“There is no better way to assure our children’s wellbeing and future success than to invest in mental health supports provided in the schools. When students show signs of distress, school-based mental health services are far more accessible and trusted by young people. School wide social-emotional learning programs, when implemented well, improve academic success by 11% on average.”
Dr. Jennifer Stuber, University of Washington School of Social Work
2018 – 2020 Funding: $900,000
2020 – 2021 Funding: $1,865,900
2021 – 2022 Funding: $1,782,314
2022 – 2023 Funding: $2,824,040
2023 – 2024 Funding: $2,908,643
Liberty Public Schools (LPS) provide a wide range of services to protect the well-being of children and strengthen families. There are two primary service categories that LPS is able to provide with support from CCCSF: 1) Student and Family Services and 2) Indirect Support. These services are available to all schools and can be accessed through our district referral process. Please watch this video to see LPS’s presentation to the Board: LPS 4-21-21 Presentation LPS 5-18-22 Presentation
Student & Family Services: LPS works closely with several local agencies to provide supplemental services to students and families, including:
• Great Circle provides in-home family therapy and case management in partnership with 2 Therapists and 1 Case Manager.
• Summit Behavioral Services has hired 2 BCBAs and 1 Behavioral Implementer to provide behavioral support.
• Synergy Services has 3 Therapists who provide individual therapy to students and 4 Resilience Specialists who work with elementary classrooms and small groups.
• Tri-County Mental Health (TCMH) assigns 3 Therapists, 2 Expressive Therapists and an Intake Clinician to provide services in-school. They also accept psychiatric referrals.
• Other services, including in-home virtual SEL support, are coming soon {TBA – Pending BOE approval}.
Indirect Supports: In addition to providing direct services to students and families, CSF also provides funding for a multitude of indirect services to support Social-Emotional Learning within the LPS community. Indirect supports include funding for:
• Panorama SEL Surveys and Data Dashboard
• Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports (PBIS) Training
• Access to the Signs of Suicide training materials and portals
• Conscious Discipline training and supplies
• Mesner Puppet Theater SEL lessons with students at the Early Childhood Center and early elementary grades
• CSF has also made it possible for LPS staff to attend Social-Emotional Learning-focused conferences, including PBIS, Restorative Practices, Trauma-Informed Care, and ongoing training for LPS mental health professionals.
2018 – 2020 Funding: $181,020
2020 – 2021 Funding: $517,196
2021 – 2022 Funding: $558,913
2022 – 2023 Funding: $642,925
2023 – 2024 Funding: $642,925
Smithville School District expanded mental health services such as resiliency and counseling/therapy for individuals, groups and families. Outcomes include increasing student success through the preventative/proactive measures provided to students and staff such as screenings and training for positive behavior supports, social-emotional learning, crisis intervention, suicide awareness, trauma-informed and restorative justice practices. Please watch this video to see their presentation to the Board: Smithville School District 7-20-22 Presentation
2018 – 2020 Funding: $1,500,000
2020 – 2021 Funding: $2,670,900
2021 – 2022 Funding: $3,074,157
2022 – 2023 Funding: $3,694,243
2023 – 2024 Funding: $3,836,282
The North Kansas City School District continues to expand their counseling and screening services for students, staff training and resources. Outcomes include a decrease in incidents of bullying and school suspensions, students participating in suicide prevention training and an increase in the number of students reaching their treatment goals in counseling.
In addition, the North Kansas School District is focusing on early intervention for kindergarten, first, and second grade students suffering from social maladjustment issues in order to correct the over identification of students labeled with emotional disturbance.
Please watch this video to see NKC’s presentation to the Board: NKC School District Presentation 8-18-21 and Video of Music Therapy Impact
2018 – 2020 Funding: $50,000
2020 – 2021 Funding: $70,800
2021 – 2022 Funding: $37,744
2022 – 2023 Funding: $68,050
2023 – 2024 Funding: $66,590
Missouri City Schools introduced and expanded a program that includes teacher and staff training and resources for students to access mental health services remotely. Outcomes will include a decrease in incidents of bullying, students participating in suicide prevention training and an increase in students receiving mental health services. Please watch this video of Missouri City’s Presentation to the Board: MO City Presentation – 6/15/22
2018 – 2020 Funding: $253,575
2020 – 2021 Funding: $601,400
2021 – 2022 Funding: $642,416
2022 – 2023 Funding: $951,900
2023 – 2024 Funding: $999,495
Kearney School District implemented and expanded several evidenced projects that include suicide prevention, Trauma Informed Care training for counselors and social workers, as well as Trauma Aware training for staff. In addition, an active Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative provides education for both staff and students. Staff members are receiving crucial professional development in the area of discipline. With students dealing with more issues than ever before, school discipline has also been a focus and mental health services have been greatly expanded. These trainings include both Conscious Discipline and Restorative Practices in the trauma informed classroom.
