies and television for violence/sensationalism where there is no redeeming social value. Such constant portrayals, each more sensational and savage than the last, can lead to “feeling deafness” in us all but especially in growing, vulnerable, developing children. I realize that is not likely to happen, but unfettered portrayal of violence leads to other violence in many vulnerable children and adults. Then we are shocked when it happens in real life.

That was the beginning of our story. Often, youth suffering from mental illness are hiding in communities, not coming forward. Kids are dying by suicide, cutting, taking illegal prescription drugs, instead of talking to someone.

“We need to be able to say ‘suicide’ out loud without choking,” said Janet McCord, an associate professor who studies death at Marian University in Fond du Lac. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has been a trailblazer in spreading this message, bringing presenters into schools, businesses and organizations to share first-hand accounts of what it’s like to live with a mental illness. Researchers say interacting with someone with mental illness is one of the best ways to reduce stigma, because it humanizes the issue.

WISE, the Wisconsin Initiative for Stigma Elimination, promotes strategic story-telling as a means to increase inclusion and support for teens.

The understanding is that every person with a mental illness can hope for a bright future. They just need to hear from others that it is possible.

Reach Rory Linnane: 920-993-7184 or Rory.Linnane@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @RoryLinnane. Katherine Lymn: 920-996-7232, or klymn@postcrescent.com; on Twitter @kathlymn. Sharon Roznik: 920-907-7936 or sroznik@fdlreporter.com; on Twitter @sharonroznik.

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Something specialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; part of new plans MADELEINE BEHR USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

APPLETON - A new design plan released by city officials Monday night calls for a 50meter pool at Erb Park along with a second pool for training and recreation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We figured (the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s importance) out quickly as we started dialoguing with local residents about the project,â&#x20AC;? said Carter Arndt of MSA Professional Services, an engineering and architecture company. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to work hard to help the park reach its full potential and make it something special in the long run.â&#x20AC;?

After getting public feedback in March, PHOTOS BY MEGAN MCCORMICK/USA TODAY NETWORK - WISCONSIN

Second grade teacher Rachel Zimmerman works at her desk during her prep period at Bancroft Elementary School in Minneapolis last month. Since 2005, Hennepin County, Minneapolis Public Schools and mental health agencies have collaborated to provide students mental health services within the schools.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;THE TAKEAWAY IS IT WORKSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Minnesota program lauded for helping students More Kids in Crisis

NOELL DICKMANN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

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INNEAPOLIS

Flatoff blames police in death Man charged in standoff is in court DUKE BEHNKE USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

As Wisconsin searches for solutions to reduce its teen suicide rate and boost childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mental health, a nationally lauded program across the border may provide a blueprint.

Minnesota has gradually expanded access to school-based therapy, built partnerships with health care providers to cut costs and seen students become healthier and improve academically.

The program is focused on helping more students receive care by eliminating a common barrier: the challenge of scheduling routine therapy around a studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s schoolwork or other family obligations. Therapists meet kids at their schools rather than at a clinic.

But it also aims to knock down other barriers, such as a lack of school training. In many Minnesota schools now, therapists are being paid to help

Backpacks line the walls of Bancroft Elementary School in Minneapolis. A pilot modeled on the Minnesota program is being implemented in two Racine schools to provide direct mental health assistance for students.

Organizers say such programs can improve academics and save money.

teachers recognize and assist students with mental illness. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The takeaway is it works,â&#x20AC;? said Darcy Gruttadaro, who oversees national youth programs at the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Washington, D.C. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Other states can do what Minnesota did, which is

start small... they were able to try it out and see how well it worked, then make some adjustments, and now they have it nearly statewide.â&#x20AC;?

The program began about a decade ago with just five Min-

Âť Wednesday: Gov. Scott Walker, lawmakers share plans for mental health bills Âť Thursday: Readers share stories, ideas for improvement Âť Friday: A USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin editorial outlines next steps INSIDE: Staff at Minneapolis elementary school say program is assisting students in need of help.

OSHKOSH - Accused hostage-taker Brian T. Flatoff of Stevens Point on Monday blamed Neenah police for the shooting death of Michael L. Funk during a Dec. 5 standoff at Eagle National Cycles in Neenah.

Flatoff, 46, made the allegation during Flatoff his arraignment in Winnebago County Circuit Court.

He appeared by video conferencing from the Winnebago County Jail and was not accompanied by an attorney.

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Elementary school sees success with school-based services NOELL DICKMANN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

MINNEAPOLIS - Children's voices echoed down the hall of the 1912-era halls of Bancroft Elementary School to a colorful media room where they were read a story.

The school in midtown Minneapolis is one of 41 in the district that participates in the Expanded School Mental Health program, a partnership between the district, Hennepin County Health Department and mental health providers.

The program, which started in 2005, has been so successful that the Minnesota State Legislature modeled its statewide program after it.

School staff, parents and providers say the program improves access to services, reduces children's mental health symptoms and improves academics. Data collected since 2005 supports those claims.

Principal Erin Glynn said

about 25 Bancroft students have complex needs teachers aren't trained to address.

“When you think about school kids, it's not just academics; they're not just little test takers,” Glynn said. “They have social and emotional needs too … so this really helps us with some students.”

The school of nearly 600 reflects the vibrant blend of cultures in the neighborhoods surrounding it; more than 70 percent of its student population is African American and Latino.

About 87 percent receive free and reduced lunch.

Glynn said the school’s student suspension rate has decreased every year since the program started four years ago.

Stephanie Hanson, a Watercourse Counseling therapist who works at Bancroft, provides group therapy and meets individually with 15 children for about an hour once a week. Watercourse also staffs a part-time bilingual therapist and psychol-

ogy intern at the school.

About 60 percent of Hanson's day is spent one-on-one with children, while the rest consists of paperwork and consulting with parents and school staff.

While privacy laws prevent her from sharing medical records with staff, they check in with each other often and share ideas about how to help students.

“One of the things that makes this program unique and amazing is that we can all work together to really create a network of support around children through administration and student support and teachers and behavioral support,” Hanson said.

She primarily uses play therapy with the children, the bulk of whom struggle from anxiety and trauma. Her more directed activities bring up certain feelings, then teach children how to recognize and control them. She also mimics peer interactions to teach social skills.

Kids often heal through play, she said, loosely reciting a quote that if play is the work of children, toys are their language.

If toys are the language of children, Hanson's room is an encyclopedia.

Watercourse Counseling Executive Director Martha Olsen said the program has been set up to balance both the agency and school district's needs. The agency, one of several mentalhealth partners the district works with, has therapists in eight Minneapolis schools.

Placing therapists in school option takes away long wait lists that may mean a child isn't initially seen for weeks or even months — longer if they need services in a language other than English.

It also helps Watercourse staff be more effective, as therapists can see children in their real lives, rather than in a clinical setting. “It changes the whole shape of the work that we

do with kids and families,” Olsen said.

School staff said they, too, feel like they're making a tangible difference in students’ lives.

Second-grade teacher Rachel Zimmerman recalled her time at other schools, where classrooms were chaotic and her students' needs weren't met. At Bancroft her students aren’t distracted by peers who struggle to control physical manifestations of mental illness or have emotional outbursts.

The in-school services available to those children helps to keep those disruptions are at a minimum.

“That calm allows them to focus in on their academics; as a result their test scores have gone up,” Zimmerman said.

“It's great to see, especially from the beginning of the year till now.”

Reach Noell Dickmann at 920-426-6658 or ndickmann@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @ONW_Noell

Program Continued from Page 1A

neapolis public schools. By June 2014, a statewide program based on the pilot was in place in 645 schools in 71 counties across the state.

Parents, teachers and students say the program’s success is visible in better test scores, improved classroom atmosphere and reduced suspension rates.

At least one Wisconsin school district launched pilot in September based on the program while others set up similar satellite clinics.

Minnesota officials said the end goal is helping struggling students get back in the classroom with tools and coping strategies to ensure their success.

“I think that that's where we see our role in helping improve academic achievement, close the achievement gap, some of those things," said Mark Sander, director of school mental health for Hennepin County and the Minneapolis School System.

“And then, when they're in the classroom, be able to be more focused, pay more attention, be more fully engaged in the instruction.”

MEGAN MCCORMICK/USA TODAY NETWORK - WISCONSIN

Media technology specialist Kevin Arnold reads a book to a first grade class in the Media Center at Bancroft Elementary School in Minneapolis.

cific to individual kids.”

'This can work anywhere'

Measurable improvement During a recent visit to a Minneapolis school by the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, parents of students in the program said improvements are visible.

Bancroft Elementary School parent Nicole, who asked that we not use her last name, said her autistic son is less anxious and is gaining self-esteem and social skills since he started two years ago.

The third-grader used to come home with the neckline of his shirt chewed up, a mechanism to cope with his anxiety.

The worse the neckline, the harder the day. Today his neckline is intact, and his outbursts have reduced with the help of calming tools like a jar of glitter his therapist gave him to cope.

Therapy is just another normal part of his week instead of the outpatient setting that makes him worry he has a brain disease and overwhelms his senses.

“It's so good just beyond convenience,” Nicole said. “It was a way for him to receive services without it being jarring.”

Communities in Wisconsin and across the nation are taking note. The Racine Collaborative for Children's Mental Health launched a pilot in September in two elementary schools modeled after the Minnesota program. While the collaborative is still collecting data, organizers are already hearing anecdotal success stories.

“The principal was talking about a student that was in her office multiple times a day, almost every day last year for different issues,” said Jackie Hartley, who is managing Racine’s program. “He was referred to the clinic earlier this year ... She said she hasn't seen him in her office in three months - that’s one example of some significant improvement.”

Hartley stressed the importance of the entire school functioning as a unit, from the therapist to the school social worker and counselor, principal, teachers and parents.

“From the get-go the vibe has been very positive and very supportive at every turn,” she said.

“Everyone is excited about it, supportive of it; they want to do

MEGAN MCCORMICK/ USA TODAY NETWORK WISCONSIN

A "Welcome" sign at the entrance of Bancroft Elementary School in Minneapolis.

what they can to make it successful and see it grow and continue.”

Gruttadaro, of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said the promise of such programs is that the up-front dollars can reduce long-term costs in the criminal justice system, assist struggling families and create healthier and more productive adults.

“This is an investment wellspent that produces positive outcomes and ultimately down the road can lead to cost savings,” she said.

A modest start The Minnesota program has its roots in the early 2000s when Minneapolis schools were struggling to address the mental needs of students in the 35,000 student district, where a majority of students come from lowincome families.

Efforts to bring mental health services into schools had been scattered and fragmented, and the programs ended when grant money ran out, Sander said. In 2005, leaders from Hennepin County, the school system and health care providers gathered to find a coordinated approach.

That winter a pilot program put a full-time therapist in each of five elementary schools.

Funded with a three-year federal Safe Schools Healthy Students Grant, the program was based on a framework developed at the University of Maryland.

Students with mental health needs are identified by school staff and a school social worker

contacts families to refer them to the service. Therapists focus on counseling and building relationships.

About 60 percent of the therapists' time is spent doing clinical work and 40 percent is devoted to consultations with parents and school staff, and paperwork.

The program costs about $65,000 per school a year.

The cost is covered by parents' insurance, while the grant footed the startup costs and supplemented care for under-insured families or those without insurance, the latter being about 20 percent of students in the program.

“One of the bedrock principles of this program is if we're going to bring them to schools it needs to be available to all students, regardless of their ability to pay,” Sander said.

Two more schools were added the following year, along with the creation of a structure for continued funding and expansion. Today 41 MPS schools partner with the Washburn Center for Children, Watercourse Counseling Center, the Hennepin County Health Department, Guadeloupe Alternative Programs, The Family Partnership, Canvas Health and North Point Health and Wellness Center.

In 2007, sweeping changes to Minnesota's mental health infrastructure included a five-year grant that provided $4.7 million a year to fund the School Linked Mental Health Program in schools across the state, which were modeled after the MPS program.

Its success spurred an increase to $7.2 million for 2014,

then again to $9.6 million per year for 2015-18.

Sander said the grants will provide for 779 schools in 257 districts, covering all but five of Minnesota's 87 counties by 2018.

Minnesota State Rep. Jim Davnie was chief author of the 2013 bill that increased School Linked Mental Health Program funding. He said he recognized that schools are asked to do a lot for children but don't always have the resources.

He's a fan of how the program wipes out the hurdles that keep children from accessing mental health care, as well as the coordination between schools and the mental health system.

Davnie introduced a bill earlier this month proposing to increase funding an additional $1.5 million in 2017 and $4.5 million in 2018.

“There's clearly a demand for more funding to expand,” he said. “School districts are recognizing that it's working. I hear it anecdotally, even just informally.”

The state's Medicaid program was amended to support teacher consultation and training to help students, so therapists are reimbursed for their time spent with staff that can't be billed to most insurance plans. Grant and school district monies fund training and consultation for educators.

“Not only are we embedding licensed therapists in schools to see kids,” said Hennepin County Area Manager Jamie Halpern.

“But we're making sure that a portion of their time is available to provide training and consultation to school staff that's not spe-

The data Sander and other partners have been tracking since the Minneapolis program started underscores its effectiveness: » 50 percent of students referred to the program are receiving services for the first time » 40 percent of referrals were found to be severely emotionally disturbed » 85 percent are keeping their initial appointment with Watercourse Counseling, compared to 15 percent before the counselors were embedded in the school » 10-14 days: the average time between referral and first school-based appointment, compared to the weeks- or monthslong wait for an initial appointment at a facility » 65 percent of students showed decreased mental health symptoms » Fewer suspensions for students in the program versus students not participating.

Sander attributes the program's success to support at every level; staff at both the school and agencies are comfortable with collaborating, principals and administrators are proponents for their schools and districts and insurance companies are willing to cover the service in schools.

"It is all of these partners being able to take a risk," Sander said, adding constant communication is critical.

Sander's role — coordinating the providers, schools and the county — evolved into one of the most important factors of the program's success, Halpern said.

“There needs to be somebody embedded in schools to help make it work properly,” Halpern said. “That was the county's risk ... But that's been hugely successful.”

Those involved in the program say it's a sustainable model that's working in rural and urban areas, across races and regardless of a student's financial standing.

“I think there are (challenges),” Sander said. “But absolutely this can work anywhere.”

Reach Noell Dickmann at 920-426-6658 or ndickmann@gannett.com; or follow her on Twitter @ONW_Noell.

Northwestern Northwestern Northwestern

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MARCH 23, 2016 | THENORTHWESTERN.COM | PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK

Storm to bring heavy snow

Pace of mental health reform slows to crawl

ETHAN SAFRAN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

If current predictions hold true, the Fox Valley will look more like winter than early spring come Thursday morning.

On Tuesday, the National Weather Service predicted a “strong storm system” will hit northeast Wisconsin on Wednesday into Thursday. A winter storm warning is in effect from noon Wednesday until 1 p.m.

Thursday.

That means 8 to 14 inches of snow between Wednesday morning and Thursday evening north of Oshkosh into Appleton.

Bills stall in Senate, advocates worry about lost momentum

T

RORY LINNANE AND KATHERINE LYMN | USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

hree years ago, Gov. Scott Walker had mental health advocates in tears as he announced plans to put an additional $29 million toward mental health services.

Last week, as he discussed the Legislature’s work this session on mental health, the tone was different.

Walker has signed one law addressing youth mental

See STORM, Page 9A

“Frankly, there’s so many needs, we need to do more…

From my perspective, as long as I am trusted by my colleagues to be the speaker, we are going to continue to have a focus on mental health and getting people the treatment that they need.”

JOE SIENKIEWICZ/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Oshkosh City Manager Mark Rohloff, left, and Tom Sonnleitner talk prior to the State of the City presentation.

Rohloff: Oshkosh needs resident involvement

health, with plans to sign just one more, but he didn’t say there was more legislation he wanted to see on the subject.

“That’s always the careful thing in government is just, how many bills do we pass to say we’re dealing with it, isn’t as important as what do we actually do,” Walker said.

After a boo, of lawmaker interest in mental health in 2013, many advocates have been un-

“It’s cheaper to put up the framework than finish the construction. Until there’s a real willingness to invest in the mental health of our kids, it will only be a framework.”

“I’m hoping that again we'll be able to move forward and I hope that we didn’t lose momentum.”

JOANNE JUHNKE POLICY DIRECTOR FOR WISCONSIN FAMILY TIES

SANDY PASCH FORMER STATE REP.

derwhelmed with progress.

