KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knox County Board of Education met Monday to discuss whether it should spend around $1.835 million for a partnership with the McNabb Center meant to expand mental health services.
The contract would start on Jan. 1, 2023, and would end on the last day of December 2023. It could be extended for four additional years, one year at a time. The contract also said the mental health services would be funded with federal ESSER money.
The McNabb Center would provide mental health services at each secondary school as well as crisis intervention services, supporting a three-tiered framework of mental health support in Knox County Schools. At the first tier, mental health care workers would work with students to improve their performance, and attendance, and build socio-emotional skills.
At the second tier, students considered at risk of developing mental health issues would receive individualized care through a counselor. In the third tier, school personnel will collaborate with mental health providers on a coordinated system of care that includes crisis response strategies.
The contract specifies that the McNabb Center would need to provide a mental health counselor for 35 secondary schools. If it provides one counselor per school, it would cost around $1.7 million, according to the $50,000 estimated cost per year of a counselor. It would also need to provide a crisis counselor at an estimated $85,000 per year, to serve the whole district.
The contract also specifies services should build on the strengths of students and their families and emphasizes family involvement throughout mental health treatment.
KCS said it would provide a counseling-friendly space within each school for the McNabb Center's employees. Services would also be available to students regardless of their ability to pay.
Counselors would need to have a master's degree at a minimum, according to the contract. The McNabb Center said it expected 90% of students will have a reduction in psychiatric hospitalizations, and 80% will maintain passing academic performance through the partnership.
KCS leaders are expected to vote on the partnership on Wednesday during their regular meeting. They are also expected to discuss whether to send a resolution to the state legislature asking for districts to make retention decisions.
That resolution is in response to a new state law that could require some third graders to stay behind if they don't perform well enough on some state tests.
"Not affording school districts the discretion to make retention decisions based on all school district information on each student adversely and disproportionately affects students who, for many reasons, might not perform well on standardized tests but yet demonstrate an understanding of ELA via alternative knowledge assessments," the resolution said.