LAWILL, IN (Wayne) – Mental health therapists will be stationed inside Witco Community School, the school board announced Monday night.
Previously, there were plans to restructure the district’s “social-emotional learning” program, which would have eliminated all mental health therapists working in schools, superintendent Tim Pivarnik said. said at the conference.
However, during a board working session last week, various members of the district’s staff and mental health therapists appeared on the board to explain why these positions should remain.
“Frankly, they provided us with a lot of very useful information that helped us step back and rethink the proposal,” Pivarnik said at the board meeting. “We used to say that your board here is not a rubber stamp, but this showed it wasn’t a rubber stamp.”
“We all listened, listened, stepped back and revisited the proposal,” Pivarnik continued. “We are doing it because it is in the best interest of our staff, community and students to leave mental health therapists alone and move on.”
Pivarnik said schools are legally required to provide students with a multi-layered support system (MTSS in school parlance), and school districts are now exploring ways to incorporate aspects of social-emotional learning programs into it. said it does.
“I think it will be a more impactful program,” Pivarnik said. “This will affect all students and all staff in the building.”
Pivarnik added that he and his administrative staff will meet over the summer to fine-tune how the new multi-layered support system will work during the next school year.