Several recent bills addressing youth mental health from both parties failed to pass even the earliest hurdles of the legislative process.

With a new budget cycle ahead, there is hope for renewed progress.

“I’m hoping that again we’ll be able to move forward and I See REFORM, Page 10A

“Is mental health a priority? Absolutely, but we have 100 school districts in the past couple months going referendum to keep doors open. We are struggling. I believe we can get some money on the mental health piece but it’s going to have some competing priorities.”

ROBIN VOS

TONY EVERS

STATE ASSEMBLY SPEAKER

STATE SUPERINTENDENT

NATHANIEL SHUDA USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

MORE KIDS IN CRISIS

The city of Oshkosh has come a long way in the past six years.

From expanding the Oshkosh Riverwalk to nearing a resolution on the dilapidated Pioneer Inn and Resort property, the city has made progress. But there still is much to do, and the city needs your help.

That was the message City Manager Mark Rohloff shared with about 200 people Monday evening for the State of the City address and City Exhibit Expo at the Oshkosh Convention Center.

“It’s amazing that a lot of these things align with what we’ve done, and they were goals

“Helping people early on, certainly as young people but also those who later in life are dealing with challenges in mental health issues, is really valuable not only from a quality of life standpoint. It’s valuable because many times, with appropriate care and assistance they can be actively engaged in the workforce and it's good not just for them and their families; it’s good for society.”

GOV. SCOTT WALKER

» Thursday: Readers share stories, ideas for improvement » Friday: A USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin editorial outlines next steps

See OSHKOSH, Page 9A

Note to subscribers Due to the snowstorm, delivery of Thursday’s newspaper will be later than normal. Some might not be delivered until Friday.

However, you can access the e-edition for free as part of your subscription at thenorthwestern.com/ enewspaper. If you have not activated full access, you can do so by going to thenorthwestern .com/activate. We apologize for any inconvenience.

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Gov. Scott Walker talks with USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin reporters in Green Bay about his mental health reforms in 2013 and plans to include new measures in the next biennium budget.

Reform Continued from Page 1A

hope that we didn’t lose momentum,” said Joanne Juhnke, policy director for Wisconsin Family Ties, which offers peer support for families with mental health challenges.

In an interview with USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, Walker said he would consider several initiatives in the 2017-18 budget, including incentives for attracting and retaining mental health professionals, funding for satellite clinics in schools, and expanded support for integrated health care.

“Helping people early on, certainly as young people but also those who later in life are dealing with challenges in mental health issues, is really valuable not only from a quality of life standpoint,” Walker said. “It’s valuable because many times, with appropriate care and assistance they can be actively engaged in the workforce and it’s good not just for them and their families; it’s good for society.”

Efforts this year When asked about progress this session, Walker pointed to a law he signed last month that funds pilot programs to test new delivery and payment models for Medicaid recipients with serious mental illness. It also includes a website to track availability of beds for in-patient psychiatric care.

Other bills introduced this session never made it to his desk, some of which had bipartisan support.

Rep. Paul Tittl, chair of the Assembly’s committee on mental health reform, said his biggest wish this year was for a bill that would have eliminated income tax on the first $200,000 of income for new psychiatrists who agreed to work in shortage areas. The bill was estimated to cost the state $1.7 million a year in reduced tax revenue.

A state report found a shortage of over 200 psychiatrists in the state, as of 2012.

“I’m sure that that shortage didn’t get smaller since 2012,” Tittl said. “In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s gotten bigger.”

That bill didn’t pass the Assembly. Four other bills from Tittl easily passed the Assembly with bipartisan support but stalled in the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services.

Tittl said he was disappointed by that and could only speculate why it happened. A spokesman for committee chair Sen. Leah Vukmir said her office had no comment on the bills or why they did not pass the committee.

“For them to not even have a hearing or not even schedule a hearing in the Senate is very disturbing,” Tittl said. “I’m not pleased about that.”

The failed bills would have: » Eased up zoning regula-

GARY C. KLEIN/USA TODAY-NETWORK-WISCONSIN

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers looks over work by Sheboygan fourth graders Matthew Chang and Sophia Ranieri. Evers says caring for the mental health needs of students is important, but must be balanced against other needs.

tions on peer-run counseling shelters, after some have struggled to get local approval. » Provided stipends to residents serving on the state’s advisory Council on Mental Health to encourage more community input » Waived state inspections of outpatient mental health clinics already accredited by certain organizations, and required DHS to accept this accreditation for certification for Medicaid payments » Reduced pre-approval procedures for mental health treatment under Medicaid to allow quicker access to care The proposal to ease pre-approval requirements would have finally addressed one concern raised in 2013 by a task force Assembly Speaker Robin Vos launched to examine ways to improve access to care.

Like Walker’s trailblazing budgetary investments, the task force came on the heels of Sandy Hook and two mass shootings in Wisconsin, as politicians called for more attention to mental health. Since that boost of attention, not all of the task force’s recommendations have been fulfilled.

Former Democratic Rep. Sandy Pasch, who vice-chaired the task force, said she’s been disappointed lawmakers haven’t done more in response to the recommendations and ongoing needs. She said steps like the creation of a mental health reform committee and the Office of Children’s Mental Health have not led to enough progress.

“It’s cheaper to put up the framework than finish the construction,” Pasch said. “Until there’s a real willingness to invest in the mental health of our kids, it will only be a frame-

“It’s cheaper to put up the framework than finish the construction.

Until there’s a real willingness to invest in the mental health of our kids, it will only be a framework.”

SANDY PASCH FORMER STATE REPRESNTATIVE

work.”

While recognizing the 2013 investments, Vos said it hasn’t been enough.

“Frankly, there’s so many needs, we need to do more,” Vos said. “... From my perspective, as long as I am trusted by my colleagues to be the speaker, we are going to continue to have a focus on mental health and getting people the treatment that they need.”

From the other side of the aisle, Democrats put forward a bill last year that would increase state aid for special education in schools. That bill didn’t get a hearing.

Schools as health care providers One other bill impacting youth mental health did make it through both chambers, and Walker’s spokeswoman said he

will sign it. The bill allows licensed mental health professionals to meet with students in schools without getting an additional clinic license.

Tittl said the measure would combat stigma and make it easier for students to get therapy at school instead of having to leave school and drive long distances to appointments.

In many ways, schools are the frontlines of identifying mental health challenges and helping students cope.

In 10 town hall meetings held

by USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin this year about its Kids in Crisis series, dozens of residents brought questions about how schools can better support students with mental health challenges.

On the town hall panels and in interviews, school officials said as they’ve faced budget cuts, some of the first positions to go have been those on the frontlines of mental health challenges as districts keep a higher priority on keeping teachers. A Kids in Crisis report found that Wisconsin schools have less than half the recommended levels of counselors, nurses, psychologists and social workers.

Superintendent Tony Evers said while he would like to see more resources for these positions, districts are balancing several competing needs.

“Is mental health a priority?

Absolutely, but we have 100 school districts in the past couple months going referendum to keep doors open,” Evers said.

“We are struggling. I believe we can get some money on the mental health piece but it’s going to have some competing priorities.”

Evers suggested the state invest directly in bringing private

mental health providers onto school campuses with satellite clinics. Such clinics already operate in several districts with funding from students’ insurance payments, but Evers said state spending could make clinics more widely available.

“That would be something different but as your articles have indicated, it’s a crisis, and I think it’s time for the state to step up and respond to that crisis,” Evers said, referencing the Kids in Crisis series.

Walker said the idea was something he would consider.

Vos also said he was open to looking at it, noting that school staff should play a role in catching mental health issues but should not be expected to provide full care.

“They’re not a health care provider,” Vos said of school districts. “I don’t really feel like it’s the total responsibility of the school district to provide another service in addition to all that they already provide, as opposed to just being a resource to get them the appropriate treatment that they deserve.”

Move to state or regional system?

In examining ways to connect families with better mental health services, Vos’ 2013 task force recommended looking at a model for transitioning from a county-based system of providing care to a regional model.

With most of Wisconsin’s counties each providing care through their own human services departments, resources vary by location and some unlucky kids fall farther behind.

Pasch said she thought this idea deserved more attention.

She called counties “artificial borders” and said residents could have access to more equal and robust services if care was provided on a larger regional scale.

Pasch suggested forming a Legislative Council study committee to explore a possible transition.

Walker said a regional model could be worth considering. He recognized that there have been disparities between services provided in different counties and said the 2013 state investment in wraparound care provided by counties was meant to help address those gaps.

“You want to on one hand respect the sovereignty of each of those counties in terms of the traditions that they have and the background they have,” Walker said. “But the bottom line is, I think the people in those counties, just like I do as a statewide official, want to make sure that everyone gets the care that they need.”

Reach Rory Linnane: 920993-7184 or Rory.Linnane@ gannett.com; on Twitter @Rory Linnane. Reach Katherine Lymn: 920-996-7232, or klymn@ gannett.com; on Twitter @kathlymn.

All-state hockey teams WISCONSIN RAPIDS DEFENSEMAN SAM STORLIE AMONG LOCAL PLAYERS RECEIVING HONORS | SPORTS, 1B

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T'XER ZHON KHA/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Gavin Lynd, 4, of Weston, plays with the snow Wednesday at his house.

Storm closes schools, disrupts lives PETER WASSON USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

More Kids in Crisis Friday: A USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin editorial outlines next steps for ending the crisis.

May 5: Kids in Crisis Call to Action event, 10 a.m., Overture Center, 201 State St. in Madison. The event is free and open to the public.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Faces of Kids in Crisis In their own words: Stories of anguish, forgiveness, redemption and hope 1. Anna Benz

2. Nikki Rodgers

3. Kris Cahak

4. Bob Brooks

5. Nicole Weigel

nna Benz, 19, shares the story of her darkest point, her suicide attempt. The Fox Cities teen hopes her story inspires others to hope for a better future. She writes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I could type until everyone was convinced that their existence, thoughts, personality, and well-being matter, I would. I hope sharing my experiences can make those suffering feel some solace in knowing theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not alone. I will fight right beside you. We all will fight for you when you are unable to keep fighting yourself. We will fight until everyone knows peace and has faith that one day they will feel pure happiness again.â&#x20AC;?

ikki Rogers lost her daughter Skyler to suicide in 2014 when Skyler was 14. She writes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;On Thursday, Oct. 23, Skylerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 10 year old sister came home from school and found that Skyler had committed suicide. In a panic she called her mom at work. Her mom told her to call 911 and go get the neighbor to help. The neighbor worked on Skyler until the paramedics arrived. Then she was rushed to the emergency room where for over 12 hours she fought for her life. Skylerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s parents had to make a decision that no parent should ever have to make.

They had to disconnect their daughter from life support. At 5:17 a.m. Friday, Oct. 24, with her family by her side, Skyler went to be with God and start her new adventures in heaven.

Skylerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death will not be in vain. We vow to make a difference through education!â&#x20AC;?

ris Cahak from Wisconsin Rapids is a former psychiatric nurse who lost her teen daughter to suicide the day before she had a doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appointment to talk about mental health. Cahak has advocated for more support in schools, such as peer support groups, to encourage early conversations about mental health challenges. She urges anyone who hears suicidal or troubling statements to alert someone, writing, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was able to find out through detectives after her death that she was communicating on social media sites Kik and Instagram. Sadly, she made her plan to end her life known to 2 people.

They told her not to and that they loved her, but did not come forward or tell an adult so we could help her.â&#x20AC;?

ob Brooks is a retired school social worker who continues to support teens as a facilitator for a National Alliance on Mental Illness teen support group in Appleton.

He offers 12 suggestions for parents with troubled youth. He writes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;When teens struggle with mental health issues, the whole family feels the pain. Often this leaves their parents exhausted, confused, guilty and overwhelmed by the needs of their child. However, parents play a key role in helping their child recover from mental illness. Oftentimes this means doing things nobody likes to do, like taking a child to a psychiatric unit, searching his/her room to remove razor blades and knives, doing body checks to prevent self harm, calling the police or spending the whole night holding a sobbing kid who feels like his or her world is ending.â&#x20AC;?

fter losing her sister and niece in a quadruple murder by Tyrone Adair in Dane County, Nicole Weigel went to Adairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s funeral and forgave him. She felt the community as a whole had failed to support Adair, and she now works to build support for others. She writes: â&#x20AC;&#x153;It all comes down to mental illness, which at its core is trauma and something that needs to heal. More healing and love. Tyrone would not have shot Amber and Neveah had someone seen that and intervened correctly. It only takes one connection to save a life.â&#x20AC;?

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INSIDE: Their stories and hopes for helping Wisconsin youth, Page 8A.

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WAUSAU - Just days after balmy temperatures in the 50s and 60s had central Wisconsin residents hoping for an early and lasting spring, a late-season storm blew into the region, paralyzing schools and other services Wednesday and into Thursday.

Before the first flake even fell, school districts in every major municipality were canceling classes and after-school activities for Thursday. The National Weather Service issued its first blizzard warning in three years, primarily for the Fox Valley, but also predicted high winds and power outages attributed to the dense, wet snow.

The snow, propelled by wind gusts to 45 mph, was See STORM, Page 7A

5 things to know about Rome library upgrades JONATHAN ANDERSON USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

ROME - Patrons of the Lester Public Library of Rome will enjoy a larger and updated facility by the end of the year, all thanks to support from the community and town property owners.

The libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s board See LIBRARY, Page 4A

MEGAN MCCORMICK/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

President of Lester Public Library Board of Trustees Jeanne Osgood, left, and director of the Lester Public Library Lore Ponshock, right, stand in the Lester Public Library of Rome.

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KIDS IN CRISIS

PAGE 8A | THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2016

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Helping others is a way for us to heal

FACES OF

KIDS IN CRISIS

NIKKI ROGERS

We need to learn to be better listeners for kids NICOLE WEIGEL FACES OF KIDS IN CRISIS

FACES OF KIDS IN CRISIS

O

ur daughter Skyler was a quiet, reserved girl.

She would keep things bottled up inside. Skyler was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and bipolar disorder at a young age. She suffered from anxiety attacks as well. She was on medication and seeing a counselor since she was 6.

Counseling helped a bit to get her to open up.

Even with the counseling, Skyler still ended up cutting. We had to hide razors and knives. The last couple months before she committed suicide she was the happiest ever. She put on a great poker face so when parents ask us if we had any warning signs, the answer is actually no, not really. We had thought she was doing good at that point in her life.

On Thursday, Oct. 23, Skyler’s 10year-old sister came home from school Rogers and found that Skyler had committed suicide. In a panic she called me at work. I told her to call 911 and go get the neighbor to help. The neighbor worked on Skyler until the paramedics arrived. Then she was rushed to the emergency room where for over 12 hours she fought for her life.

Skyler’s father and I had to make a decision that no parent should ever have to make. We had to disconnect our daughter from life support. We knew the Skyler we loved so very much was already gone; the machines and medication were the only things keeping her physically alive. Yet it was a very heartwrenching decision for us to make. At 5:17 a.m. Friday, Oct. 24, with her family by her side, Skyler went to be with God and start her new adventures in heaven.

Skyler’s death will not be in vain. We vow to make a difference through education!

Skyler was a daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin and friend. She was 14 years old and in the eighth grade. Skyler was a beautiful, funny, smart and caring girl. She brightened up a room when she walked in. She was a good big sister and wonderful daughter. Skyler loved animals, music, makeup and clothes (as any teen girl).

Skyler had been picked on and bullied by peers both male and female in school and through social networks. She had been called names, swore at, been threatened with violence, had things thrown at her and had groups of children laughing at her. No child or any person for that matter deserves to be treated in this manner.

I do wish there were more resources in school for children with mental health illnesses. Maybe a peer group. When Skyler was being bullied, she went to student services for help because she was having an anxiety attack from the bullying. They gave her a book, “My Anxious Mind: A Teen’s Guide to Managing Anxiety and Panic,” and sent her back to class.

Skyler never told us about that day or the book. The only way we found out about the book is because it was sitting on our breakfast bar the day she committed suicide; it was her note.

Since Skyler’s passing, I’ve been working with the Green Bay School District on issues of anti-bullying and mental health awareness. We’ve attended a couple of suicide walks. We’ve been working with parents and teens that come to us when their children or themselves are being bullied or are suicidal. We post positive messages on our Facebook page. Helping others is a way for us to heal.

