In a new service through the Illinois State Board of Education, that is also connected with Medicaid, the West Central School District participated in a School Based Mental Health project, focusing on social, emotional mental health well-being for students and staff, explains Superintendent Stacey Day:
“There was a survey that I completed about mental health services in schools and what we were able to do. That got us as a district eligible to participate in this program. Really without even knowing it, we hired Ariel Dillard to come in as a Social Worker. She is working full time at our middle school and because we hired a new mental health professional to be in our building, that qualified us for this $25,000 match program that we can use. That was a surprise and a well appreciated bonus, just the extra support in our building in what our kids need, that was our main priority.”
With the hiring of Ariel Dillard, she joins Jennifer Johnson and Kendra Ruebush on the counselor staff at West Central, allowing the district to place one at each building.
