Mental Wellness RFP Application: Beaver Lake Middle School Beaver Lake Middle School 2019-2020 City of Sammamish – Youth Mental Wellness Grant
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Mental Wellness RFP Application: Beaver Lake Middle School Beaver Lake Middle School 2019-2020 City of Sammamish – Youth Mental Wellness Grant 1. Description: Describe your proposal. As part of a new procedure, Beaver Lake Middle School is in the process of developing resources to support students in the event of a crisis. These Grief Kits are currently equipped with tissues and some other basic supplies for coping during a difficult time. As one of the school counselors, my hope is to build upon this kit with additional tools to allow us to better support students. Our goal is to add additional art supplies and calming items, with an estimated cost of just under $400. 2. Logistics: How and where will the services be provided? The services will be available to students of Beaver Lake Middle School during a crisis situation. 3. Accessibility: How will you ensure services are accessible to Sammamish residents? These items will be available to Beaver Lake Middle School students, which are residents of Sammamish. 4. Implementation: How soon would you be able to implement the services? If granted funds, we can immediately purchase to have available in times of need. 5. Outcomes: How will the success of this program be measured? Specify service units to be used. Our primary success will be measured based on providing access to students in a time of need. We plan to have student check in/check out sheets to better understand the length of time students were supported during a time of crisis. 6. Qualifications: Relevant skills, experience and demonstrated ability to provide proposed services. As a counselor, I have a strong understanding of items that can support students in the time of grief and difficulty. Understanding various response to grief and how individual students can cope in a variety of ways can lead to a need for different options to support in the situation. 7. Cost: Please complete the budget worksheet in Attachment A. Item Quantity Cost Per Total Cost Fleece Blankets 5 $15.00 $75.00 Fine Line Markers 5 $11.91 $59.55 Colored Pencils 5 $8.90 $44.50 Crayons (6 pack) 1 $10.14 $10.14 Coloring Books 5 $10.00 $50.00 Sensory Fidget Toys 1 $15.99 $15.99 Bean Bag Toys 2 $11.95 $23.90 Pipe Cleaners 1 $17.99 $17.99 Infinity Cube 5 $8.99 $44.95 Essential Oil Spray 2 $8.36 $16.72 Altoid Mints (Pack of 8) 1 $8.98 $8.98 Tech Decks 5 $3.99 $19.95 Total $387.67 Beaver Lake Middle School 2019-2020 City of Sammamish – Youth Mental Wellness Grant Expenses City Funds + Agency/Other Funds = Total Expenses Personnel Costs $0 + $0 = $0 Office/Operating Expenses $387.67 + $0 = $387.67 Consultant/Purchased Services $0 + $0 = $0 Communications $0 + $0 = $0 Travel/Training $0 + $0 = $0 Other $0 + $0 = $0 Total Expenses $387.67 + $0 = $387.67 Thank you for your consideration in supporting us with supplementing our grief kits for a time of need. Please let me know if you have any questions, Tim Hemker School Counselor (Q - Z) Administrative Intern Beaver Lake Middle School 425-837-4162 [email protected] Mental Wellness RFP Application: Lake Washington Schools Foundation Balance in Mind: Youth Mental Health First Aid in the Lake Washington School District The Lake Washington Schools Foundation (LWSF or “foundation”) has identified Youth Mental Wellness as a core priority, and we are excited by the possibility of a partnership with the City of Sammamish in this effort. Lake Washington School District (LWSD) encompasses the cities of Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish, and is the second largest district in Washington with 31,267 students. Mental and behavioral health support is a growing need in the middle and high schools of the LWSD. In eighth grade, 56% of students report high levels of anxiety with 39% “unable to stop worrying.” By tenth grade, three in four students report high levels of anxiety and three in five are “unable to stop worrying” (Healthy Youth Survey, 2016). One in three twelfth graders reported lingering sadness and hopelessness, and 18% of twelfth graders considered suicide. More than 300 high school seniors had a plan to follow through. One high schooler stated, “I don’t know a single person who hasn’t personally been touched by someone who deals with anxiety or depression.” In 2018, following the suicides of two local teens, community members came to the Lake Washington Schools Foundation to discuss strategies to target youth mental wellness in our community. The result was the LWSF “Balance in Mind” task force. “How many kids that we don’t know about are struggling?” said one group member. “We’ve got to get to them.” Balance in Mind works to disseminate critical information and training on youth mental wellness within the boundaries of the Lake Washington School District, through offerings such as Youth