An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. -Benjamin Franklin
Research continues to show the importance of education. It directly influences positive outcomes for our youth. But as funding streams have become tighter and tighter in America's public schools, more of the important elements within our educational system have disappeared. Our classrooms have become more crowded, our teachers forced to teach to standardized testing, activities outside the reading, writing, arithmetic, especially physical and creative curriculum has been cut. Even the infrastructure, the buildings, heating and cooling, the plumbing, is failing. In poorer districts, the decay is even more alarming. Along with these issues, auxiliary support in schools has decreased, in many places to zero. School nurses and counselors no longer exist in many places. During a time period where our youth face an unprecedented amount of uncertainty and stress with less natural supports than ever, these safety nets in the schools have been stripped off and removed. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for teenagers. The 2017 Youth Risk Behaviors Survey showed 7.4% of youth grades 9-12 reported they had made at least one suicide attempt in the last 12 months. Let that sink in. Our children are hurting and they need us to do something. I'm grateful to be part of a community that is seeing this gap in services and not just talking about it. Thanks to a partnership with White Bird Clinic, a local non-profit created around 50 years ago with a socio-medico model, our local school districts are meeting the needs our youth have.
HOOTS
Helping Out Our Teens in Schools (HOOTS) is now its own program within White Bird. It originated within Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets (CAHOOTS) a mobile outreach program running 24/7 in Eugene and Springfield. The CAHOOTS teams each have an EMT or Nurse and a Crisis Worker with a background in mental health. Partnered with and dispatched by the police department, CAHOOTS' unique model has gained national attention recently as communities struggle with finding solutions with an emergency room/jail diversion focus. Three years ago, a graduate student working with students at an alternative school in Springfield approached CAHOOTS with an idea. What if we had a space where a team could be at the school during scheduled hours each week? Students could then access CAHOOTS services without having to call a van out to their home. They could seek mental health and basic medical support on campus. CAHOOTS team members, who work as a collective all agreed this was beautifully aligned with their mission and threw full support behind the idea. Due to this, the first HOOTS clinic was established.
Working with Youth
The first HOOTS clinic was well received although it took some time for the word to spread and for the students to get comfortable with the team members. Most knew about CAHOOTS, but unfortunately many believed falsely that their only clients were the homeless and severely mentally ill. In actually, crises and need don't respect socio-economic boundaries. CAHOOTS teams can go from a check welfare/transport for a homeless alcoholic downtown to a family mediation/intervention in a million dollar home in the South Hills. So, it took some time before teachers, advisors and a few brave students bridged the gap. Once the stereotype was broken and trust established, the teams see a variety of youth with a variety of issues for the full two hours they are there. No matter what the issue, youth get a trusted adult's support and resource recommendations. Teams build rapport with students encouraging them to identify and utilize their personal adult support systems, but at the same time, recognize their own reporting responsibilities. Since the original clinic, HOOTS teams are now present in 4 alternative schools and 4 traditional high schools and the interest continues to grow. Many district personnel and parents would like to see a team embedded in every high school in the area.
Funding
Although the interest is high, funding this additional support can be a challenge. But, creative thinking has made 8 clinics at local high schools possible. Most are funded by contract with the district, either as a budget line item or as the result of mental health grants. Others are supported by donations. In fact, CAHOOTS decided to fund one of the alternative schools with donations given to the teams not specifically earmarked for another project. As people recognize the important and need for this type of support, continuing to figure out how to fund them continues to be a priority for the schools, the community and the youth.
Wellness Presentations
Along with the clinics, and actually started prior to the clinics, CAHOOTS teams also offer wellness presentations to a wide variety of local schools, not just the high schools. These presentations offer practical advice on wellness, stress-reduction, coping strategies and suicide prevention. Because they are taught by a CAHOOTS team, the presentations second as a way to build awareness and rapport. Hopefully the relationships that are built during these presentations and the clinics will encourage a youth who is struggling to reach out for support. Anecdotally I can say this is true and is happening.
Public schools continue to struggle with having the resources they need and students suffer to the lack. I wish every school across the country had HOOTS. I wish this because our future depends on supporting our children. We owe it to them whoever and wherever they live.
Michelle Perin
Michelle Perin has been a freelance writer since 2000. In December 2010, she earned her Master’s degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Indiana State University.
