As research continues to demonstrate the need for youth mental health services, some schools work to fill the need. Now, the Rapid City Area School District has received a $3.4-million grant to address service gaps in its schools.
The money comes from the US Department of Education School-Based Mental Health Services Grant program and will be distributed over the next five years.
Interim superintendent Cory Strasser said it represents a major investment in the services the schools can offer.
“We’re talking about a behavioral analyst, we’re talking about three middle school counselors, and three high school social workers," Strasser said. "Those are significant increases for us from a staffing standpoint.”
Strasser said the district needs additional support on this front.
“We’re concerned for the wellbeing of our students," Strasser said. "We know students come to us in many different ways, and our role as a school when we look at education – there’s the educational side and then the overall student wellbeing. We want to be able to support that as much as possible, and that’s why we pursue grants like this.”
Additionally, it offers the district a chance to invest in culturally sensitive programming.
“That allows us to meet the vast, diverse needs of our students," Strasser said. "When we look at student wellbeing, this is a really targeted approach to increase our staffing and provide culturally appropriate determinants of mental health.”
Rapid City Area Schools has the highest percentage of indigenous students out of any other district in the state, barring those found on reservations.