When teens struggle, whole family feels pain BOB BROOKS FACES OF KIDS IN CRISIS

W

hen teens struggle with mental health issues, the whole family feels the pain. Teens save much of their anger, anxiety and acting out behaviors for when they are home. Often this leaves their parents exhausted, confused, guilty and overwhelmed by the needs of their child.

However, parents play a key role in helping their child recover from mental illness.

Listening to teens (as a retired school social worker who continues to support teens as a facilitator for a National Alliance on Mental Illness teen support group) has taught me that there are some important things that parents can do that promote recovery. Here are some of the key insights I’ve learned: 1. Communicate that, no matter what, you love and care about your child and believe he or she will recover and be stronger.

2. Find a mental health professional that your kid trusts and give him/ her space to talk in confidence.

Brooks 3. Keep all firearms in a gun safe, and keep the key with you or lock it up. You’re kidding yourself if you think you can hide anything from a teenager. You may need to do the same with medications and knives.

4. Be an advocate for your child when it comes to medications. They typically work, but finding the right one or combination of drugs can be a long process. When you see negative symptoms, report them and stay in active contact with whoever is prescribing the medications.

5. Communicate frankly with other relatives about your child’s struggles, but expect them to support and love your child even if they can’t understand.

6. Find ways to connect your child to supportive friends, neighbors and family members. Mental illness can be very isolating, and young people often need help to get out of their bedrooms and to interact with others.

7. Keep your child physically active. Regular workouts help people with depression and anxiety about as much as medications.

8. Educate yourself about mental illness if you need to. The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) often offers classes for parents.

9. Communicate with teachers and other school professionals about your child’s needs at school.

Help your child find and build a connection to a supportive person there.

10. Continue to provide structure for your teen and hold her or him accountable. Obviously safety is always a top priority.

11. Take care of yourself, find relatives and friends to support you and give you parenting breaks if you need them.

12. Trust yourself and your feelings, because you know your child better than anyone else ever will.

M

y own boys have the alphabet soup of diagnoses. They are ages 13, 9, and 7. From all three being on the Autism spectrum (which is not a mental health diagnosis in and of itself) to ADHD, adjustment disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder including symptoms of anxiety, mood disorder NOS, and then all the rule outs like schizophrenia and bipolar.

On my own journey and in my professional journey as a Parent Peer Specialist at Wisconsin Family Ties, there is a theme that keeps popping up around how we as a society deal with mental health. It is a lack of validation for our children and their experience if we don’t agree with it or if our perception differs from theirs. It is listening to speak instead of listening to hear. It is looking for someone to blame for why the child is the way they are, and most times, the child is the one who takes the brunt of the blame.

The way we respond is then different. When we don’t validate and experience we make the child wrong for what they are experiencing. We tell them that their experience doesn’t Weigel matter. That their perception of things is wrong.

When you listen to respond instead of listen to hear, you miss what a child is telling you. You miss why they are having difficulty in history class. You miss that they tell you in your psych appointment that Dad’s smoking makes them anxious. You miss that being at home is a tough situation because big brother is moving out next month to go to college.

Why does this matter? Because if you hear the difficulty in history class you will respond with support to that situation that is causing the child difficulty instead of letting it get to the point of that child being defiant or truant and then saddled with a mental health diagnosis of ODD. And when we are always looking for someone to blame instead of looking at our own part in things, which is hard, we miss how we play a part in this growing epidemic that we call mental health. Everyone blames the parents for lack of good parenting.

The parents look to the professionals. The schools get blamed for not offering enough supports. Everyone looks to the child for exhibiting bad behavior.

But it’s our jobs as the adults to teach the children. It’s our jobs to keep ourselves under control and help them to figure out their stuff. And we are failing miserably at that. We are letting our own childhood traumas and our own adult mental health stuff get in the way of helping our children. It goes all the way up to our jails and the way we handle drug addicts and DUI’s and abusers. It all comes down to mental illness, which at its core is trauma and something that needs to heal. More healing and love.

I also have been dedicated to talking less and listening more. My kids are human beings. They deserve to be heard. I validate their experiences. My perception may not line up with theirs, but that’s OK. It doesn’t have to because we are not the same person. I want them to be strong individuals when they grow up. And you know what … when I do all of these things, the behaviors that got them the mental health diagnoses, they aren’t there. When I treat them like human beings that are deserved of love and patience, validation and listening … they do well. What an amazing thing. So if we do more of that, we can move to a healthier society.

ONLINE: Submissions were edited for length, see our website for full stories and other Faces of Kids in Crisis.

When storms come, teens need to know we are here KRIS CAHAK FACES OF KIDS IN CRISIS

I

used to believe that I could quantify “horrible.” Now I know I can.

Horrible was June 25, 2015. Horrible was a phone call from my daughter’s father telling me she was dead, she had taken her own life. Morgan had completed suicide while visiting her dad and friends in Wisconsin. Morgan, her brother Alex and I were living in Florida at the time of her death.

My daughter Morgan was in only a few ways an “average” 15 year old. She was the youngest of three, my baby.

She was beautiful, Cahak smart, funny, charming and charismatic. Mostly, she was kind.

Morgan had a gift, a way with people that is rare. She was supportive and loving to everyone she met. She loved animals, especially pigs. She had a sarcastic side that I’d like to believe she got from me! She was diagnosed with ADHD at age 5 and aside from a short attention span and poor impulse control, she excelled in school. She was in 4H for two years. She played basketball in 5th grade, and ran cross country in 8th. Running came easy to her. I used to say she was built and born to run.

At the end of 8th grade, I caught her cutting herself. I took her to a counselor who, with 25-plus years of experience, assured me she was OK. They had discussed alternate coping mechanisms to stress and he felt that otherwise, she was a great kid. I don’t know if she was being bullied at school. I asked her and she said no. We moved from Pittsville to Florida for the start of her freshman year. She adjusted very well to her new school and quickly made friends. She was in the marine science program in school and planned to become a marine biologist. She hung out with friends, talked on the phone, had a boyfriend and sang in the choir.

Did I see signs? I had concerns of her being depressed but it seemed cyclical. I would say she was a teenage girl who could, on occasion, get moody.

I made an appointment with her primary care physician for evaluation just to be safe. I was, after all, a psychiatric nurse. Sadly, she completed suicide one day prior to her appointment.

Protecting my children was always a priority but I never imagined I had to protect her from herself.

I was able to find out through detectives after her death that she was communicating on social media sites Kik and Instagram. Sadly, she made her plan to end her life known to 2 people.

They told her not to and that they loved her, but did not come forward or tell an adult so we could help her.

It will now be Morgan’s mission for me to tell our story in hopes of helping others. I believe her story is not over.

Please hear me when I say to adolescents, whom I pray are reading this, “We are here.”

I could lie to you all and tell you that life is complete happiness and beauty but as life teaches us all it isn’t.

My analogy (and only mine) is that life is a series of shit storms strung neatly together. It is strung together by joy, laughter, family, friends and love. The strings are different for each of us depending on where we come from, our sensitivities, our perception and some things beyond our control, like brain chemistry and genetics. The strings will affect how we weather the storms and how we receive the joy and love. It isn’t right or wrong, its just different. Different isn’t bad, its what makes us unique and beautiful in our own way.

Know that we are here. We are here to walk with you, to hold your hand or carry you if we must. We are here because we love you and you matter so very much to so many. We see beauty in you all even if at times you cant see it in yourself.

When the storms come and they will come, look for us, we are here. Here to walk this with you.

My journey out of the ‘elephant graveyard’ ANNA BENZ FACES OF KIDS IN CRISIS

O

ur society approaches mental health like the elephant graveyard in “The Lion King.” We shove it in a dark corner, pretend it isn’t there and don’t take it seriously until someone we know is surrounded by the hyenas of depression, bipolar, anxiety and much more. The victims see nothing but the skeletons of who they once were, and the consuming darkness of what they are feeling now.

My first mistake was thinking that I wasn’t allowed to make misBenz takes. Everything appeared vividly structured for me throughout school. Go to class, get good grades, participate in music and extracurricular activities, build your resume, go to college. I was great at checking off all those boxes. I showed up at these events to fill my resume, rather than building strong relationships with friends. I worked tirelessly for good grades and to please teachers so that my transcript held a nearly flawless 3.9 GPA. I’m a perfectionist in all departments. I want everyone to accept me and have everything work out as I had planned in my head. None of these are humanly possible, but I put every ounce of effort into this illusion of a happy life.

None of it worked. Not everyone liked me. My senior year I became caught up with many different people who didn’t respect me. I wanted to befriend them because I thought they were cool, and because I wanted them to like me. I wanted boys to like me for me, not just because of my slim-figured body. Attachment was always quick and constant for me, even if people constantly degraded me.

In addition to the pressure of being liked, college applications absorbed my free time. I applied to seven schools and spent months touring schools across three states. I wanted to

make sure every I was dotted and every T was crossed, because the future I ironed out depended on it.

As you could’ve guessed, the exhaustion and lack of purpose burned me down to essentially nothing. I felt like I had nothing of true value to live for. I’d been so caught up facing my large to-do list and wasting time with fake friends. When I turned around, there was no emotional support and the weight of my world crushing my body.

I never reached out, and of course, it felt like no one was reaching in. I never thought I truly had a mental health issue; I couldn’t possibly have one. There was too much for me to do, I couldn’t waste time addressing my personal issues.

Negative thoughts became a regular thing for me. It progressed from somewhat concerned to sheer hopelessness. And thus, my suicide attempt was the result. I thought nothing of it.

Many survivors say they regretted their attempt when it was too late. I simply went to bed and thought “Now I can finally rest.”

I survived. I woke up in the morning, still stuck inside the body I so badly wish I could leave. I wanted to tear myself apart from the inside out but never had the energy.

Even though no one’s treatment journey is simple, if you need treatment DO NOT remain silent. Anyone can go in for just a consultation. No strings attached; speak with a therapist for an hour and see what they have to say. This is for anyone who’s simply going through a rough time, or in continual despair.

If I could type until everyone was convinced that their existence, thoughts, personality, and well being matter, I would. I hope sharing my experiences can make those suffering feel some solace in knowing they’re not alone. I will fight right beside you.

We all will fight for you when you are unable to keep fighting yourself. We will fight until everyone knows peace and has faith that one day they will feel pure happiness again.

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DA: Man robbed up to 9 area businesses DOUG SCHNEIDER USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

GREEN BAY - A man robbed five Green Bay businesses at gunpoint in the past two months — all while awaiting sentencing for threatening to blow up a Wauwatosa bank, authoriGillispie ties said.

And the suspect, Kevin Eugene Gillispie, 52, might also have robbed four Appleton-area See GILLISPIE, Page 2A

Downtown, pool divide De Pere candidates ADAM RODEWALD USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

A USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN EDITORIAL

Y

ou cannot look Steve and Angela Wesener in the eye and do nothing after they describe their 16-year-old son, the bullying they believe he endured and the trauma of his suicide.

You cannot follow Elizabeth Galoff’s journey from suicide attempt to teenage TED-talker and not want to make her message viral.

You cannot listen to Kris Cahak’s heartfelt plea after losing her 15-year-daughter to suicide and accept the status quo.

Our kids are in crisis and we must act urgently.

They are just a few of the families we’ve had the honor to meet since we set out to cover the epidemic of teen suicide in Wisconsin. After recognizing the issue ran deeper than suicide, we turned the project into a series on children’s mental health.

Each step of the way, there was good reason to believe the subject was too difficult for readers to embrace. Nothing could be further from the truth. By every measure, from hundreds of thousands of views of our stories to more than 800 attendees at our 10 town hall meetings, Kids in Crisis has made a deep and lasting impression.

Instead of simply ending it here, we feel a deep obligation to take what we learned and turn it into something positive and constructive to improve the lives of Wisconsin’s children.

The following recommendations are not ours alone. They are yours, culled from

hundreds of interviews and conversations with families, readers, experts, policy makers and government leaders. There are five areas where Wisconsin can take simple and sometimes sweeping actions to reduce its teen suicide rate and dramatically improve the well-being of its children: 1. Stop flying blind.

2. Catch problems early.

3. Establish minimum levels of care.

4. Codify collaborations.

5. Lockups as last resorts.

Wisconsin has made substantial progress since 2013 when Gov. Scott Walker and lawmakers approved millions in additional dollars for mental health. There are earnest efforts underway at all levels of government, the health care industry and in local communities.

Yet that isn’t enough. The Oshkosh and Fox Cities communities lost two more teens to suicide in the last week alone. Mental health discussions continue to be clouded by centuries-old stigmas and focusing public discourse on the subject is difficult.

The USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin is holding a Call to Action Event in Madison on Thursday, May 5 at 10 a.m. in the Overture Center to present these findings to state leaders and continue the conversation we started in January.

Please join us and together we can end the crisis and improve the lives of countless children across Wisconsin.

A longtime firefighter who unceremoniously resigned from his post is taking on De Pere’s entrenched mayor Mike Walsh in the upcoming general election.

James Stupka III, who resigned in 2014 from Walsh his position as the city’s assistant fire chief amid charges that included insubordination, says he’ll bring a fresh Stupka perspective and more transparency to City Hall if voters elect him on April 5.

See MAYOR, Page 7A

INSIDE

Witches are out, but don’t despair Every year before Easter, kids in Finland receive good wishes in exchange for candy. Beliefs, 1D

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From small towns to big cities, it claims the lives of children and leaves countless others wounded. It cuts a path of destruction across all walks of life, yet is often spoken about in hushed terms — if it all.

Results from a new statewide standardized test show persistent racial gaps in achievement by Wisconsin public school students, including those in the Green Bay School District.

The new Badger Exam replaced the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam last year, testing English language arts and math for public school students in grades three through eight. The test had a bumpy rollout, with technical glitches, delays and criticism from parents, school administrators and lawmakers.

The test, administered during the 2014-15 school year, found about 44 percent of students statewide in grades three through eight scored proficient or advanced in math, and about 51 percent proficient or advanced in English language arts, according to results

Euphemisms or crude descriptions often clumsily mask the epidemic of mental health issues afflicting youth at alarming rates. The evidence is overwhelming.

An acute shortage of providers and uneven patchwork of solutions is leaving thousands of Wisconsinites with little hope for mental health treatment. Children languish on waitlists, teetering on the edge of no return. Even as state government, health care providers and community groups have mobilized to respond, the problem is so deep and complex that progress is excruciatingly slow.

Stigma surrounding mental illness can isolate teens and families, make getting treatment harder

Wisconsin’s youth suicide rate is higher than the national average. It ranks in the top for kids with depression, yet less than half received treatment. In 2013, more than half of Wisconsin adolescents surveyed said their mental health was not good at some point in the past month and one in 10 said they had considered suicide. More than 900 youth had to go to the emergency room after hurting themselves that year. And 25 died by suicide.

KATHERINE LYMN AND SHARON ROZNIK | GANNETT WISCONSIN MEDIA

D

A team of 25 Gannett Wisconsin Media journalists will tell their stories. You’ll meet Lizzie Galoff, a high school senior who went from being afraid to tell her parents about her depression to giving speeches to stamp out stigma. We’ll introduce Nicole Weigel, a mom who went from sitting on her son in a moment of desperation, to becoming an advocate for other parents. And you’ll see the crisis through the eyes of Dr. Christian DeGregorio, the only child psychiatrist for the sprawling Aspirus health network.

Gannett Wisconsin will host town hall meetings across all the communities it calls home in February. The town halls will be places for frank discussions, sharing information and generating new approaches. In March, we’ll report what we learn from the meetings and share the voices of stakeholders on how we can stem the crisis.

DANNY DAMIANI/POST-CRESCENT MEDIA

Elizabeth Galoff and her mother Amy Okeefe-Galloff look at college websites at their home in Appleton. She is a senior in high school.

uring the summer between the eighth and ninth grades, Elizabeth Galoff texted seven of her friends and asked them to come over.

When the girls arrived, the group settled in the comfortable basement of Elizabeth’s Appleton home.

“My stomach was complete butterflies,” Elizabeth, now a senior at Kimberly High School, remembers feeling as she prepared to deliver a major announcement. “I was like, ‘Oh my god, my friends are going to leave me.’”

Then, despite those fears, she did it: she told them about her mental illness, and how she had just been hospitalized for a suicide attempt.

They didn’t get up and leave, and they didn’t call her crazy or mental or any other cruel labels.

“The girl I thought would be first to go out the door was the first to get up and hug me,” she said.

