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Improving Children's Mental Health - Racine County

In 2011, the Johnson Foundation at Wingspread conducted a six-month research project in Racine County to uncover key mental health challenges facing the community. The report, titled “Top of Mind: Children’s Mental Health in Racine,” revealed critical behavioral health challenges in the region such as poor system and service coordination, high service costs, limited funding, workforce shortages, and multiple barriers to access, all of which contribute to childhood developmental issues. To address these issues and increase access to high-quality mental health prevention and intervention services, a group of community leaders, direct service providers, and community members convened to form the Improving Children’s Mental Health, providing structure and resources as they planned out how to tackle the most challenging issues facing children in Racine County.
Improving Childrens Mental Health Racine

Impact

Years of research on child development shows that the most impactful methods to improve mental health outcomes are early intervention and policies directed at young children specifically. Housed within the Racine Unified School District (RUSD), the coalition works with 4K to 5th grade students, bringing together a wide-ranging group of representatives from various sectors in the community, including human services, community agencies, healthcare, education, juvenile justice, philanthropy, and law enforcement, to create well-rounded and effective strategies aimed at improving the social-emotional health of children in elementary school.
Today, the coalition’s mission is to ensure that every child in Racine has access to high-quality mental health services and support, regardless of their background or circumstances. Their work was focused across the four primary strategies listed below:

Parent Education on Social-Emotional Development

Coordinated and hosted nearly 200 social-emotional development events and workshops for parents and caregivers to learn about social-emotional development and further improve the social-emotional health of elementary students.

Staff Education on Social-Emotional Health

Coordinated with school staff to support a school environment that strengthens student social-emotional health by educating over 750 RUSD staff on ways to encourage social-emotional learning interactions with RUSD youth.

Enhance Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) in the Classroom

Built on existing social-emotional learning curricula by implementing the Second Step SEL and Inner Explorer Mindfulness programs in RUSD classrooms.

Sustain Access to Mental Health Resources

Promoted early identification of mental health needs and recovery for persons suffering with mental health challenges by creating an online healthcare referral pathway and expanding access to treatment through a robust online collection of community mental and behavioral health providers and resources in Racine County.

Community Partners

Government and Education

Government

  • Racine County Health Department
  • City of Racine Police Department

Education

  • Racine Unified School District (RUSD)
  • Lumin Schools
  • Siena Catholic Schools of Racine

Healthcare

  • Children’s Wisconsin Community Services
  • LifeStance Health
  • Rogers Behavioral Health
  • Ascension Medical Group

Community-Based Organizations & Businesses

  • Professional Services Group
  • Racine Community Foundation
  • Johnson Foundation at Wingspread
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Racine County
  • United Way of Racine County
  • Racine Public Library
  • LGBT Center of SE Wisconsin
  • Milwaukee Succeeds
  • 4C-For Children
  • John 23 Educational Center
  • Racine Literary Council
  • Racine County Foster Care
  • Eran M Smith, LLC
  • Acelero Learning

Community-Based Organizations & Businesses Cont'd.

  • Focus on Community – Racine
  • SAFE Haven of Racine
  • Fight to End Exploitation
  • BeLEAF Survivors
  • ICF Consultants, Inc.
  • Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee
  • Tender Touch Therapy, LLC
  • JC Counseling
  • Pathways Consulting LLC
  • Compassionate Peer Support and Training, LLC
  • Poe & Poe Psychologists
  • Balance of Mind Counseling and Behavioral Services, LLC
  • Higher Expectations for Racine County
  • Racine Kenosha Community Action Agency
  • Zoe Outreach Ministries

Highlights/Select Work Product