By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
ssoldan@mihomepaper.com
Brandon Twp. — Brandon School District is one of six districts in Oakland County participating in Strengthening School Mental Health and Family Engagement Community of Practice in partnership with Oakland Schools.
“The purpose of this work is to increase student access to school and community behavioral health services by strategically strengthening comprehensive school mental health systems and family engagement,” said Dr. Jessica Cohen, director of Student Support Services at Brandon. “This work is supported by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund and community partners, Oakland Community Health Network and the Cook Center for Human Connection.”
Through this program, the Cook Center for Human Connection is providing several ways to connect and support Brandon Family. In March they hosted a school avoidance webinar, and on May 9 they are hosting a webinar titled ‘Your Child’s Anxiety’ where parents will be able to learn simple strategies to respond to their child’s anxiety.
In addition, the Cook Center provides parent coaching to interested families, which includes tailored and confidential support to families.
“Our engagement with the Oakland Schools’ Community of Practice serves as another avenue to support our students and families,” said Cohen. “This, along with our continued school-based mental health support and district-wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) efforts, ensures that we are addressing the needs of the whole child. With the strong correlation between mental health and academic achievement, we anticipate positive outcomes for our school community.”
For anyone interested in free parent coaching, visit cookcenter.info/coaching. Anyone who would like to join the ‘Your Child’s Anxiety’ webinar, visit cookcenter.ingo/May9Brandon.