Lost in the headlines was the creation of a new state office in 2013 designed to focus exclusively on children’s mental health. New grassroots groups have sprung up. Training and awareness have never been better. Those suffering have not given up hope or the will to heal.

KIDS IN CRISIS How to get help

KATHERINE LYMN

Suicide Prevention Lifeline The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24-hour, toll-free suicide prevention service available to anyone in suicidal crisis. 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Hopeline Hopeline is a Wisconsin-based emotional support text line.

Text “Hopeline” to 741741.

The Trevor Lifeline A national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among LGBT youth. 1-866-488-7386.

National Alliance for Mental Health-Wisconsin Support offered through programs, classes, and storytelling. Contact NAMI nami@namiwisconsin.org or call 800-236-2988.

See STIGMA, Page 5B

KIDS IN CRISIS

USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

M

elissa Noll awoke to the sound of her brother’s sobs. Emergency responders surrounded her, feverishly trying to save her life.

Noll’s 12-year-old brother found her unconscious in her bedroom with a scarf tied around her neck and phoned 911.

It happened during Noll’s junior year at Ashwaubenon High School following four years of silent suffering. Teachers didn’t recognize

her sinking grades and floundering social life as signs of clinical anxiety and depression on the verge of boiling over.

“Anxiety is a killer,” said Noll, now 22.

Health experts estimate 175,000 Wisconsin children suffer from undiagnosed mental illnesses, putting them at a higher risk than their peers of being kicked out of school, arrested for bad behavior or, at worst, suicide. Nowhere are these consequences of untreated mental illness more pronounced than in schools, where kids spend most of their waking hours.

Yet few teachers receive spe-

cialized mental health training, and budget cuts have created a shortage of specialists qualified to help. To meet recommended staffing levels by professional associations, Wisconsin would need nearly twice as many psychologists and six times as many social workers as now are working in schools.

The gap is even greater in rural Wisconsin, where many schools have no mental health professionals at all and community-based services are scarce or non-existent.

Six rural school districts in Marathon County, for example, rely on See CRISIS, Page 3A

RORY’S DIARY | SERIES INSIGHTS You can find a diary from inside Kids in Crisis on our website. The diary provides insights from our team of 25 journalists who spent more than 6 months reporting and editing this report. You can also get the latest reaction, feedback and information about how you can add your voice to the Kids in Crisis stories.

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Statewide the death toll rose by 62 people in 2015, with Fond du Lac County reporting 12 traffic fatalities, compared to ten the prior year. Dodge County experienced 11 fatal crashes, down from 14 in 2014.

Wisconsin ended last year with 556 traffic deaths, according to preliminary statistics from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Wisconsin is one of approximately 35 states that experi-

Sharon Roznik

A three -vehicle crash involving a semi occurred on State 23 in 2015. A father and his 4-year-old son were killed in the crash.

TO SUBSCRIBE, VISIT POSTCRESCENT.COM OR CALL 877.424.4924.

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Lack of seat belts, speed, drugs and alcohol were among the causes of death on Wisconsin highways last year.

Some crashes led to homicide charges, and others took the lives of small children.

Drugs were involved in a crash that killed a father and his four-year-old son in Fond du Lac County.

enced an increase in fatalities.

Milwaukee County led with 83 fatalities, followed by Dane County with 29, Racine County with 24 and Rock County with 20.

What’s frustrating for law enforcement officials is that the majority of deaths could have been avoided.

Fond du Lac County See CRASHES , Page 3B

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Two Fox Valley area legislators have authored competing college debt bills — one with the help of Gov. Scott Walker.

Walker, alongside Rep. Dave Murphy, R-Greenville, and Rep. Howard Marklein R-Spring Green, released a set of bills aimed at college affordability Monday afternoon.

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“We want more students to succeed in Wisconsin without putting undue burden on taxpayers,” Murphy said in an interview with Post-Crescent Media.

“That’s a win-win for everybody.”

The six bills include eliminating the $2,500 cap on tax deductions on student loan interest, require all colleges and universities to send information to

INDEX

students on student loans, providing funding for student internship coordinators through the University of Wisconsin System and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, and establishing emergency grants up to $500 for students in need.

Research from the Institute of College Access and Success shows 70 percent of Wisconsin college students from 2013 to

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2014 incurred debt from attending higher education. The average amount of debt is $28,820 per student, the 17th highest in the country.

The emergency grants are meant for unexpected expenses, Murphy said, like a commuter student’s car breaking down. which could prevent the student from getting to school.

A statement from Walker’s

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office said the elimination of the $2,500 cap on tax deduction for student loan interest would save student loan debt payers $5.2 million annually.

“We want to continue working together to make higher education more accessible and more affordable for Wisconsin students and families,” Walker said in a statement.

See DEBT, Page 8A

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SCOTT VENCI USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Jerry Kramer always enjoyed the process of earning a championship ring.

He put a lot of value in the hard work, chemistry and determination it took to win five NFL titles and two Super Bowls as an offensive lineman with the Green Bay Packers in the 1960s.

But he’s never cared about keeping much from those times except the memories. Which is why, on the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl, the former great is putting his Super Bowl I ring up for auction.

It’s one of 60 items from Kramer that will be made available

by Heritage Auctions, a Texas

Due to Saturday’s late Packers playoff game, home delivery of the Sunday newspaper will be later than normal.

However, you can access the e-edition for free as part of your subscription. Activate your full access at greenbaypressgazette.com/ activate.

For complete game coverage, go to PackersNews.com or download the Packers News app for iOS and Android devices.

You can find a diary from inside Kids in Crisis on our digital and social media channels. The serial diary provides insights from our team of 25 journalists who spent more than six months reporting and editing this report. You can also get the latest reaction, feedback and information about how you can add your voice to Kids in Crisis.

INSIDE

Phoenix steadily pulls away in rout

See TRANSITION, Page 6A

The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay made short work of Valparaiso, en route to an 81-42 win. Sports, 1C

company, in its Platinum Night auction that closes Feb. 20-21. It includes his game-used jersey from Super Bowl I and his Packers Hall of Fame ring.

Kramer isn’t broke. He doesn’t need the money and said he’s living quite comfortably.

It’s just that the selfproclaimed borderline hoarder has had so much of this stuff packed away the past 40 years he doesn’t feel the need to keep it. Besides, the 125 fishing poles he has in the garage of his Idaho home likely won’t raise the type of money his football memorabilia will, nor will the dozen sets of golf clubs he’s had since his college days.

See KRAMER, Page 7A

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RORY’S DIARY | SERIES INSIGHTS

Kramer’s Super Bowl I ring to be auctioned

Legislators pitch competing student debt bills

Some teachers suspected of misconduct keep their licenses, 3A SUNDAY

rent counselors warn. She’ll likely need more than her campus counseling center can provide, and the shortage of mental health providers is nationwide.

“We know we’re going to have a gap there,” Okeefe-Galoff said. “So I’m nervous about it. I’m very, very nervous about it.”

As children’s mental health takes center stage nationwide, many are looking further — after all, we all grow up.

When a mental illness intensifies the years that are already so dynamic, a life can be irreparably turned off course.

JERRY KRAMER

12 died in 2015 county traffic crashes

DOUG RAFLIK/

INSIDE: Meet the parents of a teen still reeling from their son’s suicide, Page 8A.

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A

s Elizabeth Galoff applies to colleges, her mother embarks on a waiting game of another sort.

As soon as Amy Okeefe-Galoff knows where her daughter will be heading in the fall, she’ll kick into high gear to get Elizabeth on the wait-list for an adult counselor for the girl’s depression and anxiety.

Even then, the 18-year-old Kimberly High School senior could sit on the list for up to six months as she switches from child to adult providers, her cur-

Schools struggle to assist students with mental health woes ADAM RODEWALD, LIZ WELTER AND NOELL DICKMANN

Join us in Madison May 5 to mark Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day with information and advocacy to turn a crisis into concrete action toward supporting and healing Wisconsin children.

BREAKING NEWS

See GAP, Page 7A

Teens with mental health woes face additional stresses, dangers heading into adulthood

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STRESSED-OUT TEENS TURN TO TEXT LINE RORY LINNANE AND JAMES FITZHENRY USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Fifteen years, two months and six days.

Perhaps the most poignant plea came from the one person who didn’t want to be there. Though hers is broken, Kris Cahak knew the number by heart.

“It’s too late for Morgan,” Cahak told the crowd in Stevens Point, taking a deep breath as her daughter smiled in a photograph projected behind her. “But I will continue to help in any way I can because it’s the right thing to do, and I know in my heart it’s what she would want me to do.”

From the first welcome in Manitowoc to the final goodnight in Appleton, one thing was certain throughout USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Kids in Crisis town hall meetings: Wisconsin is filled with concern, compassion and countless ideas for improving children’s mental health.

More than 800 attended the 10 town halls, bringing hundreds of questions for 28 expert panelists.

A lethal combination of factors are at work. Not only is the state’s teen suicide rate about a third higher than the national average, youths here report high levels of anxiety and depression. Yet getting help can be daunting.

Federal statistics peg the state as having the most severe shortage of mental health professionals in the nation. And despite progress in combating stigma, the shame that surrounds mental illness makes discussing See BLUEPRINT, Page 10A

If you go What: Kids in Crisis Call to Action event When: 10 a.m., May 5 (free, public invited) Where: Overture Center, 201 State St. in Madison

RORY LINNANE AND JAMES FITZHENRY

F

USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

eeling despair?

Children’s mental health is suffering with no easy answers — but remember where you are. Wisconsin is the laboratory of democracy. We are experimenting.

Inside today’s paper and throughout the week, look for stories showing how Wisconsin is bringing hope for children in need.

We have a new office of Children’s Mental Health and schools are bringing help inside their walls.

Old competitors are partnering to provide care, help is on hand on text lines and computer screens, grassroots groups are training frontline advocates.

There is hope.

Despair can’t win where there’s resolve to end the crisis.

Hopeline offers lifeline of support from trained volunteers SHARON ROZNIK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

I

Inside

n a cramped office on the third floor of a building in Kaukauna, text messages are pouring in from all corners of Wisconsin.

A teenage girl messages that

Pace of mental health care reform in Wisconsin slows after banner year in 2013 when lawmakers passed slew of bills and increased spending by $30 million. Page 8A.

a so-called friend posted nasty stuff about her on Facebook. She’s 16 and everyone at school is talking about her.

Another, whose father was the high school quarterback in his day, says he didn’t make the football team. A few minutes later, an honor roll student writes: “I’m so stressed out, I can’t eat

or sleep.”

When Barb Bigalke shares how many texts the fledgling Hopeline received in just over a year, she sits back in her chair — a look of astonishment comes over her face.

See TEXT, Page 6A

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Green Bay Packers regular-season tickets will cost more this year, but preseason tickets will cost less.

The total-season increase for the seven-game Green package will range from $55 for end zone seats to $59 for seats between the 20-yard lines. The three-game Gold package will see decreases

ranging from $5 to $9 for the season.

The Packers adopted a twotier plan for tickets after studying the issue for several years. One of the challenges they sited in the past for not adopting variable pricing was having two ticket packages with different numbers of games. Their plan does not in-

clude variable prices for regular-season games.

The transition to two-tier pricing creates a decrease for the Gold package because 33 percent of the games are lower-cost preseason contests, while only 14 percent of the Green package are preseason.

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Mental health fixes require urgent action USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN EDITORIAL

The following recommendations for improving children’s mental health are not ours alone.

They are yours, culled from hundreds of interviews and conversations with families, readers, experts, policy makers and government leaders. There are five areas where Wisconsin can take simple and sometimes sweeping actions to reduce its teen suicide rate and dramatically improve the well-being of its children.

1. Stop flying blind Wisconsin is missing essential data. The Office of Children’s Mental Health is working on getting better measures and statistics, but much more needs to be done, including: » Creating a standardized report form to be used in the wake of a suicide. That is a key recommendation made by the Winnebago County Child Death Review Team, noting, “No standardized Suicide Report form exists which can be used by Coroner/EMS/Law Enforcement to record information that would be relevant to identifying risk factors with ultimate goal of effective prevention efforts.” » Increasing participation in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

It is one of the best measures of teen mental health, telling us how many students have been bullied, how many have felt sad and hopeless, and how many attempted suicide. In 2015, there wasn’t enough participation from schools to get usable results. Let’s not make the same mistake again. » Collecting data on student bullying. Steve and Angela Wesener ran into a brick wall searching for answers after their son Jonathan’s suicide. Despite progress in recognizing the damage of bullying, the State Department of Public Instruction does not collect data on all reports of bullying, investigations and outcomes. Anecdotal and incomplete information is not good enough. It should

be uniform and mandatory. If it takes the Legislature to make the DPI do the right thing, let’s call it Jonathan’s Law in his honor.

2. Catch problems early Experts agree that the earlier we can catch problems, the easier (and cheaper) they are to address. Yet it most often happens only in the most severe and dangerous situations, often too late.

Serious mental health issues are arising at younger ages. Yet identification is often left to chance: that a teacher will spot changing behavior, a pediatrician will ask about emotional health or a kid will speak up.

We don’t leave other issues to such chance. We screen our kids rigorously for vision and hearing in schools. We check their reflexes and backbones without fail in doctors’ offices.

The one area we’re missing — the brain — could have the most health issues to hide. In Fond du Lac, a school district that has been proactive in screenings, there is a nearly 20 percent referral rate. It’s more than what they see with vision, hearing or scoliosis checks.

Screenings should be done in more districts, and the state should consider how it could support those efforts.

3. Establish minimum levels of care Wisconsin officials and residents have long recognized with 72 counties providing mental health services, the level of care varies widely. Gov. Scott Walker cited the disparities as a reason for his 2013 budget’s investment in county services. That wise investment expanded a program that holistically provides children’s mental health services in nearly every county.

But other programs are not so widespread. Resources and policies vary. As one county official said at our town hall meeting in Manitowoc: “Right now, if a family moves from one county

to another, things look completely different for that family and what services are available.”

Disparities run deeper than geography. Access to the system often depends on insurance.

Doctors say it can be three times harder to find psychiatrists for kids on Medicaid.

A report by Milwaukee’s Public Policy Forum recently found that Wisconsin’s low Medicaid reimbursement rates were stopping mental health providers from accepting Medicaid patients. The forum argued that by increasing payments for outpatient mental health care, the state would save money on higher reimbursement rates that come with more intensive care and hospitalizations when mental health issues escalate.

Raising Medicaid rates would not only boost access, it would also help encourage more providers in the state.

4. Codify collaborations With the worst shortage of mental health professionals in the country, it’s vital that the workforce we do have in Wisconsin is collaborating and sharing resources at every opportunity. There are three areas that should be expanded: 1. Schools. Private providers are opening satellite clinics on school campuses, allowing students to slip out of class and get help. There are good examples in Wisconsin to consider as a model, including a Minnesotainspired pilot in Racine, a clinicbased approach in Stevens Point and a public-private-non-profit program called PATH in the Fox Cities. But these clinics only benefit a fraction of Wisconsin students who can pay for the services with insurance or are supported by grant dollars. Minnesota offers a statewide program that supplements insurance payments with state funding to ensure students can access mental health providers in schools regardless of ability to pay. Wisconsin should consider following suit.

2. Clinics. Many Wisconsin

providers are bringing doctors and psychiatrists under the same roof. Physicians pick up expertise from the psychiatrist, learn to deal with some issues independently, and can easily refer patients to the psychiatrist when needed. Walker signed a bill earlier this year to encourage more of this integration by piloting new payment models through Medicaid, a widely cited barrier to collaboration.

But we could take it further.

While Wisconsin is investing less than $1 million in its pilots, Colorado landed a $65 million federal grant to integrate more than 400 primary care practices with community mental health centers. And Colorado has private insurance companies on board with new payment systems.

3. Phone lines. Expand the Child Psychiatry Consultation Program. The consultation line, being piloted in two regions of the state, allows primary care doctors to call in for advice from psychiatrists. This program should be expanded statewide and funded to allow for face-toface visits in addition to phone calls.

In all three areas, those efforts would be strengthened by region-wide approaches to deliver services that include counties, schools, health care providers and nonprofits. To be successful, the state must provide additional dollars and oversight.

The upfront investment will save money and lives.

5. Lockups as last resorts Unfortunately, involuntary hospitalization and incarceration are two of the most common ways youth with mental health challenges finally obtain care.

They should be able to access help before having to go through such traumatic events.