Please watch their presentations to the Board:
018 – 2020 Funding: $300,000
2020 – 2021 Funding: $582,945
2021 – 2022 Funding: $700,000
2022 – 2023 Funding: $975,000
2023 – 2024 Funding: $ 1,014,772
Excelsior Springs School District implemented and expanded projects that include suicide awareness/prevention training for secondary school students, therapy, counseling, mental health screenings and case management. Outcomes will include a decrease in bullying incidents, an increase in the number of students receiving mental health services, and an increase in student attendance rate.
Please watch these presentation videos to the Board:
Project Title: Mental Health Programs at UICS North Center
2021 – 2022 Funding: $174,951
Project Summary: The purpose of the UICS Mental Health Intervention Northland Program is to strengthen the social and emotional health of all UICS-North Center children and their families while providing additional intervention for those exhibiting more significant mental health needs. UICS is seeking funding to support credentialed support and education staff salaries along with Conscious Discipline Trauma Informed materials and trainings. Support will also ensure Conscious Discipline and trauma-informed training for parents/caregivers
Project Title: Community Based and School Services
2019 – 2020 Funding: $1,079,608
2020 – 2021 Funding: $1,205,000
2021 – 2022 Funding: $1,650,000
2022 – 2023 Funding: $1,996,832
Project Summary: This project meets the Fund’s priorities in at least three ways. First, the project provides “Prevention programs which promote healthy lifestyles among children and youth and strengthen families” through education, skill building, social media and marketing across the Clay County community including school-based services. The project provides individual, group, family, music, art therapy, recreation therapy, and other resilience-based interventions. The project is flexible with meeting the individual needs of our youth with many evidence-based treatment models and are able to meet our youth in their homes, schools and community.
Project Title: Youth Crisis and Psychiatric Services
2019 – 2020 Funding: $784,910
2020 – 2021 Funding: $900,000
2021 – 2022 Funding: $900,000
2022 – 2023 Funding: $1,117,376
Project Summary: This project provides an opportunity to develop a youth-focused crisis intervention team to help Clay County youth. These youth need immediate attention to deal with severe mental health needs. The services will help those youth access crisis intervention services quickly and efficiently through evidence-based services, such as play therapy, and individual supports in the community. Through effective and early intervention, the goal is to keep youth in their homes and community, improving safety and getting through the crisis before their needs escalate to needing out-of-home services such as in-patient or residential services.
Please watch this video to see TCMH’s presentation to the Board: Tri-County Presentation
Project Title: Childhood Mental Health
2019 – 2020 Funding: $308,460
2020 – 2021 Funding: $882,455
2021 – 2022 Funding: $1,024,869
2022 – 2023 Funding: $1,524,946
Project Summary: TFC’s Childhood Mental Health project will serve Clay County’s youngest and most vulnerable children through two programming components geared towards providing mental health intervention programming to children birth-to-five years old. 1) Early Childhood Mental Health (ECMH) Programming: Focusing on the promotion of healthy functioning, ECMH staff work individually with children and their caregivers to provide mental health intervention services, address problem behaviors and prevent preschool expulsion. Programming will impact Clay County children and families through mental health consultation, teacher training, facilitated playgroups and Conscious Discipline parenting classes on-site at four community childcare centers and across six Clay County School District sites. 2) Additionally, Community-Wide Trainings on Social Emotional Topics Throughout Clay County will be held in partnership with a Clay County School District (Liberty Early Childhood). TFC will track the zip codes of all providers and parents attending.
Project Title: Moving Beyond Depression
2020 – 2021 Funding: $133,302
2021 – 2022 Funding: $259,139
2022 – 2023 Funding: $282,582
Project Summary: TFC’s Moving Beyond Depression project focuses on enhancing the social-emotional development of young children by reducing parental stress and improving interactions through the treatment of maternal depression. Mothers are screened through home-visiting programs and referred to MBD if positive for depression. MBD participants receive two 90-minute assessments, 15 hour-long weekly sessions, and a 1-hour booster session in a month after treatment ends. Average time to complete the program is six months. 85% of mothers who graduate from the program no longer meet the criteria for Major Depressive Disorder.
