The Kendrick Foundation is pleased to announce year three of the school-based mental health initiative (SBMHI) 2.0. This is a continuation of a successfully established partnership between Legacy Adult & Child Health, Centerstone, Youth First, and the county’s four public school systems. This initiative furthers our commitment to improving the mental health of all Morgan County residents.

 “Now in the third year of our three-year SBMHI 2.0 initiative, we are continuing to build on the meaningful progress our grantees and schools have made since the program first began,” said Sara Dungan, J.D., Kendrick Foundation Board President. “Because of the positive impact and lasting benefits we’ve seen in the community, we remain committed to strengthening and expanding this important work as we move into year three of SBMHI 2.0.”

In December 2021, the Surgeon General issued an advisory highlighting the urgent need to address the nation’s youth mental health crisis, outlining the pandemic’s unprecedented impacts on the mental health of America’s youth and families, as well as the mental health challenges that existed long before the pandemic.

According to the Surgeon General, recent national surveys of young people have shown alarming increases in the prevalence of certain mental health challenges. Mental health is shaped by many factors, from genes and brain chemistry to relationships with family and friends, neighborhood conditions, and larger societal forces and policies.

In Morgan County, adults report an average of 5.6 poor mental health days per month, 19% report frequent mental distress, 34% report feelings of loneliness, and 23% report they lack social and emotional support. Morgan County has higher rates of death by suicide than the state. Many Morgan County residents also lack adequate access to mental health providers.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, many mental health conditions first appear in youth and young adults, with 50% of all conditions beginning by age 14 and 75% by age 24. One in seven youth have a mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression, but only half receive any mental health services.

Early treatment is effective; it can help young people stay in school and on track to achieving their life goals. In fact, the earlier the treatment, the better the outcomes and lower the costs. Untreated or inadequately treated mental illness can lead to high rates of school dropout, unemployment, substance use, arrest, incarceration, and early death.

Schools can play an important role in helping children and youth get help early. Schools also play a vital role in providing or connecting children, youth, and families to services. School-based mental health services bring trained mental health professionals into schools; this helps individual youth and also serves to connect youth and families to more intensive resources in the community.

 “Our grantees and local educational partners continue to show extraordinary dedication in strengthening mental health support for youth and families across Morgan County. Their work is helping connect residents with meaningful services and resources, fostering understanding, and building a community where mental health is recognized as an essential part of overall wellbeing,” said Keylee Wright, M.A., Kendrick Foundation Executive Director. “As we move forward, it remains clear that supporting children and families requires shared responsibility and a continued commitment to creating systems and environments that value and normalize mental health.”

As part of the SBMHI 2.0, students across each public school district in Morgan County will continue to have access and opportunity to participate in supportive voluntary mental health services consisting of individual, family, group, and/or case management provided by:

• Legacy Adult & Child Health – Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation, Metropolitan School District (MSD) of Martinsville, and Monroe-Gregg School District
• Centerstone – Eminence Community School Corporation and MSD of Martinsville
• Youth First – Mooresville Consolidated School Corporation and MSD of Martinsville

School-based and school-linked mental health services reduce barriers for youth and families in obtaining needed treatment and supports, especially for communities with decreased access to mental health providers. School-based mental health programs are a voluntary service approved through caregiver consent and delivered by trained mental health professionals, such as psychologists, counselors, and social workers.

Funding for the SBMHI includes:

• Initial Three-Year Project Period – July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024
  • Total expenditure: Nearly $4 million
  • Kendrick Foundation contribution: Over $1.6 million
• SBMHI 2.0 Year One – July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025
  • Total expenditure: Nearly $1.8 million
  • Kendrick Foundation contribution: Over $620,000
• SBMHI 2.0 Year Two – July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026
  • Total expenditure: Over $3 million
  • Kendrick Foundation contribution: Over $440,000
• SBMHI 2.0 Year Three – July 1, 2026 through June 20, 2027
  • Total expenditure: Over $3.1 million
  • Kendrick Foundation contribution: Over $430,000
• Funding Sources
  • Kendrick Foundation
  • Collaborating mental health grantee organizations
  • Morgan County educational institutions
  • Government grants and contracts
  • Private funding