In a state survey of county crisis workers, several staff reported major gaps in care for kids in crisis. Many said there are not enough crisis beds or diversion options for youth, forcing them to call police and send

youth to hospitals, rather than keeping them in less-traumatizing settings.

Many counties said they needed a diversion facility for kids who need somewhere to stay and get treatment without being hospitalized. Several such facilities are available for adults.

Trauma can further escalate when police get involved. Wisconsin has the third-highest rate in the country for schools referring students with disabilities to law enforcement, according to an analysis by the Center for Public Integrity.

More officers should be trained to be part of Crisis Intervention Teams, which can help de-escalate youth with mental illnesses when they have run-ins with law enforcement. Only 16 percent of Wisconsin law enforcement agencies have received crisis intervention training. That is unacceptable. Attorney General Brad Schimel should make improving that rate a priority.

Join our Call to Action Wisconsin has made substantial progress since 2013 when Walker and lawmakers approved millions in additional dollars for mental health. There are earnest efforts underway at all levels of government, the health care industry and in local communities.

Yet that isn’t enough. The Oshkosh and Fox Cities communities lost two more teens to suicide in the last week alone. Mental health discussions continue to be clouded by centuries-old stigmas and focusing public discourse on the subject is difficult.

The USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin is holding a Call to Action Event in Madison on Thursday, May 5 at 10 a.m. in the Overture Center to present these findings to state leaders and continue the conversation we started in January.

Please join us and together we can end the crisis and improve the lives of countless children across Wisconsin.

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A DAY OF ACTION

PAGE 1B

Meeting eases concerns over expo center Stakeholders are cautiously optimistic after answer session MADELEINE BEHR USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

APPLETON - After a private meeting with the owner of the Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, stakeholders in the Fox Cities Exhibition Center are cautiously optimistic about the hotel’s renovations tied to the expo center project.

“I’m not feeling warm and fuzzy, but better, I guess,” said Neenah Mayor Dean Kaufert, who was critical of the lack of a timeline for hotel renovations at the panel’s April meeting.

Nine stakeholders met with Joe Gillespie, the Florida-based real-estate investor who owns the hotel, in a private meeting in Appleton on April 22, after the Fox Cities Exhibition Center Advisory Committee sought more answers on renovations to the hotel, which would be connected to the exhibition center.

The exhibition center will be built on Lawrence Street across from the hotel and is estimated to cost between $24 million and $28 million. The money borrowed to pay for construcDOUG RAFLIK/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Rep. Paul Tittl (center), sitting between USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin reporter Rory Linnane and Sen. Tim Carpenter, talks about youth mental health at Thursday's Day of Action meeting in Madison. Many of the 150 people who attended spoke on stage.

150 people urge changes to help kids’ mental health “It all comes down

KATHERINE LYMN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

M

ADISON - Speaking from the Overture Center stage Thursday, Michelle Comeaux started with what she was wearing — the confirmation ring of her Great Aunt Esther, who died more than 100 years ago at age 16.

Esther didn’t go to school toward the end of her life, and her cause of death was listed as “weakness caused by nervous prostration.”

That was code, Comeaux said, for depression, anxiety or both.

Now Comeaux, a psychologist for children at the Stevens Point Area Public School District, said she still sees and hears the cry for help in very real, very heartbreaking terms — the 8-year-old who has suicidal thoughts, the 12-year-old who

to, if you see something, say something; it could be a life you save. I simply wish someone had said something when our son was silently crying out for help.”

STEVE WESENER SON DIED BY SUICIDE

writes down he hates himself and is worthless.

Comeaux was one of 150 people who traveled to Madison from around Wisconsin to take action for kids in crisis. Many of the people who appeared in USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin’s Kids in Crisis series spoke on stage, sharing recommendations for the state going forward and urging lawmakers and others in leadership positions to carry the momentum.

“We have come far in the past 100 years, but we still, as we are hearing, have far to go,” Comeaux said.

The Kids in Crisis project, shared digitally, in print and in community forums across much of Wisconsin via 10 USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin newspaper sites, didn’t end with reporting on the problem. It included five solutions

ALISON DIRR USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

NEENAH - Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel will provide an update today on an investigation into a police shooting at Eagle Nation

Cycles in December.

A press conference has been set for 11:15 a.m. at Neenah’s City Schimel Hall, 211 Walnut St. Also, Neenah Mayor Dean Kaufert, Neenah Police Chief Kevin Wilkinson and City Attorney Jim Godlewski will

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gating the shooting and has provided little information in the past five months.

DCI provides a report on police shootings to a prosecutor for review. If that prosecutor decides there’s not a basis for charging the officers involved, the report is posted on the DOJ’s website.

Neenah police maintained

See ACTION, Page 6A

make brief statements and take press questions at 1:15 p.m. at City Hall.

Police killed hostage Michael L. Funk as he tried to escape a hostage situation at the motorcycle shop on Dec. 5.

State law requires that an independent agency investigate police-involved deaths. The Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation has been investi-

Advocate for missing, families steps away A Fox Valley man who dedicated 25 years to the missing and their families realizes it’s time to step aside.

Jay Breyer, 53, said he’s tired, but he leaves satisfied he fulfilled the pledge made at the casket of his 2-year-old niece, Amy Breyer, 2½ decades ago. The toddler was abducted and murdered in the Town of Menasha in 1991.

“I made a promise to Amy that I was going to do whatever it took,” he said.

Breyer Breyer, of Hortonville, retired this week from his role as consultant to Mission: Home, a Grand Chute nonprofit organization founded in 2009. The volunteer-driven group provides safety education in the community and support to families when loved ones go missing.

It’s a successor organization to Youth Educated in Safety, or YES, which Breyer founded in 1994 after the abduction and murder of 12-year-old Cora Jones of Weyauwega.

DOJ to provide update on Neenah shooting today Attorney General will discuss shooting that killed hostage last year

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for improving care. They include gathering better data to help understand bullying and suicide; screening mental health early; raising Medicaid rates and training more police in crisis situations so lockups are the last resort.

Another solution from the series, one referenced over and over at Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day of Action event, is collaboration among mental health providers, schools and primary care doctors to help bridge the gap as Wisconsin sits an estimated 200 psychiatrists short of the need.

Dr. Jeffrey Britton, a Sheboygan pediatrician, said some days half of his patients are in for mental health problems. When he did his residency, he received no training in anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the sorts of mental illnesses kids are showing up with. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing this with very limited training,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;... I had to learn it all sort of on the job.â&#x20AC;?

Britton said he supports collaborations that integrate primary care and mental health care. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really obvious to me that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to create a bunch of child psychiatrists out of thin air,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Wisconsin has a teen suicide rate a third higher than the national average. Think of it this way: In a class of 30 Wisconsin high school students, seven have felt sad or hopeless for at least two weeks straight in the past year.

Four have seriously considered attempting suicide and have a plan for how theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d do it.

Two have attempted suicide.

Only one or two in that classroom got mental health care for depression.

Kris Cahak of Wisconsin Rapids lost her 15-year-old daughter, Morgan, to suicide, and has since been vocal about how the state can better help youth with mental illness.

At Thursdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gathering, Cahak advocated for anonymous surveys of high schoolers. Morgan voiced her struggle on social media and to two boys she knew, but no one told her mother. The

DOUG RAFLIK/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

More than 150 people attended the Day of Action event in Madison on Thursday, organized by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin to build momentum for youth mental health following the extensive Kids in Crisis series. Many urged lawmakers to help enact some of the changes that were recommended.

MORE: Check out photo galleries, video replays of Kids in Crisis town hall meetings and much more from USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin online.

girl died by suicide the day before a scheduled appointment with her primary care doctor to talk about mental health.

With the results from the surveys, Cahak said, school counselors would better know how to reach students and help them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What do these kids know, how do they feel, do they know how to get help?â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Keep it anonymous and I promise you they will tell you the truth.â&#x20AC;?

Like Cahak, Steve and Angela Wesener of Edgar wish the people who saw what was happening to their child had spoken up.

Their son, Johnathan, died by suicide 49 weeks ago as of

Thursday, Steve told the crowd at the Overture. After his suicide, they found out Johnathan was bullied, and feel he lacked trusted adults in his school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It all comes down to, if you see something, say something, it could be a life you save. I simply wish someone had said something when our son was silently crying out for help,â&#x20AC;? Steve Wesener said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s start saving our children.â&#x20AC;?

Katherine Lymn: 920-9931000, ext. 7232, or klymn@ postcrescent.com; on Twitter @kathlymn

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Bracelets serve as a reminder that the push for mental health services for youth doesn't end with the conclusion of the Kids in Crisis series.

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Series KIDS IN CR opens doors, hearts Underwriting support from Bellin Health

Kids in Crisis starts mental health talks RORY LINNANE AND KATHERINE LYMN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

DANNY DAMIANI/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Tess Piasecki is held by her mother, Mindi, in the backyard of their home in Neenah. Mindi and Mark Piasecki were told she wouldn't live through her first year, but she is making progress following a rare transplant.

2-YEAR-OLD ADOPTED GIRL WAS NOT EXPECTED TO LIVE THROUGH THE YEAR RORY LINNANE | USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

F

See KIDS, Page 6A

What moms really want

Offering solutions Taking what was learned from hundreds of interviews, USA Today Network-Wisconsin offers solutions to improve childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mental health, 8-9A

SHELBY LE DUC

or Mindi Piasecki, plans for a Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day brunch are extra special. She hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been out to eat with her family since October 2014.

Not that she regrets a day since then. After being told her adopted daughter Tess wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t live through the year, Mindiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thankful for every day that she spent in isolation with Tess, carefully protecting her from anything that could kill her while Tess had almost no immune system.

After receiving a life-saving thymus tissue transplant, 2year-old Tess is finally well enough to meet other people and her parents are happy to show her off. Dressed in matching

The United States has recognized Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day as a holiday for more than a century. With all that time, trends, styles, interests and expectations have changed.

So, with seemingly endless options, what do moms really want on their

See TESS, Page 5A

See MOMS, Page 5A

MADISON - As Anna Benz took the stage to talk about her mental health, she was joined in solidarity by a thousand paper cranes. Lined up in six rows along the front of the stage, the multicolored birds that she folded herself were there to grant her one wish, as the Japanese legend goes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wish for you to take one â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or 10, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to take them all home â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and bring them with you,â&#x20AC;? Benz said to a crowd of about 150 people who attended USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day of Action on youth mental health. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And I wish that you would use it as a symbol of hope.â&#x20AC;?

The first crane Benz ever received was right before she was hospitalized for selfharm. She has kept it ever since. Now, people all throughout the state who attended the Day of Action have

USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

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REFUGEES

Refugees push through hardship, tragedy Refugees get chance of a lifetime to fly from Congo to Wisconsin to start their new lives RORY LINNANE USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Christopher and Nadine, refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, arrived in the Fox Valley in December.

Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve escaped the clutches of soldiers, made long journeys on foot through jungles, and endured crippling conditions in refugee camps to make it here.

In this series, we trace the steps of their journey here, their love story, and their new

life in Wisconsin.

In the first installment, we met Christopher as he lost his family and set out on the run from government forces. Then we followed Christopher as he made the dangerous bordercrossing into Zambia and made it to Mwange Refugee Camp . His wife-to-be, Nadine, was still living in Bukavu. Now, in the final installment, we see

how Christopher and Nadine find each other in the chaos, build a family and start a new life.

DRC, 2001 When Christopher passed through Bukavu in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;90s as he fled government forces,

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Study shows bumpy, slow rides cost you $2K MEG JONES MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

MILWAUKEE - Local commuters stuck in traffic, here’s one more thing to fume over: you’re spending an additional $2,060 annually because of delays from congestion and traffic crashes.

In addition to the dollars, which includes added vehicle costs from delays, the average driver in suburban Milwaukee loses 38 hours staring at red brake lights. For Madison drivers, it’s $2,072 and 36 hours each year.

Crumbling roads and bridges as well as congested roadways cost Wisconsin motorists $6 billion annually, according to a report released Thursday by national transportation research group TRIP. “Drivers are not only hitting potholes every day but it’s also affecting their wallets,” said Carolyn Kelly, associate director of research and communications for Washington, D.C.-based TRIP. Each year $264 billion in goods are shipped from Wisconsin and another $236 billion is shipped into the state, mostly by truck.

But road improvements and upgrades have not kept pace with the state’s economy — 42 percent of major roads in Wisconsin are in mediocre to poor condition; in the Milwaukee area, 56 percent of major roads are considered mediocre or poor and in Madison, it’s even

Traffic moves along I-43 in Milwaukee in the 4 second exposure in February. A study released Thursday says that Milwaukee-area commuters are spending an additional $2,060 annually because of delays from congestion and traffic accidents.

Kids

“This isn’t the

Continued from Page 1A

problem of a few

their own symbols of hope perched on their office desks, bedside tables and windowsills.

Just as the cranes have been loosed to roost throughout the state, conversations about mental health have percolated through the daily lives of USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin readers as the Kids in Crisis series progressed. Mental health experts say the series has served as a launching point for families to disclose their own mental health challenges and find help.

“They’d be talking about an article and then they’d start talking about their own experiences,” Catalpa Health CEO Lisa Kogan-Praska said. “It was really a wonderful way to start that dialogue.... The series was phenomenal just because of the impact it made in raising awareness.”

The series, which appeared this year across 10 USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin newspapers, featured more than 44 pieces of original reporting and 10 town hall meetings across the state. At the conclusion, it outlined 5 solutions to help the state address the crisis in children’s mental health. The solutions were part of a pledge that participants were asked to sign to help create action.

Advocates said many didn’t know how to talk about mental illness, or didn’t realize how common it was, before reading the stories and talking about their own experiences.

“This isn’t the problem of a few unfortunate individuals,” said Sharla Baenen, president of Bellin Psychiatric Center. “It’s a problem — indeed it’s a crisis — that affects us all.”

Baenen, speaking at the Day of Action, said her heart was heavy for the families that had lost kids to suicide.

“Yet we know these stories can serve as a catalyst for true and lasting change. Today is not the culmination of a newspaper series,” she said. “It is

MIKE DE SISTI/MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

higher at 68 percent, the study concluded.

Bridges are in bad shape, too. A total of 14 percent of bridges in the state show significant deterioration or do not meet current design standards, 9 percent are structurally deficient and 5 percent are functionally obsolete.

Manufacturers in Wisconsin depend on good roads to move their goods and business could suffer “if you can’t move those things to market,” said Steve Baas, senior vice president of governmental affairs and public policy at the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of

Commerce.

Funding for roads comes from a variety of sources, including taxes paid on each gallon of fuel — currently 51.3 cents in Wisconsin, of which 30.9 cents is state taxes. As cars become more fuelefficient and fuel-sipping hybrid vehicles grow in popularity, the pot of money from fuel taxes is expected to shrink while more vehicles pound Wisconsin’s pavement.

That could mean boosting the state gas tax, increasing user fees or — horrors — toll roads in Wisconsin.

“There are no magic

beans here, you’re going to have to pay one way or the other,” said Baas, adding that all possible funding sources should be discussed. “I’m not saying all the options will be preferable in the end but everything should be in the discussion.”

Wisconsin’s 4.2 million licensed drivers pay an average of $274 each year in state and local registration-related fees and gas taxes, ranking the state 33rd in the nation.

Kelly noted that Wisconsin motorists are “already paying a hidden tax” in costs spent delayed by congestion.

Building more lanes and expanding roads might not be the answer, said Peter Skopec, director of WISPIRG, a state public interest advocacy group. While Skopec agrees that Wisconsin’s infrastructure is in crisis, he thinks congestion is actually caused by expansion because adding lanes increases the number of drivers who choose to travel on an expanded road. While there may be short-term gains from road expansion, he said, more people will use the highway and congestion will eventually return.

“Our local roads are in

abysmal shape across the state especially in rural Wisconsin. The farther north you get, the worse it gets. That’s because we prioritized highway expansion over maintaining what we have. It’s left us with more expensive infrastructure that we can’t pay to maintain,” said Skopec.

Skopec said Wisconsin transportation funding should be spent on repairing highways, encouraging motorists to use local roads and investing in public transit.

“Over the last 20 years, the transportation spending balance has been very skewed toward highway expansion, which has led to cuts in funding for local road repairs, repairs of existing highways, bridges and transit, and resulted in the crisis laid out in the TRIP report,” Skopec said in a follow-up email.