Please watch this video to see TFC’s presentation to the Board: The Family Conservancy’s Presentation
Project Title: Resilient Youth Program
2019 – 2020 Funding: $439,375
2020 – 2021 Funding: $469,746
2021 – 2022 Funding: $539,620
2022 – 2023 Funding: $894,989
Project Summary: Synergy’s Resilient Youth Services (RYS) provides shelter, transitional housing and mental health services to runaway and homeless youth. The agency’s services range from a 24-hour crisis hotline, crisis counseling, out-patient therapy, case management, referrals to medical, dental, and eye care services, and follow-up care. With a trauma-informed care approach, Synergy provides prevention and early intervention services to stop homelessness, human trafficking, and the long-term behavioral and mental health effects associated with family violence, bullying, addiction, and family conflict. Services include independent living and life skills for transitional housing and shelter youth; secondary prevention activities for pregnant and/or parenting youth; transitional housing readiness for eligible youth; and day services to shelter youth. All services are provided at the Youth Resiliency Center facility located on Synergy’s Homeless Youth Campus (1.3 miles from the transitional housing apartments).
Project Title: Safe and Resilient Children’s Program
2019 – 2020 Funding: $345,000
2020 – 2021 Funding: $431,726
2021 – 2022 Funding: $782,446
2022 – 2023 Funding: $1,234,748
Project Summary: Synergy’s Safe and Resilient Children’s Program (SCRP) consists of new and existing services for children impacted family violence, child abuse/neglect and family disruption. With a trauma-informed care approach, Synergy helps children and their families through the crisis of homelessness and the associated behavioral and mental health related issues. Emergency shelter and counseling services at the agency’s Children Center and Domestic Violence Center ensure immediate safety, attachment interventions and treatment. The funding also supports Synergy’s Children’s Advocacy Center to provide forensic interviewing, advanced resource navigation, advocacy, and mental health counseling services to children who are alleged victims of child abuse and who are in the foster care system in Clay County. New to the SCRP is Synergy’s Domestic Violence Housing Program (DVHP). The DVHP provides rent, utilities, apartment furnishings, case management, and supportive services for victims of domestic violence and their families. CSF funding also supports housing staff.
Project Title: Smart Connections In-Home Mental Health Services
2021 – 2022 Funding: $165,740
2022 – 2023 Funding: $172,073
Project Summary: Saint Luke’s Hospital of Kansas City Crittenton Children’s Center’s in-home behavioral health services are designed to give young people the care they need in the comfort of the home. Alternatively, this program can assist a child who is transitioning back into the home after a hospital or residential stay.
Master’s-level therapists, psychiatrists, a chemical dependency counselor, and a clinical case manager work with the child and family to strengthen relationships and address behavioral and emotional concerns. Interventions are culturally sensitive to the values of the family’s community.
The therapists work with the family to help develop and sustain safe, stable, and nurturing home environments. To this end, specific interventions can include individual family therapy, conflict avoidance counseling, crisis support and family safety plans, as well as assistance in securing basic needs such as food, housing, and medical care.
To learn more or discuss a referral for in-home services, call 816-765-6600.
Project Title: Eliminate Wait List for Clay County Riders and Expand Equine Specialist in Mental Health & Learning Program
2019 – 2020 Funding: $32,525
2020 – 2021 Funding: $51,898
2021 – 2022 Funding: $67,345
2022 – 2023 Funding: $106,723
Project Summary: The goal of NTRC in the 2022-2023 season is to provide Equine Assisted Activities & Therapies (EAAT), and Educational/Social Opportunities to children and teens with special needs from Clay County and their families. Equine therapy is a labor and resource intensive venture and requires finances for PATH certified instructors, care and continuous training of our 15 therapy horses, staff to run the barn, develop and monitor programming, recruit and train volunteers, and maintain our 32-acre facility. The services we provide have proven to be an effective way of assisting in emotional awareness, aggression reduction, increasing social skills, and encouraging relationship building and bonding. EAAT helps children and youth gain confidence, aids in problem solving, increases or assists in developing empathy, improves communication skills, and develops impulse control. There are many physical benefits as well such as increased motor skills, strength, balance, and flexibility. Click here https://youtu.be/9wiN6zkwSaE to watch a video showing the impact that NTRC and its services has had on one of our families.
Project Title: Early Intervention Services
2021 – 2022 Funding: $50,000
2022 – 2023 Funding: $268,000
Project Summary: Northland Early Education Center (NEEC) is the leading provider of inclusive early education, early intervention and before/after school programs for children with special needs and typical needs in the northland. NEEC currently serves 174 children across the northland through various services, 79% are Clay County residents. Support from the Clay County Children’s Service Fund would support the existing Early Intervention Services (EIS) program. This program provides physical and occupational therapies, speech and language pathology and special instruction. Through the EIS program, a staff of five highly qualified therapists provide direct intervention services and education for children who have special needs regardless of their socioeconomic status.
