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Agnesian HealthCare Foundation Supports School-based Behavioral Health Therapeutic Tools

For the past four years, the SSM Health Behavioral Health team has been partnering with local school districts to provide treatment services within the school setting. As part of this partnership, behavioral health professionals are available at onsite locations.

During the initial year, services were offered in nine local schools. In 2023, the SSM Health Behavioral Health team started offering services in its 26th school-based satellite location and has served more than 915 students since September 2019.

“Behavioral health services being provided in local public schools have shown great success,” says Meg Puddy, director of Behavioral Health Community-Based Services with SSM Health Greater Fond du Lac. “By having these services available on campus, students are able to receive the help they need without having to miss school or travel to an off-site location, which has been prohibitive for many families. Additionally, it has helped to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health by making it a more normal part of a student’s school experience and has provided access to needed services that otherwise may have been inaccessible.”

The Agnesian HealthCare Foundation has stepped in to help by awarding a $4,500 grant to provide clinical supplies, including therapeutic tools. Thanks to the grant, the team has purchased clinical workbooks, dry erase boards/markers, art supplies, fidgets, and dolls/action figures and puppets to be used in play-based therapy. Funds have also helped to purchase rolling carts/bags for each provider to store materials.

“These materials are essential tools for providers to use when helping their patients,” according to Puddy. “They will help ensure our school-based therapy team is able to provide the most productive and successful care to those we serve.”

The Agnesian HealthCare Foundation is a charitable tax-exempt organization that exists to accept, acknowledge, and invest charitable gifts to help meet the health needs of the people in our communities.

“It has been incredibly rewarding to watch this relatively new service continue to grow,” says Shawn Fisher, Agnesian HealthCare Foundation executive director. “We’re happy to help support getting these important therapeutic tools to our behavioral health professionals to use as they work to understand, observe, and gain insights into a child’s concerns. These tools play an important part in helping a student explore their emotions and deal with unresolved trauma.”

To make a donation to the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation or for more information, visit ssmhealth.com/givingfdl.

A group of six people with six bagsBags filled with behavioral items