Community Based Mental Health
Overview: Mental health issues are a concern in schools across the country, with 1 in 5 students dealing with a mental health issue (School Mental Health Framework, DPI, 2015). In order to help support our students and families, the Whitefish Bay School District will provide space for the North Shore Center to deliver direct mental health related services to students within each of our buildings. The coordination of these services along with payment will be a direct collaboration between families and the North Shore Center.
Community Based Mental Health: Mental health issues are a concern in schools across the country. With 1 in 5 students dealing with a mental health issue (School Mental Health Framework, DPI, 2015), the Whitefish Bay School District has identified a Community Based Mental Health Provider (CBMHP) to offer direct mental health services to students within the hours of the school day and on school grounds.
We are extremely proud to announce a partnership with the North Shore Center and Director Jenny Strom. North Shore Center, LLC has been serving the community since 1994 and offers diagnostic, therapeutic, and consultative behavioral health services. North Shore Center's professional staff includes psychologists, neuropsychologists, social workers, counselors, nurse practitioners, a psychiatrist, and academic language practitioners. North Shore Center can provide a variety of services for a wide range of needs.
Beginning in Fall 2023, North Shore Center will locate a clinic within each of our schools in order to provide direct mental health services to students utilizing a clinic-employed, mental health provider. The North Shore Center will bill families through private insurance (pending approval), or self-pay. Access to this particular service will only occur through a direct parent referral to the North Shore Center (does not include District Staff), which will initiate a collaborative partnership between the family and the provider.
The remaining continuum of mental health services for students, particularly at universal and selected levels, are supported or provided by school-employed mental health providers as part of the district service delivery model. In this model, Whitefish Bay School District will identify ways to promote equal access to the CBMHP to allow for collaboration and coordination of services.
Benefits of Community Based Mental Health Providers in Schools Include:
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Increased youth access to care
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Increased student time in the classroom (reduced travel time and better self-regulation)
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Deepened ties between community mental health providers and school staff
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Increased family engagement and access to care in the school community
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Increased likelihood of better grades, improved attendance, and fewer classroom disruptions
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Development of a comprehensive health and wellness plan
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The use of evidence based programs and interventions
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Staff training to better understand behavioral health issues and implications on learning
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Collaboration with providers that serve youth in the community through high quality referrals and teaming with families and students on shared goals and strategies
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Recognition of the important role of school mental health providers as well as community providers in continuing to support the mental health needs of children
Potential Outcomes of Community Based Mental Health Providers in Schools:
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Strong partnerships across agencies
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Streamlined referral systems
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Caregivers may have choices of providers and will consent to treatment and setting
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Equivalent level of service matched to the level of need for the child
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Coordination and integration of mental health services from early identification of needs, through assessment and diagnosis, to providing services or treatment, and after-care or supports
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Drawing on the expertise of existing systems and personnel, as well as co-creating new systems if gaps are exposed in the delivery of service
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Ensuring culturally responsive collaboration and service delivery
Focus Plan: We are all extremely excited for this amazing opportunity to collaborate with Jenny Strom and the North Shore Center in order to support our District Focus Plan:
“The School District of Whitefish Bay, in partnership with families and community, is student-centered with a tradition of educational excellence. We will build upon this tradition by:
- Empowering students with the knowledge, skills, and character necessary to thrive in a changing, global society.
- Respecting the diversity of our students and engaging them as individual learners in an innovative learning community.
- Addressing the needs of the whole child in a caring, inclusive environment.
“Every student will experience a caring, inclusive learning environment that supports the development of the whole child with balanced attention to physical, social, emotional, and intellectual well-being.”
North Shore Center’s Approach
Since 1994, North Shore Center, LLC has been serving the local community by offering a unique blend of diagnostic, therapeutic, and consultative behavioral health services.
We are thrilled to join in partnership with WFB school district and believe in the power of Community Based Mental Health in order to provide direct care to students in their community.
Our professional staff includes psychologists, neurophysiologies, social workers, counselors, medication prescribers, academic language practitioners and a licensed massage therapist. North Shore Center can provide a variety of services for a wide range of needs by streamlining referral systems across this powerful relationship.
