Sheldon, Iowa — St. Patrick’s Catholic School in Sheldon is among three Catholic schools in the area that will have increased access to mental and behavioral health care, due to a three-year grant from the Wellmark Foundation.
Diocese of Sioux City officials tell us the grant will total $232,500, to be shared among the three schools.
Patty Lansink, diocesan Superintendent of Catholic Schools, says the grant funds will benefit students at St. Pats, as well as St. Rose of Lima School in Denison, and St. Mary School in Storm Lake, as they met the eligibility requirements.
They tell us the schools currently receive mental health services through Catholic Charities therapists, but the grant will increase access to two full days a week for St. Mary and one full day a week at both St. Rose of Lima and St. Patrick.
The Wellmark Foundation pointed out that working families in rural Iowa often face challenges like taking time off work and school and traveling long distances to access mental and behavioral health care. All but four of Iowa’s rural counties are designated as mental health professional shortage areas. The Wellmark Foundation’s three-year School-Centered Behavioral Health Grant helps make these new mental and behavioral health services available.
The Wellmark Foundation’s School-Centered Behavioral Health Grant is available for eligible rural Iowa schools that want to establish lasting mental and behavioral health services for Iowa youth. For more information, you can visit Wellmark.com/SchoolBehavioralHealthGrant.
