There is a growing need in schools throughout the nation to provide mental health care to students, and the Adel-DeSoto-Minburn School District has taken a step forward to address that need.

The ADM School Board recently approved a services agreement with mental health provider LifeWorks, which will begin in the next calendar year. Superintendent Greg Dufoe says families can get referrals from the District counselling staff, and the student will then be able to get the help they need without having to leave the building. “We just think it’s a really good relationship that a lot of schools are developing with outside providers, and this gives us the ability to have LifeWorks provide those services. And hopefully they’ll get started this next semester, and then we’ll build towards really our true implementation of this service for next fall. So it’s a big move for us, our counselling team is really excited to have this partnership, and we’re hoping to see it grow.”

Dufoe points out, the payment for the services will be handled through LifeWorks and billed to the parents’ insurance, though there is an annual fee to the District of $5,000. He adds, while there will be a full-time therapist on hand who will be using school facilities, they will not be ADM staff and families aren’t required to utilize the service, even if referred. To learn more about this and other topics regarding the ADM School District, listen to this past Thursday’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.