Resource center to help meet mental health needs of Wisconsin students

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has launched a new resource center that it says will help build resilience and meet mental health needs of Wisconsin students.

The Wisconsin Center for Resilient Schools, also known as the WCRS, began services this week. It provides free coaching to public, private and charter school and districts throughout the state.

“We work with teams to come in and come into their schools to see what they already have implemented in their school system wide in regards to the mental health field and social emotional learning and then we look at that to see how can we build on the foundation that you’ve already built to make it great,” said Future Cain, the Statewide Project Coordinator for WCRS.

“Just like any other skill - whether it’s a sport or a professional skill - it doesn’t actually really become successful until you’re coached through it where there’s that feedback loop, and the discussion, and making sure that people, in this case teams, are able to address the challenges and layout plans that are going to be successful to implement,” said Beth Herman, an Educational Consultant for the Wisconsin DPI.

The project couldn’t have come at a better time - now, more than ever, students need the support.

“We have seen the mental health has been on a rise, children with being diagnosed especially six through seventeen, so there’s also an increase in suicide rates,” said Cain.

In order to be able to service as many students, schools and districts as it can, the center’s resources are all virtual for now.

“Every child deserves an education that guarantees the safety to learn in the comfort of one own’s skin and that’s what this place offers,” said Cain.

The federally funded program is set to last until 2022, but the Wisconsin Center for Resilient Schools hopes to find continued funding for the project.

Schools interested in the free coaching and resources can find more information on the center by CLICKING HERE.