Quaker Valley officials boost mental health services for elementary students

Quaker Valley School District officials have made an investment in their elementary students’ mental health.

The school board voted 7-0 on March 21 to approve an agreement with Pathways Human Services to provide a behavioral health counselor this school year. Board members Geoffrey Barnes and Jeffrey Watters were absent.

Assistant Superintendent Andrew Surloff said the Emsworth-based Holy Family Institute provided mental health and social service to the schools for years before reducing its offerings due to staffing this school year.

Holy Family still provides counseling at the middle and high schools.

Administrators when through an extensive process in searching for replacement help for their youngest learners.

“It’s important (to offer this) because in many cases school students are limited in their availability to seek outside therapy and counseling typically before or after school hours,” Surloff said. “What this allows a family to do is work through the school to arrange therapy and counseling services that can happen during the school day in the building, so it’s accessible.”

Surloff said district Director of Student Services Mike Lewis recommended Pathways after speaking with multiple service providers.

“We didn’t just contract with the service,” Surloff said. “We also were able to interview their employees and chose which one we thought was the best fit for the district. We appreciated the fact that they allowed us to have so much involvement in the process of selecting the right person for our school district.”

The district chose Amanda Pratt as its new school-based resource specialist, providing mental health counseling and other social work.

She has about 10 years experience in those fields.

The Pathways agreement was effective Feb. 15 at a cost of $75,000.

The district plans to pay for it with a School Mental Health & Safety and Security Grant through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Quaker Valley received the $150,000 grant last year. It used a portion of it a few months ago to hire retired New Sewickley Township patrolman Tom Liberty as the district’s latest school police officer.

Board president Jon Kuzma said he and his colleagues understand mental health is just as important as physical and educational health.

“Quaker Valley’s shared values include putting students first, investing in our youths, and providing safe and caring environments,” Kuzma said. “The addition of increased mental health and social work services in our elementary schools demonstrates that the district is committed to supporting our students’ social, emotional, and behavioral health.

“Meeting the mental health needs of our students is directly associated with their positive academic performance and overall well-being.”