JONESBORO — One of the ways Clayton County Public Schools is promoting mental well-being of students is through the SPARK program.
The Schools Partnering to Advance Wellness Resilience and Knowledge (SPARK) program is a comprehensive school-based wellness initiative designed to promote the mental and emotional well-being of students.
SPARK is a multi-tiered approach with Tier 1 focusing mainly on awareness for all students, Tier 2 for at-risk students, and Tier 3 for students who are experiencing significant distress and/or impaired functioning.
According to statistics presented at an Oct. 30 Clayton County Public Schools work session, there were 260 Tier 3 student referrals in August and September.
In the 2022-23 school year, there were 1,058 Tier 3 student referrals with 97% of schools utilizing SPARK services (an 18% increase from the previous year).
Tier 3 support and services are individualized to specific student needs and include services provided by school-based mental health professionals or community organizations within school settings.
“Every student should have access to schools that have high quality support services to make academic success possible,” a statement in the Oct. 30 work session agenda packet read. “Student wellness is a critical component of a student’s overall academic success.”
In the Oct. 30 presentation, Director of Student Behavioral Health Cheri-Ann Taylor said the school system partnered with Georgia State University, Clark-Atlanta University, Kennesaw State University, and the Georgia Department of Public Health for an $8 million Mental Health Service Professional Grant to provide social work interns for the school system.
The grant provided interns at the following schools — Riverdale Middle, Eddie White Middle Academy, Kemp Elementary, Lovejoy High, Jonesboro Middle, Rex Mill Middle, Forest Park…
Read the full article here
