UPDATE: The Hamilton County Principals’ Association has thanked the members of the Hamilton County School Board for their unanimous vote to approve five vendors for student mental health support.
The association says the board’s decision sends a strong message about their commitment to the well-being of local students and families:
“As building leaders, we see every day how essential student mental health is to their social, emotional, and academic success. We work closely with students and families to provide as much support as possible, and having access to a variety of high-quality services helps us respond to needs in meaningful and effective ways.”
The letter signed by Rashaad Williams, Jill Levine, Jesse Goins, Jamelie Johns, and Greg Wilkey goes on to say they have always agreed that parents and students should have choices to determine what works best for them:
“Your action respects that choice while giving schools the tools we need to guide and support families. We are truly grateful that you recognized this need and chose to move forward in such a thoughtful and unified way. Knowing that you stand behind this work means a great deal to all of us. Thank you for your continued leadership and dedication to the students of Hamilton County.”
Read the statement in full below:
PREVIOUS STORY: Hamilton County School Board members have approved a proposal on Thursday, restoring several school-based mental health services for students.
Centerstone, a provider the district previously ended its partnership with, is among the five organizations that will once again be available in schools.
The approved providers are:
- Centerstone
- ELU LLC
- The Helen Ross McNabb Center
- Psychiatry of Texas
- Thrive Therapies Group
Many breathed a sigh of relief and said this decision was a long time coming.
“Tonight, we took a big step in the right direction,” says Hamilton County Student Representative Ryan Jenkins. “Knowing that every single Hamilton County student has what they need to succeed is something I really value.”
School board members say students can start applying for these services immediately, and we can plan to see Centerstone employees back in their spots as early as next week.
PREVIOUS STORY: Hamilton County students could once again have access to mental health services from Centerstone, if approved by school board members on Thursday.
Centerstone is one of five providers that a review committee unanimously recommended the board consider for a second round of evaluations. Services from each provider could be available to students, with parental consent, as part of a menu of options.
The board can choose to adopt just some or all five of the providers.
The other providers are ELU Counseling, Consulting, and Coaching, the Helen Ross McNabb Center, Psychiatry of Texas, and Thrive Therapies Group.
Contracts for each provider would begin on Thursday and run through the end of the school year, with the option to renew for up to three years.
The bid award, attached as part of the board’s agenda, notes that the request for proposal (RFP) aims to ensure parental choice, provide services without disruption to class time, and increase on-campus access. The services come at no cost to the district.
The school board voted to end a decade-long partnership with Centerstone in August, after some members questioned the ideologies of the provider’s employees.
Member Ben Connor attempted twice to restore Centerstone’s services before the board asked for providers to submit bids for their consideration.
“My hope is that a majority of the board does the correct thing and votes to allow these qualified companies to provide mental health services where the students are, at school,” Connor tells Local 3. “Once they do vote to confirm these companies, they can provide services the next school day. This nightmare should be on the path to correction when the first bell rings on Friday.”
Board chair Joe Smith said the primary focus must remain on education.
“As a board member, I look forward to having a conversation about mental health services (for) our students that give PARENTS a choice about providers, that include faith-based providers, and those services MUST occur before or after school or lunchtime,” Smith said. “Stop pulling kids out of instruction time for counseling. As a school district, we need to be about math, English, history, and science. We should be about education! That is our job.”
Centerstone spokesperson Robert Lambert said the company looks forward to the board’s next round of review.
“Centerstone appreciates the opportunity to advance in the RFP process to continue providing school-based mental health services for Hamilton County Schools,” Lambert said. “For more than ten years, we have been committed to supporting the well-being of students and families in this community, and we are glad the Committee recognizes the quality and expertise we bring to this work. Above all else, we remain dedicated to delivering care that changes people’s lives, and we welcome the chance to build on that record as the proposal moves forward for Board consideration.”
The board meeting will begin on Thursday at 6:00pm, and public comment starts at 4:30pm.