Mental Health Resources

Emergency Numbers:

Emergency EMS/Fire/Police/Sheriff- 911

Suicide Hotline

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline                    (800) 784-2433
• Suicide Prevention Hotline                        (800) 273-TALK
• Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline                    (800) 273-TALK

Mental Health Crisis Lines

• Appleton                                    (920) 832-4646
• Neenah/Menasha                     (920) 722-7707
• Oshkosh                                     (920) 233-7707
• ThedaCare Behavioral Health (Touchpoint)            (800) 501-8247

Domestic Abuse Crisis Lines 

• Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services                 (920) 729-5727
• Sexual Assault Services (REACH)-Menasha            (920) 722-8150
• Sexual Assault Services (REACH)-Oshkosh             (920) 426-1460

Runaway Hotlines

• Runaway 24-Hour Local Hotline (B & G Club of Oshkosh)    (920) 731-0557
• National Runaway Switchboard                    (800) 786 2929

HOPELINE Text Line

Free 24-Hour Access to Emotional Support            Text HOPELINE to 741741

Rise Up Mental Health Framework

The Oshkosh Area School District, in conjunction with Catalpa Health, Samaritan Counseling, and a number of community partners, has developed a comprehensive mental health framework as part of our Rise Up initiative. The framework incorporates a multi-level system of support that provides a range of services to students depending on their level of needs. The framework itself consists of three key areas of focus: Student Education, Staff Development, and Site-Based Services. Please see below for more details. 

Mission

Establish a comprehensive mental health framework that meets the needs of students through quality education, staff development, site-based services, and community partnerships.

Vision

Create a mental health framework that…

• Uses and supplements existing services, supports, and structures
• Is collaborative and culturally responsive
• Is realistic and sustainable
• Reduces stigma surrounding mental health, which leads to more students and families seeking out the support they need

Areas of Focus

Student Education and Services

At the elementary level, students receive instruction on issues related to mental health primarily through elementary school counselor classroom lessons and health standards. The elementary school counselor curriculum scope and sequence aligns with the latest edition of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) standards. 

At the secondary level, mental health topics are incorporated into the curriculum for both 7th grade and 9th grade health classes.

Community partners supplement our mental health curriculum at both the elementary and secondary level. In the past, professionals from organizations like Reach Counseling and the Christine Ann Center have come into OASD classrooms to deliver lessons on issues related to mental health and wellness. 

Student service staff (school counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers) in each school are available to provide additional services to students who need mental health support beyond what is offered through the universal curriculum. These services often take the form of small group counseling, social skills instruction, behavior intervention planning, or other low to mid level interventions. It is important to note that our student services staff is unable to provide intensive ongoing individual counseling or therapy to address mental health needs. Students who require this level of support are typically referred to clinical mental health providers in the community. For a list of community mental health providers, please click on the following link: Mental Health Resources

Sources of Strength was also established at both North and West High Schools during the 2017-2018 school year. Sources of Strength is a best practice youth suicide prevention project designed to harness the power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, bullying, and substance abuse. The mission of Sources of Strength is to prevent suicide by increasing help seeking behaviors and promoting connections between peers and caring adults. Sources of Strength moves beyond a singular focus on risk factors by utilizing an upstream approach for youth suicide prevention. This upstream model strengthens multiple sources of support (protective factors) around young individuals so that when times get hard they have strengths to rely on.

Staff Professional Development

The Oshkosh Area School District developed a mental health professional development continuum of support that lays out the various professional development opportunities that are available to staff members in the district. The continuum of support divides the professional development options into five main categories:

• Universal (provided to all staff)
  • Question Persuade Refer (QPR)
  • Trauma Informed Care
  • Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS)
• School Specific Trainings
  • Conscious Discipline
  • Mindfulness
  • Restorative Practices
  • Depending on Teachers and Staff (DOTS)
• Options Available to Interested Staff Members
  • Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)
  • SAFE Training
  • Conscious Discipline
  • Mindfulness
  • Love and Logic
• Trainings for Targeted Groups
  • PREPaRE-2: Student Service Staff
  • Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (NVCI): Special Education Staff
• Opportunities for Parents and Community Members
  • Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)
  • Love and Logic
  • Question Persuade Refer (QPR)

Site-Based Services

What are site-based services? Site-based services involve a comprehensive and collaborative approach to meeting student mental health needs by incorporating mental health professionals from the community into the array of services provided at school. The supports these mental health professionals provide can range from mental health screenings to various forms of intensive therapeutic services. 

Why are site-based services important? The research available on site-based services is somewhat limited, but there is plenty of evidence from districts, both locally and nationally, that suggests site-based services can have a tremendous impact on the lives of students who have access to them. For many students, site-based services are the only way they will be able to access the level of mental health support they need. 

Site Based Services Through the Rise Up Program

The OASD has partnered with Samaritan Counseling and Catalpa Health to establish site based services in the form of mental health screening and clinical mental health therapy in the school setting. The Wellness Screen is an emotional/ mental health screening process provided by highly trained mental health professionals from Samaritan Counseling. The program is currently available to students in grades 9-12 at both North and West High Schools. Students who are identified as being in need of support through the screening process are referred to Rise Up or other community mental health providers. Catalpa Health also provides on-site clinical therapy by licensed mental health providers to those students who are in need of support. Once a student is referred for these services, an intake meeting is scheduled with the student and his/ her parents. Signed parental consent is also needed in order to proceed.  The program is currently in place at Washington Elementary School, Read Elementary School, Webster Stanley Middle School, North High School, and West High School. 

To refer your child for Rise Up clinical therapy through Catalpa Health, please call (920)-750-7088. 

For more information on the Wellness Screen through Samaritan Counseling, please call (920)-572-4582.

For more information on the Rise Up Mental Health Framework, please contact Matt Kaemmerer, Director of Pupil Services, at (920)-424-0113.