SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — Schools in Cochise County will have more access to mental and behavioral health resources, thanks to a $2.7 million grant.
The Cochise County Superintendent’s Office is using the School-Based Mental Health grant, to recruit a team of mental health and behavioral health professionals, in an effort to provide free resources for Cochise County students.
"Adults are complicated, but these little souls are more complicated than adults can ever be,” said Cochise County Superintendent, Jacqui Clay.
The grant provides funds for nine mental and behavioral health professionals.
"Teachers are here to teach," Clay said. "They weren't trained in all of the social issues of the day, so we have to provide additional support.”
Livana Gross, school counselor at Berean Academy, says the behaviors causing disruptions are often due to other diagnoses.
“The impulsivity; the anger; the struggle with authority; those are all things that are symptoms of their diagnoses," she said. "So these are things that they're struggling with, but it will not limit that.”
Dawn Souza, a fourth-grade teacher at Berean Academy, sees disruptive behaviors every day.
"Students are having troubles at home, and then they bring that into the classroom,” she said.
Souza is using the resources from the superintendent's office to help her students and her own professional development. She says she's learning different strategies and tools to better help the children.
"It’s wonderful for them to see what we go through on a daily basis," Souza said. "It's hard to split your time between the child acting out and the class that needs you to continue teaching.”
Clay says, often times, schools have to take students to Tucson to receive the services they need, because there aren't many providers in Cochise County.
"We have students who have problems that are deep," she said. "If we don't help them now, then they're going to be grown-ups with those problems.”
Souza is in the early stages of working with the behavioral health specialist, but says she notices a change in student behaviors when there is extra help in her classroom.
"They want, they need that attention...and it keeps them from acting out if you can be with them one-on-one,” Souza said.
Clay says her office is currently on the hunt for mental and behavioral health professionals.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
