ESU To Provide Mental Health Services
At Fairbury Public Schools

By Gordon HopkinsFairbury Public Schools have entered into an agreement with ESU 5 (Educational Service Unit 5) to provide both students and staff with mental health services for the 2022-2023 school year.FPS Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the agreement at a meeting the evening of Monday, April 11, 2022.ESU 5 will be providing services four days a week, for a total cost of $60,000 for the year. That is $15,000 for each day of the week ESU 5 is available.Board member Jonathan Winter said, “I think 60k for an entire school year for four days, straight one on one mental health, I think is a fantastic deal.”According to ESU 5’s description of the program, “Licensed Mental Health Professionals (LMHP) works with school personnel to identify and help students improve their mental health and well-being. Services include one on one and group counseling, consultation with school guidance counselors and teachers, and training staff on a variety of subjects including trauma, suicide prevention, and mental health conditions in children.”FPS Superintendent Stephen Grizzle told the board, “This is something that I think is going to end up being one of our key strategies and our improvement goal and improving the climate and culture of our district. This will be a program that will not only benefit our students that might have some mental health needs, but it’s also going to be a benefit for staff as well.”Grizzle spoke with other school superintendents about the program, “Superintendents that have been using the service, they can’t speak highly enough.”“I think one of the key things that you need to remember is this isn’t going to be a benefit to just your highest needs students. They’re going to be able to talk to anyone. Anyone that feels they need to talk to someone; they will be available to have that discussion,” Grizzle said. “One of your high achieving students is feeling a lot of pressure about college and sports and all of that thinking be available and willing to talk to them as well. Or they can be someone who’s battling suicide ideations or extreme depression.”Grizzle added, “And they also do work with districts on improving climate and culture.”

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