Mental Health First Aid trainings, webinars featuring mental health experts, film screenings and speakers about youth mental wellness and anxiety, and the creation and distribution of mental health information and resources, including a Facebook group addressing youth mental wellness. The Lake Washington Schools Foundation has set a goal to educate more than 400 adults in the Lake Washington School District in Youth Mental Health First Aid over 12 months, and we would like to partner with the City of Sammamish to provide these trainings. The best opportunities to identify and support students in mental health crises lie with the adults who work with students daily: teachers, paraeducators, coaches, school volunteers, parents, and family members. Most of these individuals do not have mental health training and may not recognize the symptoms of mental health crisis. They may not be familiar with appropriate resources and may lack confidence in their ability to help. They may fail to act when faced with a student in crisis, or they may take actions that make the situation worse. Adults who complete the YMHFA program learn the signs and symptoms of a mental or behavioral health crisis and will obtain both the skills and the resource knowledge to intervene appropriately, providing referrals to community agencies. Peer-reviewed studies of the YMHFA program show that participants grow in knowledge of mental-health issues, can identify community mental health resources, are more confident and likely to help when they recognize a crisis, and demonstrate increased personal mental wellness (Mental Health First Aid USA). One member of the task force who took the training stated that her teenage daughter has begun referring friends to her. “I’m glad I took the class,” she stated. “I’ve been less afraid to step up and ask questions and be there.” The City of Sammamish identified this course as a preliminary idea for city actions to support Health and Human Services in its March 2018 Health and Human Services Needs Assessment. Proposal The LWSF would like to partner with the City of Sammamish in the amount of $7,500 to provide Youth Mental Health First Aid, part of the work being done by the foundation’s Balance in Mind Task Force. The Lake Washington Schools Foundation (LWSF or “foundation”) will offer monthly Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) courses during 2020, including at least one course held in the Eastlake Learning Community (Sammamish). At least one additional course will be held in each of the Redmond, Juanita, and Kirkland learning communities. Courses are open to the community but advertised heavily to those who work closely with middle and high school students in the LWSD: teachers, administrators, families, coaches, volunteers, and others. The City of Sammamish will be included on marketing materials as a sponsor for these courses and may also promote them. Participants are enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis, up to the enrollment limit of 25 per class. Courses are priced at $75 to cover the cost of materials and program administration, while remaining accessible to community members. Past courses have demonstrated that the classes operate consistently at capacity at this price, while keeping no-shows to a minimum. However, any member of the community may request a partial or complete waiver of the class fee, with no qualification. The foundation anticipates offering scholarships for approximately 10% of attendees, and has provided several to date. The foundation has been providing Youth Mental Health First Aid workshops several times per year since 2018, at a steadily increasing rate. Response from community members has been overwhelmingly positive. Some comments from our most recent class survey: The class was a great introduction to mental health first aid and the instructor was amazing…there was a lot that I learned from the class and I'd definitely be open to taking another! Was wonderful, good information and good approach. The instructor very capable, well organized and a lot of insight. Classes are scheduled with approximately six weeks’ notice, depending on facility availability. The curriculum comes from Mental Health First Aid USA, listed in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. All classes use certified local instructors identified and engaged by the Lake Washington Schools Foundation. In 2019, the foundation partnered with King County to train three additional local providers to ensure instructor availability throughout the year. These instructors have donated $6,000 in stipends back to the foundation for 2020. The foundation primarily uses the Lake Washington School District Resource Center at Redmond Town Center for YMHFA courses. This facility is centrally located, handicapped-accessible, has adequate parking, and is easily accessed from Sammamish. LWSD supports the program by making this facility and audiovisual equipment available free of charge.