The CIS Mental Health Initiative Turns 10… Thanks to the John S. Dunn Foundation & the Fondren Foundation
For 43 years Communities In Schools of Houston has been placing caring individuals on school campuses to provide students with the support they need to overcome the barriers that stand between them and the futures they deserve. From supportive guidance and counseling, to ensuring basic needs are met, CIS does whatever it takes to help students succeed in school and achieve in life.
Communities In Schools national Founder, Bill Milliken, once said “Programs don’t change people, relationships do”, and that belief is integral to what makes CIS’ impact so transformational. Caring adult relationships are foundational to services provided by CIS. Research tells us that when children have a solid relationship with a caring adult, they are significantly more likely to have positive academic, behavioral and social-emotional outcomes.
In September of 2012, CIS of Houston launched the CIS Mental Health Initiative (MHI) to expand mental health support across the campuses we serve. For the past 43 years, supporting students' mental health and well-being has always been at the core of what we do, and with the MHI we were able to implement targeted efforts to collectively address the growing mental health needs on CIS campuses.
We want to give a BIG thank you to the John S. Dunn Foundation for offering a challenge grant to CIS to raise the initial seed funding for this impactful program, and another BIG thank you to the Fondren Foundation for meeting that challenge to fund the MHI… 10 years ago!
The Initiative first began with a single Mental Health Specialist position at Lamar High School in Houston Independent School District (HISD), held by our now Director of Mental Health & Wellness, Shubhra Endley, LCSW-S. Since then, we have continually increased the number of staff members we hire who are licensed mental health professionals and expanded our capacity to provide necessary training and supervision to achieve licensures. CIS has deepened our partnerships with the mental health agencies we collaborate with to support students. We have also made it a top priority to ensure ALL campus-based staff are trained in trauma-informed practices, Mental Health First Aid and suicide prevention strategies every year.
Today, the CIS Mental Health Initiative has grown to encompass a three-part program of mental health support on the campuses we serve. Campus-based mental health professionals from CIS, the CIS Mobile Mental Health Team, and our partner mental health agencies provide mental health counseling, facilitate support groups, and make referrals to students and their parents. Interventions target conflict in the home, grief and loss, verbal or physical aggression, anxiety, depression, suspected drug/alcohol use, and unusual behavior. In 2012, when the MHI began, CIS was serving just 300 students on 5 campuses. During the 2020-2021 school year, CIS facilitated and coordinated mental health services for over 6,000 students across 79 campuses.
Thank you to all our mental health funders for making these meaningful services possible!
“At this time, there is a landscape which encompasses various challenges to the overall well-being of our students—CIS staff and our mental health partners are working alongside students and their families in developing strategies for living healthier lives.”
Communities In Schools of Houston launched our Mobile Mental Health Team in 2019 to meet the growing demand for mental health support for students. The team of five licensed mental health professionals covers 32 campuses in 5 major school districts to provide intensive mental health support for students throughout the school year. The team works closely with on-campus CIS Student Support Specialists and educators to provide one-on-one, continual mental health support to the students who need it most. Last school year, around 99% of students served by the Mobile Mental Health Team reported feeling happier/better after receiving help from CIS.
At a time when the need for mental health services on school campuses is at an all-time high, Communities In Schools of Houston continues to go where we’re needed to provide the necessary support to ensure that our students survive and thrive. By implementing a targeted three-part mental health program, we are able to accommodate campuses and ensure students receive the mental health services they need in a way that works for the students, families, and our education partners.
So, as we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the CIS Mental Health Initiative, we reflect on the great strides we have made in providing mental health support in schools and push ahead to meet the growing demand and ensure ALL students have access to the support they need to succeed in school and beyond.
“Our focus on student mental health and wellness supports educators so that they can focus on what they do best- academics!”