St. Rose of Lima Catholic School in Denison is one of three located in the Diocese of Sioux City to receive a grant through the Wellmark Foundation to increase access to mental and behavioral health services. With the grant, the school will now receive one full day a week for a Catholic Charities therapist to be present at the school and assist students by having increased access to mental health services. The Wellmark Foundation three-year School-Centered Behavioral Health grant, bringing the gap between challenges of taking time off work and school and traveling long distances to receive mental health care by making these services available right at the school. Executive Vice President of Health Improvement at Wellmark and the Chair of the Wellmark Foundation, Laura Jackson, says “Schools play a vital role in our communities and school-centered mental and behavioral health services can be a game changer for youth, families, and schools. Iowa youth face significant mental, behavioral, and physical health changes, which can be amplified in rural Iowa towns due to the lack of ready access to quality care. By working to close these gaps and address behavioral health challenges early, we can help students develop social and emotional skills that are important to living a long, healthy life.” The two other Catholic schools receiving the funding include: St. Patrick School in Sheldon and St. Mary School in Storm Lake.
