Project Structure: Management Team: The Management Team will be comprised of leaders from the state agencies, the CSMHA, and partnering organizations. The state agency representatives on the management team will maintain active communication with system leaders from their respective agencies. The Management Council will be co-led by Milton McKenna and Vicki Taliaferro from MSDE and Nancy Lever from the CSMHA. The Management Team will link together state organizations and initiatives related to school mental health, will enhance connections with federal and national resources, and will coordinate the accomplishment of project aims.
Advisory Council: In its work to further the MSMHA, the management team will be guided by an Advisory Council containing diverse stakeholders including families, youth, school staff and leaders, community staff and leaders, advocates, government officials, and researchers. Colleen O’Neil Yanchulis from Anne Arundel County, a family member, will be the chair of the Council. Ms. O’Neil will be guided in her leadership by Jane Walker and Susan Tager from the Maryland Coalition of Families for Children’s Mental Health. The Advisory Board will meet quarterly, beginning in January. The Advisory Council will provide guidance and diverse perspectives related to the overall project design, materials development, implementation, integration enhancement, evaluation, and project management.
School Mental Health Integration Teams: The MSMHA will collaborate with five public school districts and their PBIS Schools through the use of School Mental Health Integration Teams. The teams will build on existing PBIS community teams, but will be enhanced with a stronger family engagement component and a focus on improving mental health care for red and yellow zone students. The school mental health integration teams will 1) communicate with stakeholders in the district about the efforts and resources of the MSMHA, 2) work to assess their needs related to integrating schools and the larger mental health system and connect these needs with identified resources, 3) provide feedback to the Management Council about the district’s needs related to mental health training and services, 4) provide support and guidance to district schools and school staff by connecting them with the MSMHA, 5) collaborate with the MSMHA to provide intensive support to three targeted schools as part of the demonstration project. Directors of Student Services are Kathleen Lyons (St. Mary’s County); Dale Rauenzahn (Baltimore County); Steve Lentoski (Harford County);Jose Torres (Anne Arundel County); and Mike Markoe (Washington County)and will be the key contacts for the integration teams and for the demonstration project. |