Project Title: Sexual Violence Counseling for Children in Clay County
2021 – 2022 Funding: $60,062
2022 – 2023 Funding: $78,209
Project Summary: MOCSA is the only rape crisis center for the Kansas City region, and the only organization serving Clay County that specializes in recovery from sexual violence. For this Clay CSF project, MOCSA is establishing a new Clay County Outreach Site in a centrally located facility, as part of Synergy’s new Child Advocacy Center. This is allowing us to expand counseling services and make healing more accessible for Clay County children impacted by sexual violence.
Project Title: Rapid Re-Housing and Emergency Services for Homeless and At-Risk Children & Families
2019 – 2020 Funding: $240,000
2020 – 2021 Funding: $300,963
2021 – 2022 Funding: $419,016
2022 – 2023 Funding: $684,850
Project Summary: MLM provides Rapid Re-Housing, Homelessness Prevention, and other necessary emergent needs services, assisting homeless and at-risk families with children ages birth to 19 secure or maintain safe, affordable housing, and access home and community-based service interventions. Households are provided intensive case management and coaching in addition to financial supports, establishing short and long-term goals to attain housing stability and self-sufficiency. Please watch this video to see MLM’s presentation to the Board: MLM 1-19-22 Presentation
Project Title: Youth Behavioral Health Services
2021 – 2022 Funding: $190,440
2022 – 2023 Funding: $249,950
Project Summary: Mattie Rhodes Center (MRC) provides service coordination, mental health therapy, and prevention services in North Kansas City Schools. The target population is uninsured, low-income, Hispanic/Latinx immigrant children and families with limited and often no access to care. MRC increases access by providing bilingual (Spanish/English) services to those not served at traditional organizations or clinics.
Project Title: Safety Net School-Based Health Care for Low-Income Children
2022 – 2023 Funding: $297,014
Project Summary: LevelUp Kids provides two programs for low-income, under-resourced children in Clay County. 1) Miles of Smiles – Dental teams set up temporary dental offices in partner locations for approximately two weeks at a time. They provide at least one preventive dental care appointment to each eligible child, and prescribe comprehensive treatment plans, which are then completed at the school site or in LevelUp Kids’ permanent office as soon as possible. 2) ICARE4Kids – Vision screenings are provided by a trained vision correction screener to all students in our partner schools using the latest equipment. Comprehensive eye exams are completed on site for qualifying children by a licensed optometrist. If glasses are needed, the child selects a set of frames, then our optician returns to school to fit the glasses. LevelUp Kids provides these services in locations where the kids are – at no charge – to remove the barriers of access, transportation, and finances.
Project Title: Passages Trauma and Loss Counseling for Clay County Youth
2020 – 2021 Funding: $53,210
2021 – 2022 Funding: $73,580
2022 – 2023 Funding: $73,580
Project Summary: Passages is a unique, outpatient mental health counseling program for children and families who are experiencing Complicate Grief, who are working through a difficult life transition of any kind, or who are coping with various forms of trauma. This project supports Clay County youth with individual and/or family mental health counseling. Many participating children and families have experienced a sudden, unexpected and often traumatic death of a loved one, including to suicide, homicide, drug or alcohol use, car accident, heart attack or other health event. Oftentimes children experienced trauma as part of the circumstances of loss, including witnessing or being present in the home at the time of death or being involved in an accident to which a sibling or parent was lost. Other children are facing difficult transitions caused by divorce or an ill or injured family member or have experienced other forms of trauma not related to a death. This partnership expands our capacity to serve children and their families in Clay County through Passages.
Project Title: Treatment Services for Clay County Youth on the Autism Spectrum
2021 – 2022 Funding: $86,250
2022 – 2023 Funding: $51,750
Project Summary: KCATC is a private, licensed childcare facility specializing in the treatment of autism spectrum disorders with 33 full time and 4 part time staff. School is offered with typical features; circle time, recess, lunch, and independent activities designed to facilitate skill building. They also offer at home treatment hours that allow family involvement in the skill generalization. The School Age Program for children ages 6-12, transitions children back into their local schools where they will require no or minimal additional support. Parent and caregiver training ensures the skills learned in the program transfer to the home.
Project Title: Shelter and Prevention for Homeless Youth in Clay County
2020 – 2021 Funding: $40,000
2021 – 2022 Funding: $40,000
2022 – 2023 Funding: $40,000
Project Summary: Funding from the Clay County Children’s Fund will help Hillcrest Transitional Housing prevent homelessness for youth in Clay County through their Rapid Re-Housing program. Homeless households move directly from the streets, emergency or domestic violence shelter into their own rental unit, while receiving supportive services to help them maintain housing and stability. Through multiple connection points each week with their case manager, residents learn (or re-learn) basic life and financial literacy skills and take steps toward self-sufficiency.