TRIP in a nonprofit group sponsored by insurance companies, equipment manufacturers, distributors and suppliers, businesses involved in highway and transit engineering and construction and labor unions.

Vehicle miles traveled in Wisconsin increased by 5 percent from 2000 to 2014, and, though traffic dipped during the recession, more people are driving more miles now.

The state’s economy has grown, too, increasing 18 percent when adjusted for inflation between 2000 and 2014.

unfortunate individuals. It’s a problem — indeed it’s a crisis — that affects us all... Yet we know these stories can serve as a catalyst for true and lasting change. Today is not the culmination of a newspaper series.

It is the start of a healthier tomorrow for Wisconsin’s kids.”

DOUG RAFLIK/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Anna Benz talks at the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Kids In Crisis town hall meeting in Madison on Thursday. Benz also spoke at an Appleton town hall event earlier this year that was also part of the Kids in Crisis series.

SHARLA BAENEN PRESIDENT, BELLIN PSYCHIATRIC CENTER

the start of a healthier tomorrow for Wisconsin’s kids.”

Elizabeth Hudson, director of the Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health, said with stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness being such a problem, creating conversations about the issue moves Wisconsin forward. Lessening that stigma gets more people help.

Kogan-Praska said in the last year, Catalpa saw about 25 percent more patients than the previous year. She said it’s a sign of an increasing awareness and comfort with talking about mental health — one of the major goals of the Kids in Crisis series.

Several other organizations have long been involved in the effort to reduce stigma around mental health, from Mental Health America, to Wisconsin Family Ties and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. But they often feel unheard by the general public. The Kids in Crisis series has been an op-

portunity for people actively dealing with mental health issues to reach living rooms and workplaces where mental illness has been more of a taboo subject.

“I’ve been in this field for so many years. I never thought I’d see it in our newspaper,” said Patricia Grace, a behavioral health specialist with Ministry Health, during the Stevens Point town hall in March. “And it’s wonderful, and it’s opened the door in so many different ways in so many communities.”

The Kids in Crisis series uncovered several shortcomings in Wisconsin that are allowing kids with mental health challenges to go undetected and underserved. USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin reporters will be following up with lawmakers to determine how they respond to these issues.

For example, according to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin’s analysis, Wisconsin schools need about double the number of psychologists and six times the number of social workers to meet ratios recom-

mended by professional organizations. Staff report being overburdened and unable to address all the mental health challenges they see in their students.

In Minnesota, lawmakers have invested state dollars in expanding satellite clinics in schools to give kids access to private mental health services for free without having to travel anywhere. Wisconsin state superintendent Tony Evers has suggested Wisconsin make a similar type of investment.

The 5 solutions the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin outlined to stop teen suicide and improve youth mental health include: 1 Stop flying blind.

Wisconsin is missing essential data. The Office of Children’s Mental Health is working on getting better measures and statistics, but much more needs to be done.

2 Catch problems early. Experts agree that the earlier we can catch problems, the easier (and cheaper) they are to address. Yet it most often happens only in the most severe and dangerous sit-

uations, often too late 3 Establish minimum levels of care. Wisconsin officials and residents have long recognized with 72 counties providing mental health services, the level of care varies widely.

4 Codify collaborations. With the worst shortage of mental health professionals in the country, it’s vital that the workforce we do have in Wisconsin is collaborating and sharing resources at every opportunity.

5 Lockups as last resorts. More police officers should be trained to be part of Crisis Intervention Teams. Only 16 percent of Wisconsin law enforcement agencies have received the specialized instruction in responding to cases where citizens suffer from mental health issues.

Pamela Henson, president of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, said the spark for the series came from discussions with community leaders who urged her to help alert the community about the troubling issues with youth. She said she asked newsroom leaders to investigate the issue.

“What can we do with our forum, megaphone if you will, of 10 newspapers and 10 websites?” Henson said during the event.

“We’ve got to do something about this.”

After the series began in January, Benz responded to a call for readers to submit stories in their own words called Faces of Kids in Crisis.

She attended the Appleton town hall meeting where she agreed to speak at the Madison event.

“Why do we keep fighting? Why do we not quit?”

Benz asked the audience at the Day of Action. “We don’t quit because everyone is worth more than they think. And you are all valued by so many people you haven’t even seen in years. And when you make it to a brighter day, you will see that there is more to life than sleepless nights, self-doubt and anxiety.”

Reach Katherine Lymn: 920-996-7232, or klymn@postcrescent.com ; on Twitter @KathLymn.

Rory Linnane: 920-9937184 or rlinnane@gannett .com; on Twitter @RoryLinnane.

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ANALYSIS FINDS DISPARITIES IN COUNTY BUDGETS FOR YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH

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Wide gaps in county spending

JACOB BYK/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Britt DeRuyter is coated during the Medical College of Wisconsin Central Wisconsin White Coat Ceremony at UW-Marathon County in Wausau on Thursday.

Meet the med students from central Wisconsin Inaugural class begins three-year program NORA G. HERTEL USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

WAUSAU - Marni Sarazen is stepping up and showing off Wausau to her classmates in the new medical school here.

Sarazen, 22, is one of the first 26 students in the new Medical College of Wisconsin-Central Wisconsin campus and she’s from Wausau herself. “If anyone has Wausau questions, I’m helping the best I can,” she said.

In the MCW-Central Wisconsin’s inaugural class 11 come from central Wisconsin, including four from Marshfield.

Eight more call other parts of Wisconsin home, and three hail from Minnesota. Plus there’s one student from Illinois, Indiana, New York and Arizona.

The three-year medical program will encourage the students to get involved in the community, and that’s why many wanted to attend here. All the students started orientation this week and received their first white coats from physician mentors at a ceremony Thursday.

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin surveyed all 26 students.

Here are brief bios about the 11 students from central Wisconsin.

KEEGAN KYLE AND RORY LINNANE USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

A

major factor in a kid’s access to public mental health care in Wisconsin is the location of their home, a USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin analysis shows.

Wisconsin kids are being hospitalized and dying by suicide at alarming rates well above national averages.

Meanwhile, county services — which are supposed to prevent crises from escalating — report wide disparities in spending on youth mental health services.

Most of the state’s 72 counties offer mental health care according to their own plans and resources, resulting in a divergent jumble of options.

“It means some kids go without care that other kids get,” said Jenna Saul, a psychiatrist based in Marshfield. “There’s a real discrepancy in access to needed supports depending on your geography.”

Little is known about the breadth and impact of these differences. State health officials have long collected data from counties but their attention has primarily focused on statewide trends rather than examining county-provided care.

But now, in response to our analysis of county budget and patient data, new energy is emerging at the state level to

Britt DeRuyter, 31, of Stevens Point

“This gives us a map

Guide to data, findings

to start forming

The USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin reviewed $300 million in spending on county-provided youth mental health services from 2012 to 2014, looking at each county’s revenue sources and the numbers of children who received care. Our analysis found that counties reported wide disparities in spending levels for youth mental health services. Among our findings: » Wisconsin's counties and three regional cooperatives relied heavily on the support of state and federal dollars rather than local coffers. Six counties, including Brown County, reported setting aside no local dollars for youth mental health services during the period. Statewide, about one in every five dollars for children's mental health came from local coffers. » Available funding per child varies dramatically from one county to the next. While the average youth patient received $8,000 in services during the period, many counties reported spending half that much and a handful more than doubled the statewide average. For instance, Dunn County logged $1.2 million in spending for 40 kids, or about $29,000 each.

questions. People will start asking the outcomes of our spending once they have clear numbers on their spending.

My hope is that people will start saying, ‘Is it making a difference?’”

ELIZABETH HUDSON HEAD OF THE STATE OFFICE OF CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH

See GAPS, Page 6A

Continued on Page 6A

Viral video sparks talk about diversity issues Hmong man complains that he felt ignored while at Oshkosh restaurant NATHANIEL SHUDA, NOELL DICKMANN AND NATE BECK USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

NATE BECK/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Little Ceasars Pizza in Oshkosh faces a racism complaint.

OBITUARIES 2A, 8A

David Arent Dennis Daigle Jr. Glenn Dettinger Gene Habeck

OSHKOSH - A viral video containing highly charged claims of racism at an Oshkosh eatery is sparking conversation about diversity in the community.

When Tou Vang, of Appleton, visited the new

Sandra Janiszewski Bonnie Niewolny Hans Kalinka Shelly Parsells LeRoy Kurszewski Irene Sowinski Lyla Madden

Little Caesars Pizza franchise last Sunday on Jackson Street, he says he felt ignored because he’s Hmong. What happened inside the restaurant was not caught on camera, but the video Vang posted to his Facebook page shows a heated conversation with an employee in the parking lot.

See VIDEO, Page 7A

INDEX BUSINESS .......6B,7B OPINION ............10A CLASSIFIED ....9B-12B SPORTS ...............1B LOCAL .....................3A

WI-5001994627

Something special about you: I worked as an RN (registered nurse) in Wausau for about three years while raising a family of four small boys. I was inspired to pursue medical school while working alongside some of the excellent physicians within my own community.

Where would you like to practice medicine? I envision myself practicing in north central Wisconsin where I can enjoy the vast amenities of the outdoor north woods while serving the communities familiar to me growing up.

Why did you choose to attend MCW Wausau? This school is my first choice for many reasons, the first being that I have established See STUDENTS, Page 11A $2.00 RETAIL FOR HOME DELIVERY PRICING, SEE PAGE 2A

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Gaps Continued from Page 1A

study how counties treat children and where some might be failing to meet their needs.

While some counties said they spent less than $1,000 annually on average for each child they treated for mental health issues, others reported spending more than $20,000. Milwaukee County spends more than $80,000 per patient.

On one hand, the ranges could be explained by varying levels of need or inconsistent reporting.

On the other, it suggests the mental health safety net is inconsistent and could be a factor in the state’s high rates of teen suicide and hospitalization. Some counties have created waitlists for services while others offer fewer programs.

For Saul, who treats patients across Wisconsin using tele-psychiatry, geography is as important as insurance in figuring out treatment options that can vary dramatically inches across county border lines.

“Not only does every county have a different name for each service but in addition, some counties have something ‘like that’ and some have nothing ‘like that,’ whatever the ‘that’ may be at the time,” she said.

We reviewed $300 million in county spending on youth mental health services from 2012 to 2014, where this money came from and how many children received care. Officials acknowledged weaknesses in the data and some county officials cautioned against comparing their budget figures due to fuzzy reporting guidelines.

Still, the analysis buttresses concerns of wide gaps while raising new questions about county spending and state oversight.

State officials called our analysis a major breakthrough and a tool officials could use to improve services.

“This gives us a map to start forming questions,” said Elizabeth Hudson, head of the state Office of Children’s Mental Health.

“People will start asking the outcomes of our spending once they have clear numbers on their spending. My hope is that people will start saying, ‘Is it making a difference?’”

Longtime concern Wisconsin’s problems with youth mental health are well documented. The state’s teen suicide rate is among the highest in the nation, and a USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin series found an acute shortage of providers and limited treatment options in some corners of the state.

The Kids in Crisis series, which kicked off in January, included ten town hall meetings across Wisconsin and a Call to Action event in Madison in May aimed at elevating awareness of children’s mental health with lawmakers, policymakers and the public. Holes in county services was a common complaint among those who attended town hall meetings.

County-provided services are supposed to fill gaps in care for families without adequate private insurance. Under the oversight of state authorities, county-level care is designed to be a safety net ensuring that every child regardless of economic status or troubles at home has an opportunity to receive treatment.

But in 2015, staff working for county services around Wisconsin told a state workgroup they needed more training and manpower to effectively help kids in mental health crisis. The workgroup found that many distressed youth were unnecessarily hospitalized for behaviors that likely could have been addressed in less restrictive settings if staff had proper training.

At least 1,066 youth were detained at emergency facilities in 2014,

WAUSAUDAILYHERALD.COM | WAUSAU DAILY HERALD

Continued from Page 1A Two other counties, meanwhile, reported spending less than $1,000 per child patient. » Use of county-provided mental health services is scarce in many counties.

About 20 percent of youth are estimated to have a mental illness. In 16 counties, patient figures suggest that

though state officials said the number is likely higher due to “inconsistent county reporting.” Only half of youth on Medicaid who were detained had accessed outpatient therapy that calendar year, the workgroup reported.

With the increasing demand for youth mental health services, some counties have established waitlists.

“We do know there are widely varying waitlists but there’s no centralized reporting of any of that,” said Hugh Davis, director of Wisconsin Family Ties, a support and advocacy organization for families battling mental health issues. “So it’s difficult to say with confidence who’s doing well, and who’s not doing well.”

Some kids don’t even have a waitlist.

Like a 7-year-old boy with behavioral health issues from Florence County. His county, in the northeast corner of the state where forests blanket 80 percent of the land, is so sparsely populated that it pays Marinette County to provide mental health services to its residents.

But it doesn’t get all of them. The boy’s counselor, Myra Brooks, said she would normally enroll him in a special case management and treatment program but Florence doesn’t offer it.

“That means kids in critical care there either need to relocate or they hobble it together,” Brooks said.

The boy isn’t allowed to be part of Marinette’s program because he doesn’t live there and it’s not one that Florence contracts.

“The trajectory (for the boy) is more problems at school, with peers and at home,” Brooks said.

“Things we would be able to predict and intervene with are going to wait until they are a crisis.”

Florence ranks near the bottom of Wisconsin counties in the amount of local dollars set aside for children’s mental health, per capita, from 2012 to 2014, according to USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin’s analysis of state figures.

Jen Steber, director of Human Services for Florence County, said it “would be great” to have additional resources and staff, but said she recognized it would be a finan-

fewer than 1 percent of resident children received county services from 2012 to 2014. Some counties handled bigger caseloads though. In Iron and Waushara counties, more than 10 percent of children received services. » Stark gaps in funding and service levels are even evident in neighboring counties. Three distressed children

attending the same Appleton school could end up in Calumet County, which reported spending $9,200 per patient; Outagamie County, which reported spending $5,400 per patient; or Winnebago County, which reported spending $4,700 per patient.

We obtained the county budget and patient data under government transpar-

ency laws from the state Department of Health Services, which received it through annual reports from county agencies. No youth are identified by the data.

The state declined to release figures for six counties where few children were served during the period, citing patient privacy laws.

cial burden to the county and it would be difficult to find people to employ with the state’s severe mental health workforce shortages.

health needs in counties, Hudson said she hopes the data helps examine whether some counties are better serving their residents.

“It could be you’re not spending as much because inherently people are just healthier in that county,” she said.

discretion to draw applesto-apples comparisons.

“Because the state doesn’t dictate how to report, you can ask 72 counties how they do it and get 72 different answers,” Herrling said.

Possible explanations In federal grant applications and other reports, state officials have long cited wide gaps in countyprovided youth mental health services. But their understanding of these differences, and whether children are slipping through the cracks, remains limited.

A 2011 state report, while lauding aspects of the county-based system, also called it a weakness because it leads to “inconsistent implementation of programs” and “varying levels of funding and support for mental health services.” For years, state reports have also cited trouble obtaining reliable figures from counties on their service levels.

Joyce Allen, head of the state’s health department’s mental health bureau, said a variety of factors influence funding for county services and could explain differences, including how much counties opt to spend from local coffers, the availability of private treatment options and demographics. Higher poverty and unemployment rates, for example, could drive more residents to seek county services.

“It’s a complex puzzle,” Allen said. “I think the data is helpful at the local level, in particular, to help them figure out what is happening in their communities.”

Counties by state law are individually responsible for the well-being and treatment of their residents with mental illness, and empowered to limit services and establish waiting lists based on available resources. State officials, in turn, are supposed to provide oversight and promote appropriate care.

Hudson, from the Office of Children’s Mental Health, said our analysis prompted her office to prioritize a closer look at possible causes for the range in reported funding levels. Her office since 2013 has been charged with improving access to county services, as well as other providers.

While some variation could be due to differing

Borderline differences Appleton, which straddles three counties, offers a microcosm of mental health services. Three kids who all live in Appleton and attend school together may be served by three separate county health agencies in Calumet, Outagamie and Winnebago counties.

While Calumet County reported spending more than $9,000 per patient, Outagamie reported $5,400 per patient and Winnebago $4,700. Calumet offers wraparound Coordinated Services Teams. Outagamie and Winnebago counties do not have these teams, though officials say they have comparable programs.

Officials in each county said they could not comment on whether their levels of services exceeded or fell short of neighboring counties, noting that several factors can affect their budgets.

