By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
After 31 years, Hays USD 489 has ended its relationship with
High Plains Mental Health Center.
USD 489 plans to take over the day-to-day operations of the center, which assists children with mental health needs that can't be addressed in their home schools.
The program can accommodate up to 40 students. Students from the full special education co-op can qualify for the program. That includes children from Hays, Ellis, Victoria and La Crosse public schools, as well as local private schools.
The school offers academic instruction for elementary, middle school and high school students.
Students at Westside have a normal academic schedule just as those children in the other USD 489 schools. However, in addition, they had groups with High Plains staff twice a day and a social-emotional skills session once a day.
In May, High Plains Mental Health Center gave the district notice that it would like to switch to having the district take over the day-to-day administration of Westside School, USD 489 officials said in a news release.
After meeting several times to discuss this transition, it was determined High Plains Mental Health Center could not commit to keeping the same number of staff at Westside for the next school year as the previous years, and those staff that would be at Westside would not be available consistently when students needed support in the classroom, USD 489 said.
With the reduced support, Westside students would have reduced access to timely services for what they need and when they would need it, the release said.
"After careful consideration, the district determined that the recommended reduction would take away flexibility and support that our students and teachers would need," the USD 489 news release said.
To give that support the district will be hiring a mental health therapist, a Westside liaison, and two behavior support assistants who will work full time at Westside School.
"The district will do everything possible to minimize the impact on students and their families and continue to support students and families at Westside as they have come to expect," the news release said.
All scheduled summer groups will continue as normal at the Westside School at this time.
Walt Hill, High Plains Mental Health Center executive director, said in a letter dated July 1, "Although our staff will no longer have full-time offices at the Westside School building, High Plains Mental Health Center staff will continue to be available to provide mental health services (therapy, case management and medication services) for local students and their families.
"As the new school year approaches, we expect discussions to continue about how High Plains Mental Health Center staff will be working with any newly hired staff at Westside School to support students," Hill said in the letter.
"It always has been and will remain our goal to continue to work with Hays USD 489 in providing needed mental health services to the students and families within the district who wish to continue working with us," Hill said.
USD 489 said in its press release, "USD 489 and West Central Kansas Special Education Cooperative want to recognize the 31-year relationship with High Plains Mental Health that has helped many students and families navigate difficult situations.
"The district will continue to collaborate with High Plains, as well as other mental health agencies in the community to support the needs of all of our students."