The company that provides benefits for Wisconsin teachers has been quietly focusing its charitable efforts on student mental health.
The philanthropic arm of WEA Member Benefits has helped facilitate and fund more than $1.6 million for 20 school districts across the state.
The money has funded everything from teacher training to co-pays and deductibles for students and educators, said Steve Goldberg, executive director of the WEA Member Benefits Foundation.
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In Wisconsin, 1 in 6 adolescents aged 12-17 experiences a major depressive episode each year, according to the National Alliance of Mental Illness, and 1 in 9 have serious thoughts of suicide each year.
A 2021 survey sent to educators and district administrators by the foundation asked: “What keeps you awake at night?”
Student mental health was the No. 1 response.
That’s where the foundation stepped in.
The foundation chooses school districts that are already working with other mental health resources in their communities.
“If a school district tries to achieve success with student mental health by only using its own resources, the effort will fail,” Goldberg said. “And if they turn the entire program over to the community, the effort will also fail. The effort to strengthen student mental health is much more successful when the school district combines its own resources with the resources of the local community.”
Once chosen, the district is offered an unrestricted, multi-year grant.
“They don’t even need to fill out an application,” Goldberg said. “They just have to survive a 90-minute meeting with me.”
The only requirement is the district must spend the money on school mental health.
Sauk Prairie School District latest to receive mental health grant
The Sauk Prairie School District received a grant last week. The 2,700-student district was awarded $41,000 over the next four years.
Goldberg said the district was chosen for its reputation for partnering with local health care providers, the county human services departments and neighboring school districts.
The school district partnered with the Village of Prairie du Sac and the Sauk Prairie Area Chamber of Commerce to open a child care center this month.
Superintendent Jeff Wright said he’s not exactly sure how the district will spend the WEA Foundation money, but he wants to look at the mental health needs of the youngest children in the community.
“The earlier that we can support families in making some community-wide decisions on how we support our young children, the more likely we are to have some collective benefits long term,” Wright said.
Goldberg hopes school districts use the grants as a talking point to get more money from other community philanthropic partners or private donations.
He has seen it work.
The Racine Unified School District used the foundation’s grant to secure an additional $121,000 from the city of Racine and a $35,000 United Way grant.
The district used the money to add more on-site therapy and to offset health insurance deductibles for 30 low-income students to help them afford treatment.
“I would just encourage other philanthropic organizations to take a look in their own backyards, in their own community, with their own school district. Reach out to them and find out what kind of help do they need, what kind of funding would make a difference in the well-being of their student population,” Goldberg said.
Where to get help
The Office of Children’s Mental Health does not provide mental health services. But it does offer resources for families and young people.
Uplift WI: Anonymous, confidential support from certified peer specialists. Call 534-202-5438 from noon until midnight.
Teen Line: Teen peer support. Text TEEN to 839-863 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Call 800-852-8336 from 8 p.m. until midnight.
NAMI Teen & Young Adult HelpLine: Peer support for teens and young adults. Text FRIEND to 62640 or call 800-950-6264 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Love is Respect: Information, support and advocacy for young people with questions or concerns about their romantic relationships. Text LOVEIS to 22522. Call 866-331-9474.
Parent Stress Line: Trained volunteer counselors. Call 800-632-8188.
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