Here & Now

Steve Fernan On New Mental Health Initiative For Schools

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ACCORDING TO THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, BETWEEN 2000 AND 2012 IN WISCONSIN, 616 SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 5 AND 19 TOOK THEIR OWN LIVES. WISCONSIN’S YOUTH SUICIDE RATES ARE 30% HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. AND YET MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO TOOK THEIR OWN LIVES WERE NOT GETTING HELP FOR THEIR MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. WITH THAT IN MIND, THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION HAS LAUNCHED THE WISCONSIN SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT, STARTING IN 27 SCHOOL DISTRICTS. HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT IS STEVE FERNAN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF THE STUDENT SERVICES PREVENTION AND WELLNESS TEAM THAT OVERSEES THE MENTAL HEALTH GRANT AND ITS WORK. STEVE, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

STEVE FERNAN:

MY PLEASURE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT IS THE EXPLANATION FOR WISCONSIN’S RATE OF SUICIDE AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE BEING SO FAR ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE?

STEVE FERNAN:

THERE’S A NUMBER OF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. ONE IS WE KNOW THAT FOR YEARS WE’VE HAD A HIGHER THAN NATIONAL AVERAGE ALCOHOL AND BINGE ALCOHOL USE RATE. THAT CERTAINLY CONTRIBUTES WHERE THERE MAY BE SOME DEPRESSION ALREADY PRESENT. WE ALSO KNOW THAT WITH THE AVAILABILITY OF LETHAL MEANS OF TAKING LIVES, THAT ASSISTS IN THAT PROCESS. AND WE HAVE A 44% GUN OWNERSHIP LEVEL IN TERMS OF HOUSEHOLDS. SO THE AVAILABILITY IS THERE. ALSO WITH MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE ABILITY, OUR STATE HAS A MUCH LOWER THAN NATIONAL AVERAGE RATE OF CHILD PSYCHIATRISTS AVAILABLE PER 100,000 POPULATION. AND THEN FINALLY THERE’S THE STIGMA. THAT’S NOT JUST IN WISCONSIN, THAT’S EVERYWHERE. SO FOR THOSE COMBINATION OF REASONS WE HAVE SEEN THE HIGHER THAN NATIONAL AVERAGE SUICIDE RATE AMONG OUR YOUTH.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WE REALLY SHOULD BE SOUNDING THE ALARM ON THIS ISSUE. HOW WILL SERVICES LOOK DIFFERENT IN THE 27 SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM WHAT GOES ON THERE NOW?

STEVE FERNAN:

RIGHT. WELL THERE’S A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT WILL PROBABLY CHANGE. ONE IS THAT STAFF WILL BE TRAINED IN A COUPLE OF PROCESSES, ONE OF WHICH IS TRAUMA-SENSITIVE SCHOOLS, SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THE TRAUMATIC EPISODES AND CIRCUMSTANCES THAT SOME KIDS COME TO SCHOOL WITH WHETHER THAT BE WHAT THEY WITNESSED OR SEEN IN THEIR OWN LIVES OR IN FAMILY MEMBERS’ LIFE. AND THAT THAT TYPE OF TRAINING CAN BETTER HELP DETECT AND INTERVENE AND SUPPORT STUDENTS. THAT’S ONE ASPECT OF HOW THINGS WILL LOOK DIFFERENTLY. SECONDLY IS WE HAVE LAUNCHED OVER THE LAST DECADE AN INITIATIVE CALLED POSITIVAL BEHAVIORIAL INTERVENTION AND SUPPORTS. THAT’S ANOTHER WAY THAT STAFF CAN BETTER INTERVENE AND ENGAGE WITH STUDENTS. BECAUSE THEY CAN TEACH AND SUPPORT THE KINDS OF BEHAVIORS THAT WE WANT RATHER THAN REACTING NEGATIVELY. I THINK THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE’LL SEE DIFFERENTLY IS HOW STAFF ENGAGE STUDENTS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

BECAUSE ONE OF THE PRONGS OF THE PROGRAM IS DESCRIBED AS PROMOTING THE EMOTIONAL WELL BEING OF ALL STUDENTS AND IS THAT PART OF IT?

