June 3, 2020 Meeting Minutes

WORKGROUP ON ADOLESCENT AND YOUTH HEALTH

June 3, 2020

MEETING MINUTES

 

THOSE PRESENT BY PHONE/INTERNET

Fred Polce, Jr., Karen DeVore, Amber King, Phil Lauver, John Corbin, Jennifer Brenneman, Susan Mills, Dr. Karl Schwalm, Dr. Jennifer Corder, Amy Ritchie, Shelley Argabrite, Becky Aiken

 

Mind, Body, and Medicine

Karen DeVore, Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Administration for Garrett County Public School System detailed and demonstrated Mind, Body, and Medicine.  There was a short training video and then everyone took part in a demonstration of soft belly breathing.  She explained this is only one facet of the training and may work for some students, where other exercises may work for other students.

 

This combined with the STEP program (Stretching to Empower) that takes concepts used on adults and adapting them for students has been implemented at Fort Hill.  They use yoga with the students, nutrition, and goes on from there.  Garrett County is working on grants to melt the two programs together and make it available to students that guidance and pupil services recruit.

 

This program works in alignment with Positive Behavior Intervention that is already in place in the Garrett County School System.  It has self-care tools for students and staff.

 

If there are questions or comments, Karen can be reached at [email protected].

 

Behavioral Health Services in the Schools

Fred explained that Jennifer Brenneman supervises the school therapists.  There are seven school-based therapists that see approximately 250 students ½ day per week at each school.  They are receiving services for ADHD, depression, anxiety, trauma, children in the foster system, children of parents with substance abuse, difficult to handle, etc.  They are taught ways they can do things on their own.

 

Susan Mills deals with students with substance abuse issues.  Her caseload is 30 students and she knows there are a number of students that fly under the radar.

 

School-based therapists and clinicians consult with Behavioral Health services, school classes, IEP meetings, behavior meetings.  Families are encouraged to be involved in these meetings.

 

During the summer months, they work together in groups, but not sure about this summer.  Telehealth may be a possibility with the older students that have their own devices.  This would also work well when transportation is an issue.

 

Dr. Schwalm posed the question, what could this committee work on to assist the Health Department and the school system?  They responded that there is a need for a designated space to meet individually with students.  The current space is shared between DSS, Dove Center, and the Health Department.  In addition, there is a need for more therapists.  They work with Fellows at the University of Maryland, but the person changes every six months.

 

Shelley asked if there would be a way for this committee to reach out to students with resources and ways to reach services.  Fred’s office can assist in putting this together with a focus on mental health for the summer.

 

Parent and Adolescent Surveys

Shelley explained that the survey results are n the Adolescent Workgroup on mygarrettcounty.com under Documents/Data.

 

Dr. Corder asked if the information could be put into charts comparing to YRBS.

 

Goals for Next Meeting

Dr. Schwalm requested that everyone come up with the top three things to address.  Shelley and John will work with Fred’s office and Dr. Schwalm would like to meet with providers.

 

With no further information to discuss, the meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.  The next meeting is scheduled for July 1.

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

 

Beth A. Brenneman`