Clinical psychologist to be co-located at high school and Livingston HealthCare
PARADISE VALLEY, MONTANA – Dec. 10, 2019 – AMB West Philanthropies has awarded a two-year $180,000 grant to Livingston HealthCare Foundation to integrate mental health services at Park High School by expanding the in-school Ranger Clinic and hiring a school-based clinical psychologist. Recognizing the importance of whole family care, the psychologist will also offer part-time family consulting services at Livingston HealthCare.
Additionally, the grant will support the Livingston HealthCare Community Health Coordinator, who is helping to coordinate the LiveWell49 Resilience Project. This community suicide prevention collective consists of diverse private and public stakeholders working to promote social emotional wellness in Park County. The project addresses an acute and growing need. Livingston HealthCare staff report that in the six-month period between Dec. 1, 2018, and May 31, 2019, Livingston HealthCare’s Emergency Department staff reported 40 pediatric behavioral health crises, including 16 instances of suicide ideation and four intentional overdoses.
Tawnya Rupe Mraz, Program Director, AMB West Philanthropies, said: “We are committed to addressing the mental health concerns of our community, doing our part to combat the tragic youth suicide epidemic, and ultimately helping find solutions to these issues. The children in our community deserve to grow up happy and healthy, and we look forward to working together with our partners to provide the support that they and their families need.”
Deb Anczak, Livingston HealthCare CEO, added: “The hospital, with the support of the Livingston HealthCare Foundation, is grateful to AMB West Philanthropies for their significant contribution to our Pediatric and Adolescent Mental Health initiatives. The addition of a Clinical Psychologist at the Ranger Clinic supports the integration of physical and mental health services for an especially vulnerable population.”
By co-locating a clinical psychologist in the school, mental health needs can be identified and addressed earlier, so that children are treated and returned to their school and family routine before a problem escalates to life-threatening status. Providing access to care in a convenient, inviting location in the high school can decrease the stigma of reaching out for help, regardless of the ability to pay for services.
Lynne Scalia, Park High School Principal, said: “The Ranger Clinic has proven to be a successful partnership between Livingston HealthCare and the Livingston School District, a key factor in a nearly 95% attendance rate at the high school; the on-site clinic keeps students in school while allowing parents to stay at work. Now our students with emotional needs will have direct access to a much-needed service.”
Paula Coleman, Ranger Clinic Nurse, added: “Working directly with the students of Park High and Sleeping Giant, I know firsthand how the addition of a mental health expert at the school will work towards reducing the stigma of seeking mental health counseling. Having the ability to identify and treat symptoms of depression and anxiety earlier will help to prevent escalation and ultimately reduce crisis encounters.”
The grant was awarded by the AMB West Community Fund, which is comprised of volunteer associates from Mountain Sky Guest Ranch and West Creek Ranch. The Fund focuses on early childhood development, youth empowerment and development, community wellness and youth suicide prevention.
For more information about the LiveWell49Resilience Project, visit LiveWell49.org.
About Livingston HealthCare
Livingston HealthCare is a top 20 rated Critical Access Hospital, Rural Health Clinic and Level 4 Trauma Center serving the greater Park County region in Montana.
About AMB West Philanthropies and AMB West Community Fund
AMB West Philanthropies comprises the nonprofit interests of The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation in the Western United States, which includes West Creek Ranch, AMB West Community Fund, AMB West Conservation, AMB West Base Camp, and AMB West Challenge Course. Through grant-making, convening, advocacy and in-kind services, AMB West Philanthropies promotes positive change in peoples’ lives and builds and enhances the communities in which they live.
The AMB West Community Fund was established in 2001 and nearly $6 million in grants has been distributed. To determine fund priority areas AMB West associates review community data and assess the landscape of existing programs and areas of need through conversations with community stakeholders.
About The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
Formed in 1995, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation promotes innovative solutions to transform the lives of youth and their families, seeking results that move communities beyond what seems possible today. The Foundation invests in education, parks and greenspace, youth development, community redevelopment, and the arts, and leads giving programs for each of the Blank Family of Businesses, including the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, PGA TOUR Superstore, Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, West Creek Ranch, and Paradise Valley Ranch. Mr. Blank, chairman of the Foundation, co-founded The Home Depot, the world’s largest home improvement retailer, in 1978 and retired from the company as co-chairman in 2001. Through the foundation and his family’s personal giving, Mr. Blank has granted more than $425 million to various charitable organizations.
For more information about The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, visit www.blankfoundation.org or follow on Facebook @BlankFamilyFoundation, Twitter @BlankFoundation and Instagram @BlankFoundation.
###
