Gov. JB Pritzker's Blueprint for Transformation details a list of findings to improve child behavioral health, including that school districts statewide implement universal screening tools for K through 12. These surveys are used to determine whether students have mental or behavioral health needs. They become universal when every grade in a district receives the same assessment.
In a report last Friday, the Illinois State Board of Education [ISBE] said 71% of school districts in the state screen, and districts that have universal mental health screening tend to be in metropolitan areas, including McLean County.
Trisha Malott, behavioral health coordinator for the Regional Office of Education serving McLean and DeWitt counties, said McLean County is on track with the state's recommendations.
"My guess is we're probably going to reach some of that implementation a little bit faster than what the rest of the state may," she said.
Most recommendations to come from the ISBE report were for the state to develop further guidance on the issue. The only recommendation so far made directly to districts was to explore a phased approach to universal mental health screening, which McLean County already was doing.
A recent federal System of Care grant is being used, in part, to fund efforts to get universal screening tools in McLean County schools. Malott said she's already started outreach for this portion of the grant.
Much like the ISBE report found, Malott said districts "are at varying levels" in their mental wellness assessments. For example, District 87, Unit 5 and Olympia CUSD 16 use a universal screener. However, LeRoy schools and Ridgeview schools do not. Heyworth doesn't currently have a student self-use tool. Teachers have to administer a survey to students. She was unsure about Lexington schools at the time of our conversation.
Even within the districts that already have universal screening tools, Malott said there are differences. District 87 uses the method for pre-K and 2nd through 12th grade. Unit 5 uses it only for 2nd through 12th grade. Malott said this is because kindergarten and first grade students may have issues taking the self-assessment survey on their own. Comprehension is an issue.
Malott said meeting the System of Care and state visions for universal screening at all grade levels will involve working around issues like this one.
Since ROE was already doing this work before the report came out, Malott said it was nice to see how the state "reinforces what we're doing locally." [The System of Care grant was announced in October.]
"There's a lot of overlap with what we're doing locally with where the state wants to go," she said.
For the second recommendation in the report — that ISBE should compile a list of mental health resources for students — the Regional Office of Education is a step ahead. In addition to having the universal screening tool, a goal for the System of Care is to improve care coordination for students. Malott pointed out that schools also are working to get more people trained in mental health first aid.
With more state recommendations to come, Malott said there could be cause for concern if the state makes a mandate that contradicts work being done with the System of Care. However, she said that based on the report, it seems like the state won't be going in this direction.
