EATON — Representatives from South Community spoke during the Eaton Board of Education meeting on Monday, March 9 to provide an update on the program.
South Community Inc. is a private not-for-profit corporation providing mental health, substance use and integrated care in the greater Miami Valley. They are certified by the Ohio Department of Mental health, Ohio Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services and are CARF accredited in the following areas: Outpatient Treatment (Adult, Child and Adolescent), Case Management/Service Coordination (Adult, Child and Adolescent), Partial Hospitalization (Child and Adolescent).
South Community Chief Executive Officer Lisa Carter presented on new programming and a proposal South Community has been working on with Superintendent Jeff Parker and his staff.
Carter explained, they’ve been partnering with Eaton Community Schools since 2015. They’ve determined that day treatment, on-site, would be “cutting edge” and enable them to focus on younger youth. They are focusing on younger youth in order to decrease the chances of suicide with those individuals. They’re hoping to increase positive outcomes with this program.
“We know that traditional counseling is great, but it is not enough for that particular set of youth. The kids identified with more severe issues need a higher level of care and need referred. This would keep the youth in the least restrictive environment, which is your schools,” Carter said.
It would also reduce the need to travel to Dayton for required services.
South Community has a history of successful partial and day treatment with skilled clinicians, according to officials. Families will actively participate in the program to promote change in the child’s life.
The setup is pre-school through third grade, with a maximum of 12 students in the specialized day treatment program. This would be three hours a day youth would be getting more intense treatment.
Medicaid is the primary payer, but as there is a percentage of youth in need of services without medicaid, the district would be responsible for paying for a maximum of four children to go through day treatment.
Cost potential for the district is $92,736.60.
Another part of the proposal, along with day treatment, was psychiatric services in the district to provide medication for students with that need. Another possibility would be virtual appointments, if the services could not be located in the district.
This service would be four hours per week throughout the school year and two hours per week during the summer. It is for the purpose of evaluation and management of medications.
Medicaid is the largest payer, with a potential cost to the district of $12,448.80. However, Mental Health and Recovery Board Executive Director Amy Raynes asked if the day treatment and psychiatry services have to be “coupled together.”
“[Superintendent Jeff Parker] and I were talking about maybe not doing the psychiatry. Is that something we don’t really have a choice in doing?” She asked.
Representatives with South Community responded that it is not mandatory, but is beneficial. Children with medicaid could still receive the psychiatric services, but those students without medicaid would not have access to those services. South Community would have to work with doctors to refer students for psychiatric treatment and management of medication.
In other business:
•Jeff Lefkovitz, DataServ Representative, Donna Davis and Mac Hopkins, SWOCA representatives, discussed the district’s technology.
•The board approved an agreement with the City of Eaton for the Facilities Agreement for use of the Brooke-Gould Memorial Tennis Complex for the 2020 spring tennis season.
•The board approved an agreement with the Preble County General Health District to provide immunization services effective Jan. 1, 2020 through Dec. 31, 2020. Services performed by the Preble County Health District include Hepatitis B Immunization at a rate of $59 per dose, Administration fee first vaccine at $25 per visit, and TB Skin Test at $15 per test.
•The board approved overnight student travel for FFA students and advisors to the State FFA Convention, April 30 through May 1 in Columbus.
The next ECS regular board of education meeting is scheduled for Monday April 13, at 6 p.m. at Hollingsworth East Elementary School.
