Behavioral Health Screening
The district partners with the Rural Behavioral Health Institute's (RBHI) Screening Linked to Care Program (SLTC). If you would like to have your child screened, please contact School Nurse Krista Glaus at [email protected] or by calling 406-287-3882 ext. 2110
The SLTC is a digital screening platform that identifies students struggling with suicidality, depression symptoms, and anxiety symptoms. For students who report these symptoms, RBHI provides free mental health therapists to meet with students that day to help them create a safety plan and make recommendations. RBHI also offers free case management for any student who needs help accessing resources. RBHI has implemented the program in over 80 schools in Montana for students 6-12th grade.
RBHI has:
Screened over 15,000 times this school year.
Screened in over 22 Montana counties.
Has identified over 1500 students struggling with mental health and offered them free support to connect to care.
Screened in over 22 Montana counties.
Has identified over 1500 students struggling with mental health and offered them free support to connect to care.
Why Screen for Mental Health?
Many kids have mental health challenges, just like they can have trouble with school subjects. About 1 in 5 students may face serious mental health issues while in school. Catching these problems early can help students feel better and do better in school. Data from screenings has shown among students who have screened more than 1 time that there are 7 times fewer new incidents of recent suicidality, that depression scores have decreased by 39%, and that anxiety has decreased by 37%.
How Does Screening Work?
The screening will be done by the Rural Behavioral Health Institute with help from MERET Solutions. They will provide free online screenings for students in grades 6-12 during the 2024-2025 school year. Each student will get a special code to keep their answers private. The screening will take about 5-15 minutes. Parents can ask to see their child's results, and if there are any serious concerns, our school team will help the student.
Safety and Privacy
Research shows that asking about mental health does not make things worse for kids. The screening includes questions about suicide risk, depression, and anxiety. If a student feels uncomfortable, they can skip questions or stop anytime. We will make sure their information stays private.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How Long is the Consent Good For?: The consent form works for the whole school year. Students may be screened twice to better understand how they are feeling over time.
- Do Students Have to Participate?: We want all students to join in, but it's not required. You can choose to opt out anytime.
- What Happens to the Data?: No one will connect individual answers to students outside of necessary care. We may look at group data to see how students are doing but will not share individual names.
Contact Information
If you have any questions, please reach out to Mr. Norbeck (6-12 counselor) at [email protected] or Mrs. Glaus (school nurse) at [email protected]. Or call the school at 406-287-3862.
Permission consent form: