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"Safe Schools/Healthy Students"
Fertile, Minnesota
| Partners: | Fertile-Beltrami Public Schools Northwestern Mental Health Center Tri-County Community Corrections | |
The flood of 1997 had a devastating impact on families residing in rural northwestern Minnesota. Many families already in the midst of a farming crisis were left homeless. Five schools were condemned and three suffered major damage, resulting in a 118% school mobility rate. The severe economic stresses resulted in an out-migration of 1,000 people last year. The area has the third highest rate in the state of child abuse and neglect with a 16.5% out-of-home placement rate, compared to 0.7% rate statewide. Over one-third of all families live at or below the poverty line, and almost 40% of the students qualify for free or reduced cost lunch. The seven school districts in this area serve a total of 6,800 students (2,900 K-6 graders and 3,980 7-12 graders). With a student density of approximately three students per square mile, accessing services and participating in pro-social activities is a challenge.
Eleven communities - Newfolden, Viking, Warren, Alvorado, Oslo, East Grand Forks, Fosston, Ada, Borup, Fertile-Beltrami and Crookston - seven school districts, and 11 allied organizations have partnered to generate a comprehensive, integrated approach to early identification, early intervention and prevention of school violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and related mental health problems. In addition to the core partners, each community's law enforcement agency has joined the effort, as have Polk County's Social Services and Nursing Services, Tri-County Community Corrections, and the University of Minnesota Extension Service.
The partnership's strategy for safe schools and healthy students includes home, school, and community-based services that span the continuum of services for families and youth at risk. A home-based public health nursing program will reach out to at-risk mothers and teen parents to improve positive parenting skills. School and community prevention facilitators will oversee expanded after-school programs, match children with mentors, and institute parent/school forums. Teachers will be trained on how to identify, and refer for individual and group therapy, seriously at-risk or severely emotionally disturbed children and adolescents. A resource directory of family services will also be developed and distributed to allied agencies. Teachers will be trained in resiliency and how to involve students in activities that utilize restorative justice practices. To ensure that safe school policies are followed by all students, materials will be translated in Spanish and ongoing policy reviews will be made. Local law enforcement will work closely with the school to develop individual school crisis response plans and implement needed security measures.
The University of North Dakota Department of Education will provide an outside evaluation of the effectiveness of the project. A steering committee will review the plan quarterly and adjustments will be made to the strategy, if required.
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[St. Louis, Missouri]