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8-31-20 — District, County Announce Joint Grant
Aug. 31, 2020 ~ The Olathe Public Schools and Johnson County Mental Health Center are pleased to announce that the two entities jointly received a grant from the Kansas Department of Education to create a unique partnership between the two organizations. The grant, worth $145,656, will allow each organization to hire two therapists to work together to provide mental health services to Olathe Public Schools families.
Through this partnership, Olathe Public Schools families will have access to mental health services that the Johnson County Mental Health Center provides in school settings and will allow coordinated care between the school and Johnson County Mental Health Center. Families will be able to receive mental health services in a timely manner from mental health professionals who are connected to and understand the school system.
“I am excited about this grant because it is a great opportunity to partner with the Johnson County Mental Health Center to provide more opportunities for families to access mental health services” said District Director of Social Emotional Learning and Mental Health Services Angie Salava. “With staff focused only on providing mental health and case management services to Olathe Public School students and their families, students will be better able to learn in the classroom and our community will get mental health care when it’s needed instead of having to wait a long period of time for care.”
“The more opportunity children and teenagers have to talk about their mental health concerns at a young age, the more comfortable they will be to seek out help throughout their entire lives,” said Tim DeWeese, director of the Johnson County Mental Health Center. “Partnerships like these help to destigmatize mental health for our community into the future, while contributing to the students’ mental wellness now.”
The hiring process for the new positions is currently underway and staff will be ready to serve families when school begins on Sept. 8.