Tom Saari, manager of behavioral services for Winnebago County, said he thought his county “might be in the best position” for serving kids because of a special family therapy team it set up to provide in-home case management and therapy.

But he said he didn’t know specifics about what other counties offer.

In Outagamie County, as health and human services fiscal manager Kay Herrling looked over our analysis, she mulled over possible reasons for her county’s relatively low spending number on youth mental health. She thought one factor could be that county staff help uninsured children get onto Medicaid or private insurance as quickly as possible, which reduces county spending on reimbursable services for those kids.

Herrling, as well as several other officials, cautioned against comparing the numbers between counties, saying state reporting guidelines allow counties too much

Reporting concerns State instructions tell counties to specifically include certain costs in their budget reports, such as inpatient hospital stays, case management costs and therapy. But Herrling said it’s unclear how to report costs for youth services, so rather than calculate the cost of caring for each child, she gets a rough estimate by taking the county’s mental health budget and multiplying it by the percent of patients who are children.

Other county health officials also reported concerns with annual budget reports to the state. In Winnebago, Saari said the mental health figures for his county’s children don’t include hospitalization costs, contracted mental health services or all of the time kids spend with the staff psychiatrist and psychotherapists. In Manitowoc, psychiatrists are often recorded as working with adults even though they spend significant time with children.

“I wouldn’t trust that number,” said Nancy Randolph, a co-director of Manitowoc County’s children and families divi-

sion. “I think it’s far more than that.”

In Brown County, which reported one of the lowest spending rates in the state, Human Services Director Eric Pritzl said he thought some services weren’t being captured in the numbers, or something was reported wrong. While his county’s report showed no dollars from county coffers being spent on youth mental health, Pritzl said there certainly are county dollars spent on youth mental health programs.

“In terms of resources, we have a very nice array internally and externally,” Pritzl said.

Despite concerns, neither county nor state officials to date have come up with a better system for gauging the amount of public resources being poured into children’s mental health services.

Despite Randolph’s concerns with the data, she acknowledged that it echoes her own worries about gaps in county services.

“Some counties have a much more aggressive approach to developing services than others,” she said.

State Department of Health Services officials said they don’t attempt to verify the accuracy of mental health budget figures reported by counties and declined to address whether current reporting guidelines need to be changed. But Hudson said if her Office of Children’s Mental Health can provide any assistance in the matter, “We’re all in.”

Reach Rory Linnane: 920-993-7184 or Rory .Linnane@gannett wisconsin.com; on Twitter @RoryLinnane. Keegan Kyle at kkyle@gannett .com or on Twitter @keegankyle.

A N N O U N C E M E N T S • C E L E B R AT I O N S

Milestones deadline: 5 business days prior by 4 pm wausaudailyherald.com/milestones • 888-774-7744

Hood - Birth Lausen Rae was born at Baylor Medical Center, McKinney, TX to proud parents Jessica & John Hood. Grandparents: Joel & Raeann Brandt, Saxon; Rod (Dawn) Kleiber, Marathon; Larry & Linda Hood, Tyler, TX. Great Grandparents: Geraldine Krolikowski, Weston, Robert & Judy Brandt, Weston and Frank & Carlene Rindfleisch, Mosinee Congratulations!

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To learn how to ADAPT to a healthier new life, groups meet weekly for 16 weeks, then monthly for the rest of the 12-month program. Meeting topics include: • • • •

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aspirus.org/weightloss :,

HVIADS-034

HALL OF FAMER For full coverage of Brett Favre’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, see 11A and sheboyganpress.com.

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Braun, Clarke square off in primary Democrats battle to represent 26th Assembly District

RORY LINNANE AND KATHERINE LYMN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

S

MILLER JOZWIAK USA TODAY NETWORK- WISCONSIN

tate lawmakers said they

in schools following a USA TO-

Evan Braun and Rebecca Clarke will square off Tuesday to represent Democrats in the 26th Assembly district race against Republican incumbent Terry Katsma.

Katsma was elected in 2014.

DAY NETWORK-Wisconsin se-

Evan Braun

want to screen more children for mental illness

and expand mental health clinics

Evan Braun is a 22-yearold graduate of UW-Milwaukee. He has a degree in Music Theater Performance and graduated in May. He said he

ries.

The actions are part of solutions outlined in a USA TODAY NET-

See PRIMARY, Page 9A

WORK-Wisconsin editorial aimed to prevent teen suicide and improve youth mental health in Wisconsin. The full list,

Volga settlers found their footing in Sheboygan

which includes 10 specific ideas, is available at

“Improving mental health services continues to be a priority for the governor.”

TOM EVENSON SPOKESMAN FOR GOV. SCOTT WALKER

bit.ly/kicaction.

“I think the 10 proposals would be a much-needed step in the right direction for children’s health care in Wisconsin,” said Sen-

BETH DIPPEL

ate Minority Leader

SHEBOYGAN COUNTY HISTORICAL RESEARCH CENTER

Jennifer Shilling, D-

From 1764 to 1767, 23,000 Germans emigrated to a small area of Russia along the Volga River at the behest of Russia’s German-born princess, Catherine the Great.

A total of 104 colonies were founded along the Volga River near Saratov. Immigrants to the Volga region came mainly from the German duchies of Hessen, and the Rhineland, and from the

La Crosse. “When we come back in January, these should be bipartisan.”

The proposals stemmed in part from 10 town hall meetings held around the state as part of the Kids in Crisis series. Reporters found that kids and teens are dealing with mental illness and dying by suicide at

See VOLGA, Page 10A

alarming rates in Wisconsin, where health professional shortages are among the worst in the country.

A list of the proposals was sent to every lawmaker in June with the request to comment and take ownership on any proposals that struck a chord.

More than a dozen lawmakers reached out, with some of the items getting more traction than others.

See SUPPORT, Page 9A

INSIDE

PARK PROFILE: WILLOW FALLS IS ONE OF THE MAIN ATTRACTIONS AT WILLOW RIVER STATE PARK | 1B

SUBMITTED PHOTO

St. Stephens Lutheran church, a community of German Russians, was once located on the northwest corner of 14th and Erie in Sheboygan.

INDEX

ADVICE..................4B CLASSIFIED...... 7-8C COMMUNITY .......3A

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OBITUARIES .........5A SPORTS .........11-15A TELEVISION .........4B

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has volunteered in campaigns for Barack Obama, Russ Feingold and Scott Walkerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recall election. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have seen firsthand what the Walker administration and current republicans have done to the school district within this area, to the UW system,â&#x20AC;?

Bruan Braun said of why he chose to run.

Braun was born and raised in Sheboygan. He said the biggest differentiation between him and his opponent, Rebecca Clarke, is she did not buy all her campaign materials from union printers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s disingenu-

Support Continued from Page 1A

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, was among those who raised concerns about costs associated with the measures, but he said he was interested in learning more about the ideas.

A spokesman for Gov. Scott Walker said Walker was not available for an interview and would reveal any initiatives related to mental health services in his budget proposal early next year.

Walker injected unprecedented funding for mental health care in his 2013-15 budget, but did not propose expansions of the same level for the current cycle. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Improving mental health services continues to be a priority for the governor,â&#x20AC;? spokesman Tom Evenson wrote in an email.

Most lawmakers raised the perennial concerns of resources, questioning for example how the state would afford a recommended $3.2 million statewide expansion of the Child Psychiatry Consultation Program or higher reimbursement rates for Medicaid.

But other proposals, like the creation of a standardized form to identify what factors were in play when someone dies by suicide, were deemed common-sense and not too costly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an excellent list,â&#x20AC;? said Rep. Adam Neylon, R-Pewaukee. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think people realize itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in our best interest to improve mental health services and I think thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good shot weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll continue working on these reforms.â&#x20AC;?

Of the proposals, those that put help right in the schools, where kids already spend much of their time, attracted substantial support from lawmakers.

Several Democrats cited staff shortages in schools and argued schools need more general funding from the state, while Republicans said they would be cautious about allocating spending to new programs without finding savings elsewhere. But lawmakers found common ground on

ous to speak in favor of unions and to say youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pro-union and to not use labor unions for your print materials on the campaign,â&#x20AC;? Braun said.

Clarke said that was a mistake on her part at the beginning of her campaign and she has since used a printer in Manitowoc that is union for her materials.

When it comes to funding a hole in the state transportation fund, Braun said he is in favor of focusing on the gas tax, rather than road fees because it still ensures people are paying into the infrastructure system who use it. He also supports the tuition freeze for the UW System, but that the state needs to give more funding to the system.

Braun is in favor of giving more power to local municipalities to levy property taxes. He cited Sheboygan Falls, which has had multiple referen-

some ideas they said should be bipartisan.

Rep. Dave Considine, D-Baraboo, said he planned to work on a bill to fund mental health clinics in schools, if Walker doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t include such funding in his budget. The ranking Democrat on the Assemblyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mental Health Reform Committee, Considine worked in middle school special education for 30 years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know how hard it was to get help. When I wanted students to get help, they were out of school for four hours to go get it,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we can help them be more successful academically and get them services in the same place, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a winwin and a cost-saving measure.â&#x20AC;?

Neylon, on the other side of the aisle, agreed the clinics would be beneficial but was unsure about putting state dollars into clinics in all schools.

He suggested the state award funding to districts that agree to consolidate, as an incentive to get smaller districts to combine and pool resources. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s definitely an issue worth exploring as we go into the next budget cycle,â&#x20AC;? Neylon said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Any time you can prevent something from flaring up and costing the state or families more money down the line, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in the best interest of the state to be investing in that preventative care.â&#x20AC;?

In another schoolbased solution that had traction, Vos said expanding statewide school screenings for mental health was his top priority of the 10 ideas.

The tests, in the practice of vision or hearing exams, screen kids for mental health red flags and refer those with warning signs to get more help from community agencies. Providers have flagged thousands of students for follow-up in districts that already do this, like Fond du Lac. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we all agree that the sooner you can identify a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mental illnesses, the better likelihood you have to treat and perhaps even deal with them before they become serious. So I think that would be a really good investment,â&#x20AC;? Vos said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;â&#x20AC;Ś It would be one of my goals would be to try to have that happen over the

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dums to try and come up with funds for the school district, as an example. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I would be in favor of allowing different municipalities to govern themselves and create a tax base as they see fit,â&#x20AC;?

Braun said.

Braun is pro-union, and opposes Right-to-Work and Act 10, but he said he found common ground with the Walker administration and the Republican legislature when they froze tuition and when Walker left students with the ability to control segregated fees. He was in charge of lobbying for the latter on behalf of students. Students were already able to control seg fees, but Walker vetoed a Republican change in the budget that would have eliminated that right.

Rebecca Clarke Rebecca Clarke is not originally from Sheboygan. She worked for UW-

Stevens Point and UW-Extension in environmental education before coming to Sheboygan to work as the park naturalist at Maywood Park for ten years.

Clarke said spending so much time in environmental education is what prompted her to run. She said the state of education cuts and environmental deregulation needs to be addressed.

That experience and passion for Clarke education and the environment is also what differentiates her from Braun, she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For me, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more just about the experience.

Having some more contact statewide in some of these areas that I want to work on within the DNR, within Extension,â&#x20AC;? Clarke

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I know how hard it was to get help.

When I wanted students to get help, they were out of school for four hours to go get it. If we can help them be more successful academically and get them services in the same place, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a win-win and a cost-saving measure.â&#x20AC;?

REP. DAVE CONSIDINE D-BARABOO

course of the next session as we deal with the budget.â&#x20AC;?

Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, said she likes the idea of screenings but pushed more strongly for the clinics in schools, saying the health care will be needed once students are screened for followup. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If we do the screenings,â&#x20AC;? she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;how is it that we provide support and services to help once theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re found to be of high-risk?â&#x20AC;?

While itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s early in the year before lawmakers officially return to the Capitol, some are taking

action on the ideas compiled by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

Sargent said she is talking with attorneys as she considers proposing antibullying legislation. Angela and Steve Wesener, a central Wisconsin couple who lost their son Jonathan to suicide after he was bullied, have advocated for more rigorous requirements for school officials to track and respond to bullying incidents.

Wisconsin law only requires that schools have a policy against bullying, and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require they prohibit cyberbullying,

said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And I think just in looking over some of his stances, I just want more specifics.â&#x20AC;?

Clarke is also prounion, and said she wants to repeal Act 10. She said she does not believe that the financial problems the state experience were a result of unions, saying that Minnesota did not â&#x20AC;&#x153;bust their unionsâ&#x20AC;? in the face of financial difficulties. However, she said she never belonged to a union while she worked for the state.

She is also in favor of focusing on the gas tax to fund gaps in the transportation fund and continuing the UW System tuition freezes, so long as the cuts to the system stop. The state may need to consider allocating funding by region, rather than county or municipality to cover more roads during maintenance, she said.

She added that she believes the Wisconsin Eco-

nomic Development Corporation has given away too much money to corporations that havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stayed in state and it should be abolished.

Clarke also believes that the state should allow municipalities to raise property tax rates. She said it is less of a problem for cities, and needs to be lifted for small towns to be able to raise funds.

She had a more specific example of how she has agreed with Republicans in the legislature. Clarke met several times with Sheboygan-area State Senator Devin LeMahieu after Wisconsin DNR grants were cut. They would have been able to save the City of Sheboygan thousands, and after meeting with him, she said they were reinstated.

The winner of Tuesdayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary will go on to face Katsma on November 8 in the general election.

document bullying complaints and outcomes, or train staff in bullying prevention and response.

Several lawmakers pointed out the need to update the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s laws to address cyberbullying. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We all grew up in situations where there was a bully. Whether it was on the playground, or in a classroom or in the cafeteria,â&#x20AC;? Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But way back in the day we could go home and that would end. Home was a very safe place. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not the case anymore. â&#x20AC;Ś When youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re being bullied over text messages, messages on Facebook, anywhere else online, your home isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t safe anymore.â&#x20AC;?

Vos, however, said he was reluctant to put new reporting requirements on school districts. He said his main concern with youth mental health care is the shortage of providers, which he sees as integral to making many of the proposals work. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Without that first building block, I worry that a lot of the other second steps wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be as ef-

fective as they might be,â&#x20AC;?

Vos said.

Rep. Paul Tittl, R-Manitowoc, wrote in an email he is considering introducing a proposal similar to a bill he wrote last year, which incentivized psychiatrists to come to the state by making much of their income tax-free for their first 10 years of practice.

Lawmakers pledged to work together over the next five months to research proposals in more detail and consider introducing legislation in 2017 to move the needle on youth mental health.

Lives are depending on it, Erpenbach said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not doing enough on our end in the adult world, and in the legislative world, to make sure that if there is a crisis in a kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re there, that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re aware of it.â&#x20AC;?

Rory Linnane: 920-9937184 or Rory.Linnane @gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @RoryLinnane.

Katherine Lymn: 920-9967232, or klymn@post crescent.com; on Twitter @Kathlymn.

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Primary

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Oshkosh

Feds urge support for disabled students Disparity in suspension rates high, DOE reports PATRICK THOMAS MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL

DANNY DAMIANI/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Ryan Guilette, center, and Steve Jahr, with the Appleton Police Department SWAT team, enter a room where a hostage taker is hiding with his hostage during a competition-based SWAT team training exercise Tuesday at Fox Valley Technical College’s Public Safety Training Center in Greenville. FVTC will host a Public Safety Day on Saturday at the training center.

‘ONE OF A KIND’

Students with disabilities are suspended at much higher rates than their non-disabled counterparts, according to the U.S. Department of Education. But disability advocates say newly issued guidance aimed at reinforcing in-school support for disabled students could go a long way toward eliminating that disparity.

“This guidance is sorely needed in Wisconsin and across the country,” Lisa Pugh, public policy director for Disability Rights Wisconsin, said of the “Dear Colleague” letter issued by the Department of Education last week.

“Students are being pushed out of the classrooms because they aren’t getting the support they need. We appreciate that the DOE put this in writing. Schools can’t get away with this anymore.”

According to the department, nationally, 10 percent of students with disabilities were suspended for 10 or fewer days in the 2013-14 school year, compared with 5 percent for See SUPPORT, Page 4A

ETHAN SAFRAN

USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

G

REENVILLE - More than a year after opening to rave reviews from law enforcement officers nationwide, the public will get an upclose perspective of Fox Valley Technical College’s Public Safety Training Center on Saturday.