STEVE FERNAN:

RIGHT. SO IN ADDITION TO STUDENTS THAT MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME TRAUMA, MAYBE EXPERIENCING SOME MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, BY HELPING THEM BETTER REGULATE BEHAVIORS, BETTER SUPPORT THEM IN MEETING THEIR NEEDS, THAT HOPEFULLY SOME OF THE RESIDUAL EFFECTS OF THEIR BEHAVIORS AND THE TRAUMA THEY’RE EXPERIENCING WON’T SPILL OVER INTO THAT SCHOOL CULTURE, THAT SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS OF A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE? STUDENTS?

STEVE FERNAN:

OFTEN TIMES WE’LL SEE KIDS WITHDRAW. THEY BECOME – WHEN DEPRESSED – WITHDRAW FROM FRIENDS, ON THE EDGES. AND SOMETIMES IF THEY’RE NOT MAKING NOISE OR NOT CAUSING PROBLEMS, THEY CAN BECOME INVINCIBLE. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE’RE LOOKING FOR THOSE KIDS WHO ARE ON THE EDGES AND ON THE FRINGE. OTHER TIMES THEY MAY BE JUST THE OPPOSITE, WHERE THEY’RE ACTING OUT. THEY CAN’T CONTROL IMPULSES SO THAT TYPE OF SWING IN BEHAVIOR FROM WITHDRAWING TO OVERREACTING AND BEING EVEN COMBATTIVE AND VIOLENT ARE THINGS THAT WE MIGHT LOOK FOR.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THIS PROJECT STARTS IN 27 DISTRICTS. WHEN OR WHY MIGHT IT EXPAND BEYOND THAT?

STEVE FERNAN:

IT ACTUALLY EXPANDS IN THE SECOND YEAR OF THE PROJECT. WHILE THIS YEAR WE BRINGING 27 ON BOARD. WE’LL BRING ANOTHER 27 IN THE SECOND COHORT ON BOARD. HOPEFULLY WHAT WE LEARN WITH THOSE FIRST TWO COHORTS IS WHAT ARE THE BEST STRATEGIES. NOT ONLY FOR ENGAGING STAFF, BUT ALSO INTERVENING WITH STUDENTS AND GETTING THEM THE HELP THEY NEED. BUT THEN WE CAN USE THOSE LESSONS LEARNED TO EXPAND TO OTHER SCHOOLS AROUND THE STATE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

HOW OVERDUE IS THIS EFFORT IF WISCONSIN’S YOUTH SUICIDE RATES ARE SO MUCH HIGHER THAN OTHER STATES?

STEVE FERNAN:

I’M SORRY.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

HOW OVERDUE IS THIS PROJECT?

STEVE FERNAN:

WELL, IT’S OVERDUE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE’VE HAD THIS ISSUE OF BEING OVER THE NATIONAL AVERAGE FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. BUT ACTUALLY WE STARTED SOME OF THIS WORK WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. IN THE 2013-2015 BIENNIAL BUDGET, THE STATE DID CREATE AN OFFICE OF CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH. SO THERE’S SOME OTHER WORK GOING ON WITH OUR SISTER AGENCIES IN STATE GOVERNMENT. WITH THE ADDITION OF THIS TYPE OF EFFORT, WE’LL SEE A SYNERGISTIC EFFORT BY A NUMBER OF STATE AGENCIES THAT WE HOPE HAVE RAPID IMPACT AND CAN MAKE UP FOR SOME OF THE LOSS OF SERVICES THAT WE’VE SEEN IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

GOOD NEWS. STEVE FERNAN, THANKS VERY MUCH.

STEVE FERNAN:

THANK YOU.