Students in Manistee now have more treatment options for mental health issues.
is opening four new sites, providing behavioral health services to every Manistee Area Public School building.
The project already helps the Manistee Senior Center. Now they’re aiming to help students with their mental health, improving student success socially and academically.
Manistee High School senior Morgan Ju says the new mental health resources provided by NMHSI have been much needed.
“People don’t think of it and today with social media and everything it’s such a negative environment for people so really having all of those differently therapy’s and options available really helps kids to realize that it’s not as bad as it is,” Ju says.
She says kids deal with a lot of stress: from divorce or loss of a family member, to drug abuse and bullying.
Gwen Williams, chief development officer at NMHSI, says, “To really get at some of those traumatic things that are happening in the community and start to develop some systems of support so that students who are experiencing trauma really have the support they need to be resilient.”
The MAPS CareConnect project provides two behavioral health therapists and a community health worker in a convenient and trusted location.
Williams says, “The really nice thing about being in each of the buildings is that students can come to us during the school day. So parents don’t have to transport them. There are not a lot of additional steps or barriers in the way.”
Because sometimes life can get tough, but with CareConnect, school can be a safe-heaven.
Superintendent of MAPS Ron Stoneman says, “We just feel obligated and fortunate to be able to help the whole student and those services on a continuous basis will allow those students to be supported with those needs.”
The program is funded through grants and the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.
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