Funds will be used to meet direct client needs, helping households amend rental or utility arrears, providing first and last months’ rent or down payments on new living arrangements, meeting healthcare expenses, and covering other needed expenses to secure housing rapidly. Please watch this video to see Hillcrest’s presentation to the Board: Hillcrest 4-20-22 Presentation
Project Title: Supplemental Nutrition for Clay County Children
2020 – 2021 Funding: $65,000
2021 – 2022 Funding: $94,000
2022 – 2023 Funding: $63,245
Project Summary: There is a critical connection between childhood nutrition and cognitive and physical development. Even short-term nutritional deficiencies can negatively impact a child’s health, behavior, and ability to concentrate and perform complex tasks. This affects physical and mental health, academic achievement, and economic success into adulthood. Requested funding will help the 1,500+ identified hungry children residing in Clay County receive weekend food. Please watch this video to see FNK’s presentation to the Board: Feed NL Kids Presentation
Project Title: Excelsior Hospital Supports Youth and Family Wellness
2022 – 2023 Funding: $351,260
Project Summary: Excelsior Springs Hospital is expanding its wellness services for children to include outpatient mental health therapy. Our program will address the identified challenge of limited mental health treatment resources for children in our area by providing qualified mental health practitioners to treat pediatric patients in a timely manner when they have identified mental health needs; the healthcare team will help families with wraparound services in a multi-disciplinary approach.
Mental health challenges in youth are real, widespread, and have increased over the decades. Despite the conditions being treatable and preventable there has been limited access and limited availability of resources. The funding received from Clay County Children’s Services Fund will be used to provide foundational support to assist our children who face mental health and/or substance use pressures.
Our goal is to rid the stigma around mental health/illness, one patient at a time, while making our community healthier, more resilient, and more fulfilled. We believe it’s not only our medical obligation to this community, but our moral obligation.
Project Title: Nurturing Parent Support Group
2019 – 2020 Funding: $33,634
2020 – 2021 Funding: $40,000
2021 – 2022 Funding: $76,000
2022 – 2023 Funding: $179,644
Project Summary: Nurturing Parenting Group Program is one of the top parenting programs in the country designed for the treatment and prevention of child abuse and neglect. The weekly, 8-session program is evidence-based with over 25 years of research behind it. Easterseals Midwest provides 2 1/2-hour sessions via Zoom. Additionally, families may receive up to seven individual home/parent sessions each 60 to 90 minutes in length, to Clay County families with children from 3 to 19 years. Please watch this video to see Easterseals’ presentation to the Board: Easterseals 2-16-22 Presentation
Project Title: Whole Child Development Program
2021 – 2022 Funding: $250,000
2022 – 2023 Funding: $250,000
Project Summary: The Whole Child Development Program will deliver holistic skill development programming targeting some of Clay County’s most vulnerable young people. This program will incorporate traditional skill development aspects with demonstrated positive outcomes related to personal development, building resiliency, progressing academically, establishing long-term goals and aspirations and other related measurable results. Additionally, this program is designed, through the emerging partnership with Synergy Services, to identify and address mental health issues among Club members through ongoing dedicated assessment and counseling services. Through this program, Club members will participate in daily programming, Monday through Friday, at two identified sites in Clay County.
Project Title: Bridging The Gap for Children with Disabilities
2020 – 2021 Funding: $253,000
2021 – 2022 Funding: $401,015
2022 – 2023 Funding: $357,700
Project Summary:
Ability KC’s Childhood Services Program gives Clay County children with disabilities and their families, from birth through adolescence, the strength, skills and confidence to prepare them for changes they may face following a diagnosis and increase their independence for a lifetime of success. From Ability KC’s expert therapeutic preschool to individualized multidisciplinary therapies, the breadth of services offered at Ability KC ensures we are a support for children with disabilities at every stage of life. Programs offered include intensive rehabilitation services, feeding groups, aquatics, specialized summer programming, adaptive communication and access, pre-driving, toddler and preschool classrooms, transition support and specialized equipment. Ability KC’s childhood services utilize expert special educators, physical, occupational and speech therapists, ABA implementers and other support services to create individualized treatment plans that support each child in achieving goals as unique as they are. Ability KC is dedicated to providing high-quality, evidence-based care for increased outcomes of those we serve while ensuring children build a foundation of skills that will propel them to their greatest potential today and throughout their lives.
Please watch this video to see Ability KC’s presentation to the Board: Ability KC Presentation 3-16-22
