Launched: April 7, 2022
Media, PA- At the assembly of County Council on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, District Lawyer Jack Stollsteimer, together with Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor, Director of Human Providers Sandra Garrison, and representatives from Bloom Consulting, introduced the results of their far more than calendar year-very long work to analyze the point out of the mental, behavioral, and substance abuse treatment method companies accessible for college-aged young children in Delaware County.
The challenge – acknowledged as the Healthier Youngsters, Wholesome Faculties Initiative – had its origin in a meeting in the summer of 2020 among the District Lawyer, Council members, and educators from all over the county. The educators shared their problem about the surge in untreated and less than-addressed psychological and behavioral overall health problems in their university student populations and expressed concern that these troubles have been impacting the safety of both of those their pupils and their staff.
Adhering to the initial assembly, District Legal professional Jack Stollsteimer began assembling a group to seem at approaches that the County could solution this situation in a collaborative, comprehensive, and fairness-minded way. Making use of “Safe Schools” state grant funding, Bloom Consulting was employed to assist, and they have been doing work for additional than a yr with stakeholders from all around Delaware County. The “Safe Schools” funding traditionally experienced been dispersed to Delaware County schools to increase the bodily safety of their structures via the order of locks, cameras, and comparable objects. On the other hand, recognizing the level of problem expressed by educators, the District Legal professional requested, and received, permission from the state to use a part of the funding to seem the point out of the County’s psychological, behavioral, and compound misuse therapy services for faculty-aged children.
In May well 2021, Bloom presented the success of their work in a investigation report. The analysis involved interviews with more than 40 stakeholders, together with educators, mental wellbeing companies, group organizations, and human services employees, as very well as the effects of 8,711 survey respondents. Following the completion of the investigation report, Bloom began the system of building a strategic plan to strengthen the supply of companies in Delaware County.
The strategic approach introduced on April 6, 2022 is the final result of countless hrs of dialogue and collaboration with various stakeholders.
As an initial phase in the get the job done outlined in the strategic program, the County has committed to the generation of a placement inside the Department of Human Solutions – employing now available funding – that will serve as the coordinator for the ongoing operate of this Initiative. The placement will be responsible for facilitating efforts to repeatedly evaluate and enhance the shipping and delivery of expert services to the young children in our neighborhood and will provide as a stage of get hold of for educators in the County with regard to those people products and services.
“Delaware County is fully commited to continuing to provide as a leader in bettering the mental and behavioral well being solutions supplied to the younger citizens in our County,” stated Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor. “In tasking a unique unique with the accountability to offer a apparent line of communication among our universities and our suppliers, we hope to far better aid our school communities and our family members. The plan presented this evening will assist the County in our determination to undertaking what it can to tackle the persistent and pervasive psychological well being crises that confronts our young children and youth.”
In reflecting on the function of this Initiative, District Attorney Stollsteimer mentioned, “It has been deeply gratifying to witness the motivation of the men and women included in this undertaking to strengthening the mental and behavioral wellbeing solutions for our young children. As the operate has progressed, it has been each dismaying and affirming to discover of the modern assessments by the two the US Surgeon Basic and the Centers for Ailment Handle, both equally of which identified the exact same concern that we did again in the summer of 2020 – we have a escalating mental well being disaster confronting our small children and young folks. When this disaster predates the pandemic, it has been manufactured catastrophically even worse by the tension of the final two several years. I want to commend County Council for their determination to this operate, and to Bloom consulting for their commitment and professionalism. I also want to categorical my deep and abiding gratitude to all the directors, instructors, moms and dads, and neighborhood associates who took the time to help us with this task. I appear forward to seeing this function proceed and expand.”
The Strategic Strategy can be observed right here: https://delcopa.gov/pdf/DHKHSI.StrategicPlan.Final.2022.03.15.pdf
The Investigation Report can be found right here: https://delcopa.gov/pdf/DHKHSI.ResearchReport.Remaining.2021.06.18.pdf
