Commissioners Call for Resolution to Award $60,000 in 2016 to Cascade for Early Intervention Counseling

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After putting grant money for a mental health early intervention program for multiple Lewis County schools on hold in early November, the Board of County Commissioners has asked for an increase in the grant amount to one school.

On Monday, the board met with county Public Health & Social Services staff and Matt Patten, chief clinical officer with Cascade Mental Health, to discuss funding adjustments.

The commissioners directed Public Health to draft a resolution to award $15,000 to Cascade for Mossyrock, Napavine, White Pass and Pe Ell school districts. The districts can then determine if they can contribute enough funds for a half-time or quarter-time early intervention counselor.

The resolution, if passed, would award Pe Ell with double the funds the Sales Tax Ad Hoc Committee recommended to the commissioners.

“There’s a real need out there,” Schulte said about the Pe Ell School District.

Cascade had originally requested $18,000 per year for two years for the Chehalis, Mossyrock, Napavine and White Pass school districts to have a half-time counselor providing early intervention. It also requested $9,000 for Pe Ell for a quarter-time counselor. 

A half-time counselor would cost $36,000 per year and a quarter-time would cost $18,000, so each school district would have to fund the remainder to meet the total cost.

The committee recommended Mossyrock, Napavine and White Pass be awarded $15,000 per year and Pe Ell be awarded $7,500. 

Just prior to considering a resolution approving sales tax grant awards to chemical dependency, mental health and therapeutic court programs on Nov. 9, the board learned that the recommended amounts put some schools, Pe Ell and White Pass, at risk of having to drop the early intervention program because its required funding match would be too high.

For that reason, the board awarded the recommendations for other programs that day, but postponed its decision for Cascade’s early intervention program.



Schulte previously told The Chronicle the commissioners had believed it was a matching grant requirement for the schools and that cutting the grant awards would cut the amount the schools would have to contribute. However, it increases the schools’ portions to meet the total program cost.

Patten said on Monday that Pe Ell had previously said it wouldn’t be able to participate due to the cost, and that White Pass wants to participate, but is unsure if it will be able to because of other financial concerns.

Commissioner Gary Stamper, who was previously the principal at White Pass, said he knows money is tight for not only that school district, but most others as well.

York said she thinks there’s a need for the mental health early intervention program in all of the schools.

Schulte said if other school districts are interested in the program they should talk to Cascade about participating.

“We know those services are needed in all the schools from White Pass to Pe Ell,” Schulte said, adding that there is money available to provide the program at other schools.

The grants begin in January, and because that is only one month away, if any other schools are accepted, they may start the program later.

Funding was not recommended for the Chehalis School District because, according to the committee, the district has access to more resources.

Pe Ell, Napavine, Winlock and Chehalis school districts participated in the program during the past two years.