SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. (WCAX) – Mental health support for students during the school day gained traction during the pandemic, While the funding in some New York districts is running dry, Saranac Lake officials say the services are here to stay.
“The school is the best place to reach a student, a family, so that was the vision,” said Suzanne Lavigne with Franklin County Community Services.
She says for the last three years, Tupper Lake, Chateaugay, and Saranac Lake have been providing mental health care and other free services thanks to a $4 million federal grant. “Bringing all of these services into the school was a solid way to support our students,” she said.
Roughly 75 students are enrolled, including 22 students in the Saranac Lake Central School District. Superintendent Diane Fox says the grant has normalized discussions over mental health support and treatment. “I think it takes some stigma away from going somewhere to receive services. The providers are part of our schools. They are at recess, they are at lunch, they are at activities, they are just one more person who works in the district,” she said.
Lavigne says students receiving the services reported better social skills and interactions with their families.
Erica Bezio, the community school liaison for the district, says students are also becoming more proactive about their mental health care. “Students are now self-advocating for care, as well as their parents and caregivers,” she said.
While money for the program ends in the fall of 2025 and families’ insurance will be billed, Lavigne says the in-school model is here to stay. “The offer stands to any other district in the county. We are going to find a way to replicate these in those other districts,” she said.
Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.