Danville school officials hope to expand mental health services

Aug. 10—DANVILLE — Hiring a mental health director will allow Danville Area School District to bill local insurance companies for services provided to students.

The school district employs mental health specialists in each of its four buildings.

According to Superintendent Dr. Molly Nied, if the district hires a director of mental health services, they will have billing privileges with Geisinger Heath Plan and Community Care Behavioral Health Organizations.

District officials have reached agreements with both insurance companies, which are estimated to cover more than 80 percent of the Danville student population, Nied said.

The superintendent was careful to add Danville parents will not be billed for mental health services provided to their students within the district, nor will students be denied services because of insurance coverage.

A "conservative" estimate of billable hours suggested the district could bring in $39,500 annually by billing for three hours per day per person, or as much as $158,000 annually in billable hours for the four licensed mental health specialists.

Nied presented various avenues district officials could take to finance a mental health director.

The district was already allotted Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency grant funding that cannot be used to fund one of the specialists already working in the district, but could go toward the salary of a new hire, Nied said.

Other options included the district's remaining $25,000 in Degenstein grant funds which could be added to the PA commission grant. Nied said she is also exploring future grants and potential funding from billable hours.

Assistant Superintendent Jason Moser explained future grant funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency could continue to go toward the director's salary in years to come.

"This person would have supervisory roles," Nied said. "We need to make sure we are providing top-notch services if we are telling families we are doing that."

Last school year, the district's mental health specialists attended 2,459 individual sessions and 1,680 group sessions with students.

Specialists also conducted 388 urgent evaluations, according to Nied.

"We hope to continue to build on the success of the past school year and implement mental health task force initiatives," Nied said.

School officials plan to "systematize and operationalize" mental health services by implementing screening tools, a clinical notation system and electronic record, structure for treatment team meetings and more.

The Danville Area School Board will vote on the potential contracts with Geisinger Health Plan and Community Care Behavioral Health Organizations as well as a job description for a director of mental health services during its meeting on Wednesday.

Referencing Nied's remarks, school Director Dr. Sam Faulkner said, "You've said the word 'trailblazer' several times and I think that really accurately describes what's happening. I have no shame in saying I'm in full support."

School Board President Dr. Sandy Green said mental health was one of the reasons he got involved with the board. Green said he is proud to see the district's services continue to expand.

"Now, we are seeing a self-sustaining system that allows us to do this," Green said. "I mean, that's a big deal."

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