As an interactive, solution-focused organization, our practice seeks to foster positive changes in the daily lives of our clients through cutting-edge and top-quality therapy services. Our providers are committed to excellence, advocacy, and continuing education to ensure we apply the latest, proven advances in research and treatment techniques.
We are grateful for this opportunity and look forward to our collaboration with the WFB community to strengthen our youth, create behavioral change and build resilience in our communities.
North Shore Center Staff
Jenny Strom, Director, MA, LPC
Education: Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in counseling, 2008
University of Wisconsin - Madison, BA in Psychology with an emphasis on child development, 2005
Specialty Areas: Jenny specializes in working with children, adolescents, young adults, and families by creating a safe context from which change can occur. Jenny is devoted to helping clients navigate their way through difficult life issues, whatever those may be, in order to heal. She uses a collaborative, systemic, and non-judgmental approach to therapy and believes in the power of validating people's lived experiences. Jenny is passionate about providing a welcoming and inclusive place for all and values meeting people where they are throughout the therapeutic process.
She has worked with clients to make positive and long-lasting changes around issues such as: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Complex trauma histories, Anxiety, Depression, Mental health and substance abuse, Child sexual abuse, Self-injurious behavior, Family violence/conflict, Grief and loss, as well as emotional, behavioral and relational problems affecting children. She also enjoys running therapy groups including: Anger Management, Parenting for Success, Survivors of sexual abuse, Survivors of Domestic Violence, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Groups, and the like. She is intensively trained by the Linhan Institute in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and believes heavily in its principles. She also has advanced training in Behavior Activation, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Exposure and Response Prevention (E/RP).
Outside of doing what she loves every day, Jenny enjoys playing with her three tiny humans and extended family, camping, fishing, swimming, skiing, nature bathing, and listening to live music!
"The capacity for hope is the most significant fact of life. It provides human beings with a sense of destination and the energy to get started." - Norman Cousins
Melissa Nelson, Ph.D
Education: Regent University, PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision, 2016, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, MS in Educational Psychology-Community Counseling, 2012, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, BS in Psychology, 2011
Specialty Areas: Dr. Nelson is a Licensed Professional Counselor who works with children, adolescents, and adults presenting with a wide array of concerns to include difficulties regulating emotion, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, suicidality, self-injurious behaviors, behavioral problems, post-traumatic stress, and challenges with daily stress. Dr. Nelson tends to be radically genuine in her approach towards treatment, striving to provide a validating and accepting environment while working towards behavioral change.
Dr. Nelson has been intensively trained by the Linehan Institute in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and has had extensive training in additional evidence-based practices to include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Behavioral Activation (BA), behavioral modification, exposure therapies, and Prolonged Exposure (PE).
Prior to working with North Shore Center, Dr. Nelson served as the director of clinical services for a large behavioral health hospital. Throughout her career, Dr. Nelson has worked with patients across multiple levels of care to include inpatient, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient. In her free time, Dr. Nelson loves spending time outdoors and camping with her family which includes her husband, two daughters, and mammoth Goldendoodle named Mowgli.
G. Nathanael Schwarz, Ph.D.
Education & Training: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee PhD Clinical Psychology 2020
University of Virginia B.A. Psychology 2013
Specialty Areas: Dr. Schwarz is a licensed psychologist who has extensive training providing assessment and treatment for children and adolescents with complex emotional, social and executive functioning challenges. Dr. Schwarz works with children and their families to address a variety of concerns including anxiety, anger, defiance, depression, attention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, social-communication, executive functioning problems, learning problems and difficulties with identity development. Dr. Schwarz has expertise helping children cope with symptoms of their traumatic experiences and uses a trauma-informed approach to treatment.
Dr. Schwarz views treatment as a collaborative team effort and helps clients move towards their goals with use of individual, family and therapy; parent coaching, consultation team meetings, and consultation with schools, physicians, and other associated providers to support clients and meet them where they are. Dr. Schwarz also provides therapy groups such as social skills and DBT-skills at the Center.
He has received extensive training providing evidence-based treatment including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) since 2013 at various levels of care (outpatient, intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization) with a primary emphasis on care for children and adolescents.
When not at work, Dr. Schwarz enjoys raising his four children (ages 4,8,10,14) together with his wife and enjoys taking his children on plenty of biking and nature adventures.
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