{"id":118944,"date":"2025-01-21T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-21T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=118944"},"modified":"2025-01-24T15:47:42","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T21:47:42","slug":"bhecn-arpa-support-helps-bring-therapists-into-rural-schools-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/01\/21\/bhecn-arpa-support-helps-bring-therapists-into-rural-schools-2\/","title":{"rendered":"BHECN ARPA support helps bring therapists into rural schools"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Students in three rural Nebraska school districts have greater access to vital in-school behavioral health services, thanks to a project supported by the Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska American Rescue Plan Act Awards Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Sioux City-based Heartland Counseling Services has successfully placed full-time therapists in three Northeast Nebraska school districts, directly benefiting students and addressing their behavioral health needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One full-time therapist, Lora Heithold, is based at Wayne Elementary School, while another therapist,\u00a0Krista\u00a0Roeber, divides her time between Pender and Emerson-Hubbard schools.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe nice thing about this is that the students don\u2019t have to leave school to get services,\u201d said Jennifer Jackson, Heartland\u2019s executive director. \u201cThis eliminates the need for families to drive an hour or more one way to see a therapist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In-school access fosters better integration between students\u2019 academic and emotional well-being, as therapists work closely with teachers and staff to support student needs, administrators said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLora is really part of our team at the school,\u201d said Andi Diediker, principal of third through sixth grades at Wayne Elementary, part of the Wayne Community School District. \u201cShe sits in on meetings and offers ideas on how to help the students. Having her here with us helps create a more seamless environment than if students had to see therapists outside of school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From her office at Wayne Elementary, Heithold provides mental health services to about 40 students each week. Roeber serves students three days a week in the Pender Public School District, and two days a week in the Emerson-Hubbard Community School District. Between the two districts, she sees approximately 40 students each week, as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both therapists focus on helping students with behavioral health issues, which differs from the more academic-focused issues that school counselors typically help students address. Heithold and Roebersaid the most common issues they help students with are anxiety and depression. Roeber said helping students build coping skills to manage their emotions is a key aspect of her work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany kids put a tremendous amount of pressure on themselves,\u201d Roeber said. \u201cA major focus of my work is helping them develop skills to manage their feelings and have a voice in how their anxiety or depression impacts their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The impact on students has been noticeable, school administrators said. Improved outcomes for a single student can have a ripple effect, positively influencing the overall classroom dynamic, said Courtney Maas, principal for kindergarten through second grade at Wayne Elementary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a student\u2019s behavioral health improves, that student is less likely to have issues that can distract others, which creates a better environment for everyone, Maas said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increasing behavioral health care access in Nebraska\u2019s rural areas through this project and others is one of the most rewarding aspects of the BHECN-ARPA Awards Program, said Marley Doyle, MD, director of BHECN, which is housed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMany behavioral health issues and conditions were exacerbated by the pandemic, and our state\u2019s children certainly felt the impact,\u201d Dr. Doyle said. \u201cIt\u2019s great to see Heartland using ARPA dollars to directly address this and increase access for students in these rural communities where access has historically been very limited.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about the BHECN-ARPA Awards Program.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

South Sioux City-based Heartland Counseling Services working with three Northeast Nebraska districts to serve students.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":140,"featured_media":118945,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"68835,21351,70577,33297,72655,51628","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","department-press-release","author_override-chuck-brown-bhecn"],"yoast_head":"\nBHECN ARPA support helps 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