“Public Safety Day” will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the “I think it’s sprawling site important that south of Appleton Internapeople come tional Airport.

The center has out and meet attracted pothe dedicated lice, firefighters, EMTs men and (emergency women in their medical techniand fedcommunities.” cians) eral authorities.

AARON “The origiTOMLINSON nal mission was DEAN OF PUBLIC ... to really be a SAFETY, FOX VALLEY community loTECHNICAL COLLEGE cation and that landing place for connecting not only our public safety officials together but also to connect our community,” said Aar-

Metal detectors may speed Lambeau entry RICHARD RYMAN USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

DANNY DAMIANI/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

Ryan Guilette, with the Appleton Police Department, carries a dummy through an obstacle course during a competition-based SWAT team training exercise Tuesday at Fox Valley Technical College’s Public Safety Training Center in Greenville.

on Tomlinson, dean of public safety with the college.

High-rise and water rescues, firefighting scenarios and SWAT team exercises will be included in the four-hour event on Saturday.

See TRAINING, Page 2A

IF YOU GO What: Public Safety Day Where: Fox Valley Technical College’s Public Safety Training Center, W6400 County Road BB When: Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Cost: Free IN

KIDS CRISIS Underwriting support from Bellin Health

GREEN BAY - Football fans should find it easier to get into Lambeau Field this year.

The Green Bay Packers will screen fans with walk-through metal detectors at all gates. The procedure was used for Family Night two weeks ago, but beginning with Friday night’s preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, gates also will include express lanes for people bringing only pocket items, such as keys and cellphones, into the stadium.

“It should be faster and more convenient for them as they enter the stadium,” said Doug Collins, Packers security director.

Collins said Family Night implementation worked well, allowing 50,000 fans to enter the stadium See LAMBEAU, Page 5A

KIDS IN CRISIS

Spending jumps for kids’ mental health Underwriting support from Bellin Health

RON PAGE/USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

KEEGAN KYLE AND RORY LINNANE

Elizabeth Hudson, director of the state Office of Children's Mental Health, speaks at Lawrence University on March 10. She said she is working to better understand costs and results of county mental health services.

INSIDE

USA TODAY NETWORK-WISCONSIN

As taxpayers across Wisconsin foot bigger bills for children’s mental health programs, state officials remain uncertain whether those extra dollars are steering more kids away from crisis.

Spending on county-provided programs climbed 15 per-

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cent to $121.8 million last year, marking the steepest rise since at least 2010, according to a USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin analysis of new budget reports.

Most of the growth, on the heels of a push by Wisconsin lawmakers to expand mental

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health services, was fueled by additional state and federal money. Counties also reported pouring hundreds of thousands of local dollars into the effort, though some officials have contested the accuracy of these figures.

Winnebago County, in northeastern Wisconsin, stands out in the pack. Health officials from See SPENDING, Page 4A

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non-disabled students.

And it was significantly higher for disabled students of color, at 19 percent, it said. In Wisconsin, students with disabilities are suspended at three times the rate of their non-disabled counterparts, according to the state.

The Department of Education said the new data, released this summer by its Office of Civil Rights, suggest that many students with disabilities “may not be receiving appropriate behavioral in-

Spending Continued from Page 1A

2011 to 2014 reported tapping about $327,000 annually in local dollars for children’s programs.

Then last year, the county more than quadrupled that figure to about $1.4 million.

Adams, La Crosse, Manitowoc and Outagamie counties logged similar spikes last year. Outagamie officials reported spending more local dollars last year — about $387,000 — than it had over the previous four years combined.

County-provided mental health programs are supposed to fill gaps in private insurance, ensuring that every child regardless of family income or troubles at home can get help. But funding for these efforts varies widely across the state due to program offerings, local funding, population and other factors. Wait lists have been reported in some counties.

Lawmakers and state health officials have sought to expand programs in response to high youth suicide and hospi-

terventions and supports.”

“All students, including those with disabilities, should have the supports and equitable educational opportunities they need to be successful in school,” John King, U.S. Secretary of Education, said in a statement released with the letter. “This guidance will help schools create a safe, supportive learning environment for those students who need additional behavioral supports and services to help them thrive.”

Federal law requires public schools to provide disabled students with a free and appropriate education, which is offered primarily through the

IEP, or individualized education plan. Such plans often include behavioral interventions and support aimed at addressing behavioral problems.

The law allows schools to suspend students for violating codes of conduct, and the department said it was not intending to limit the appropriate use of suspensions when needed to protect students. Instead, it said, it was issuing the guidance “to encourage school environments that are safe, supportive and conducive to teaching and learning, where educators actively prevent the need for short-term disciplinary removals by effectively supporting and respon-

ding to behaviors.”

The guidance letter lists examples of support techniques schools might use for students with disabilities, for example “instruction and reinforcement of school expectations, violence-prevention programs, anger management groups, counseling for mental health issues, life skills training, or social skills instruction.”

The letter cites research suggesting that school suspensions do not deter misbehavior and are associated with significant adverse effects for children, including lower academic achievement and higher drop-out rates.

The letter is non-binding and does not impose new legal requirements on schools, but instead is meant to assist schools, the agency said.

The Department of Education is expected to release its state-level data on suspensions and a host of other issues related to equity later this fall. But state data on suspensions of disabled students paint a similar picture to the national numbers.

Statewide, 9.5 percent of students with disabilities were suspended during the 2014-15 school year, compared with 2.7 percent of their non-disabled counterparts. Milwaukee Public Schools suspended twice as many

disabled students as those without disabilities, at 20.4 percent and 8.2 percent, respectively. And several districts, including Appleton, Madison, Green Bay, Wauwatosa, Waukesha and others suspended disabled students at three or more times the rate of non-disabled students in recent years.

Efforts to reach MPS to discuss the guidance letter were not successful.

Tom McCarthy, spokesman for the Department of Public Instruction, said fully implementing the Department of Education guidance “does not happen overnight.”

“It requires local buyin from districts,” he said.

talization rates. A series

by USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, “Kids in Crisis,” documented an acute shortage of health care providers and families struggling with limited treatment options.

Elizabeth Hudson, director of the state Office of Children’s Mental Health, said she wasn’t sure whether the recent uptick in spending marked a positive trend for the state, such as more needy children getting access to services, or an indication of greater challenges ahead, such as rising program costs.

The last state budget’s $10 million expansion of one intensive program, called Comprehensive Community Services, could be one factor in the spending increase.

Though passed by lawmakers in 2013, many counties didn’t fully expand their programs until last year. It is now offered in 63 counties, providing kids with a team of providers that offer case management, treatment and skills-building.

The new budget reports also come at a time of elevated scrutiny for county health officials. A July analysis of past reports by USA TODAY

NETWORK-Wisconsin revealed wide gaps in spending per patient, prompting state officials to conduct a similar review. Our analysis found that while some counties reported spending less than $1,000 annually on the average child they treated, others provided more than $20,000 and Milwaukee County provided more than $80,000 in services per child.

County officials responded to the analysis in part by questioning the consistency of mental health spending reports under state guidelines and in some cases have disputed the accuracy of their own numbers. After being contacted about the latest budget reports, officials in three counties repeated those concerns and one called attempting to track funding sources for mental health services a “waste of time.”

cause the reporting standards were vague — it seemed like they just wanted to report what they wanted to report and I couldn’t get any movement as far as how we could work together.”

Reliable spending figures are key to the state’s goal of improving children’s mental health. Before proposing further expansions of publicly funded services, Hudson has said the state must evaluate which programs provide the most bang for the buck and where additional public dollars would have the greatest impact.

Counties are individually responsible under Wisconsin law for the well-being of their residents and may choose different approaches to providing care. But in a way, Hudson said, that same system has created challenges in state oversight and collecting more standardized mental health information.

“I think this system was created for counties to be independent, and that’s reflected in how they report their data,” Hudson said.

Bill Hanna, DHS assistant deputy secretary, said the county-based system dates back to when people with mental illness were more habitually in-

stitutionalized, and counties were responsible for those institutions. Despite deinstitutionalization, mental health responsibilities have remained with the counties, which can be elusive from state control.

“There’s a strong home-rule in this state, and counties balk when the state comes in and starts telling them what to do with the money,” Hanna said. “So that’s the push-pull. We use our funding to incentivize them to do things we’d like to do.”

programs grew statewide by $16 million last year — up 34 percent from nearly $91 million in 2011. Spending has climbed the most in a few urban counties.

Milwaukee, La Crosse and Kenosha county health officials collectively reported a $10.5 million hike last year.

Meanwhile, about a third of the state’s 72 counties reported drops last year. Brown County health officials reported spending about $187,000 on children’s mental health programs last year, down from $658,000 the previous year and a recent peak of $1.3 million in 2011. Brown County was one of the few counties last year that reported setting aside no local public dollars.

Erik Pritzl, executive director of Brown County’s Human Services Department, said the numbers were wrong. He was sure that county dollars were spent on youth mental health services, which he said have been expanding.

“We have steadily expanded services to children,” Pritzl said, adding that he was unsure why the expansion was not reflected in the accounting.

“That’s something we will continue to look into because we want credit for the work we’re doing.”

Lee, Helen Margaret Helen Margaret Lee, age 93, of Omro passed away quietly on Thursday, August 11, 2016, at Webster Manor, with family at her side.

A visitation for family and friends will be on Tuesday, August 16, 2016, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at

Mueller Funeral Home 904 E. Main St. Winneconne. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. at the funeral home with Pastor Michael Lilienthal officiating. Burial will follow in the Borth Cemetery.

A full obituary will be in the Sunday edition.

Albright, Ricky A. Ricky A. Albright, age 53, of Omro died Wednesday, August 10, 2016, at Eden Meadows in Oshkosh with his family by his side. He was born April 2, 1963, in Oshkosh to the late Arthur and Geneva (Frank) Albright.

Ricky attended Omro schools and was a 1981 graduate of Omro High School. On October 6, 1984, he married his high school sweetheart, Debra Verburgt, at St. Mary Catholic Church in Omro, where they are members.

Ricky worked at Alliance Laundry Systems, Ripon and hobby farmed the Albright Family farm in Omro. He had a love of animals and farming, and had been involved in 4-H. Ricky is survived by his wife of 31 years, Debra Albright; three children, Rachel (Matthew) Neuman, Hillary (Michael) Bouras, Matthew Albright (Haley Klapa); three grandchildren, Sadie and Nora Neuman, Brantley Bouras; brothers and sisters, Richard (Donna) Albright, Frederick (Bertie) Albright, John (Linda) Albright, Jean (Wally) Jeszke, Jane (Dave) Bauer, Ronald (Joan) Albright, Steven Albright (Joe Madel); father-

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in-law and mother-in-law, Donald and Vera Verburgt; in-laws, Julie (Brett) Carter, Joseph Verburgt, Dean (Geri) Verburgt, Mark (Kris) Verburgt, Jim (Dottie) Butkiewicz; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

Along with his parents, Ricky was also preceded in death by three sisters and a brother-in-law, Joan and Marvin Stiller, Judy Butkiewicz, Jody Albright.

A visitation for family and friends will be on Sunday, August 14, 2016, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Mueller Funeral Home 904 E. Main St. Winneconne.

Visitation will continue on Monday, August 15 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church, 730 Madison Ave. Omro. A funeral Mass will be held on Monday at the church at 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow in the Burdick Cemetery, Town of Rushford.

Ricky’s family wishes to thank all family and friends, and the staffs of Eden Meadows and Theda Clark Medical Center 5th Floor for all of the care given to him.

If you wish please submit online condolences to muellerfuneralhomeinc. com.

‘Counties balk’ Hudson said she recently met with a small group of county health officials in an effort to improve consistency across the state but they pushed back.

“There was a disconnect between what was being reported and what is really happening,” Hudson said. “It didn’t even seem like it was be-

Ehnert, Ervin Ervin H. “JR” Ehnert, age 72, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, August 8, 2016 at Mercy Medical Center. He was born on August 14, 1943 to the late Ervin Sr. and Evelyn (Kroneberg) Ehnert in Milwaukee. Erv married the love of his life Yvonne “Vonnie” Hille on January 16, 1965 in Tigerton, WI. He graduated from Milwaukee Boys Tech and spent most of his life as a salesman. With being a salesman for several years it brought him to travel all over the United States.

Erv enjoyed traveling especially when Vonnie would join him on the trips. He worked for several companies including Northwest Environmental Systems, National Revenue Corporation (NRC) and Oshkosh Coil Spring, in which he retired from in 2008.

Never really retiring, he continued working for G. Reinke and Sons. Erv was a former member of First English Lutheran Church of Oshkosh and was on the board of directors for Oaklawn Cemetery in the town of Black Wolf.

Erv enjoyed fishing, golfing with the guys, gardening, wood working, poem writing, socializing with friends, gambling, traveling, and above all, spending time with his friends and family especially his grandkids. He was known for his creative cooking, being a jokester, and was always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone that needed it.

He is survived by his sons: Troy (Melissa) Ehnert and Scott (fian-

cée Terry) Ehnert both of Oshkosh; grandchildren: Sarah, Jessica, Heather, Michael, and Adam; step granddaughter: Alexa; and his favorite granddog: Fonzie. He is further survived by his sisters: Nancy (Jim) Mulhern and Diane Soll and (Ed) Kroggel; brother: Roy (Pat) Ehnert; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law: Mike (Marilyn) Hille and Mark (Arlene) Hille and many nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly. Erv was preceded in death by his parents and wife: Yvonne.

A funeral service for Ervin will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 13, 2016 at Konrad-Behlman Funeral Home- Westside with Rev. Ralph Hanusa officiating. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service.

Interment will be held at Oaklawn Cemetery following the service.

The family would like to extend their appreciation and thanks to Mercy Medical Center Emergency Department staff for their attentive care and passion during Erv’s last moments.

‘Waste of time’ Officials from Winnebago and Outagamie counties attributed hikes to accounting issues, rather than changes in services.

After we contacted Winnebago County about the numbers, officials adjusted their report and submitted the update to the state. After originally reporting spending about $1.4 million county dollars on youth mental health, officials changed the number to about $500,000.

The change didn’t affect the county’s total reported spending on youth mental health; rather, it showed the county relying less heavily on county tax dollars and more on other revenue sources.

Gina VandenBranden, who supervises accounting for Winnebago, said staff typically attempt to put accurate numbers on total mental health spending but are not as careful about reporting where that money originates.

“You might see a lot of differences year to year but those are totally meaningless,” VandenBranden said.

She said there has not been pressure to put out better numbers.

“Whether the data on this report is accurate or not doesn’t provide services to children,” she said, adding that our attempt to compare spending habits between counties would be fruitless because of these issues.

“Knowing the accounting side of this stuff, I think it’s a waste of time.”

Despite accounting issues, VandenBranden said services have indeed expanded for youth in Winnebago.

Increased state investments in Comprehensive Community Services allowed the county to serve 76 kids with a wraparound approach in 2015, up from 53 the previous year. The county hired four new full-time case managers and a new staff therapist in 2015.

In Outagamie, fingers were pointed again at accounting habits. Kay Herrling, the county’s health and human services fiscal manager, said the apparent hike in county funding primarily reflected a change in how they fill out their reports.

While they previously lumped children’s hospitalizations in with adults, they began counting these as youth mental health expenditures in 2015, adding nearly a half million dollars to that category.

Reported spending on children’s mental health

New leadership Counties report mental health spending figures to the state Department of Health Services, which is undergoing a leadership transition this month.

Gov. Scott Walker has appointed Linda Seemeyer, a former Walworth County health director and state administrator, to his cabinet as secretary of the Department of Health Services.

And in Seemeyer, past budget reports show, the state gains someone with local experience of rising mental health costs. From 2011 to 2015, while she oversaw Walworth County’s health department, the county reported that annual spending on children’s programs climbed from $273,000 to $1.6 million. The county also put more than $1.3 million local dollars into the effort over the period.

Seemeyer told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin on Wednesday that she never personally completed Walworth County’s budget reports on mental health spending for state officials. But she said the county started offering Comprehensive Community Services and that could be one factor in the increased costs for children’s programs.

Seemeyer declined to comment on broader concerns with the spending reports that counties submit to state health officials. She called children’s mental health an important and growing issue for the state but added that she won’t start in her new position until later this month.

Keegan Kyle and Rory Linnane are reporters for USA TODAY NETWORKWisconsin. They can be reached at kkyle@gannett .com and rlinnane@ gannett.com.