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KCPS NEWS

Social Emotional Supports

In efforts to address the social-emotional needs of students and families the Department of Students Support Services is implementing a Tele-Health Service Delivery Model (The use of digital technologies to deliver services by connecting multiple users in separate locations).

Counselors & Trauma Sensitive Clinicians

  • KCPS School Counselors assigned to each school will contact each and every family for a whole child wellness check-in.
  • School Counselors will make referrals to the Trauma-Sensitive School Clinician based on the Wellness Needs of the Students and Families.
  • Students and Families in Need of Immediate Support for Social and Emotional Needs will be able to contact a Student Support Team Member through our support hotline numbers assigned to per school

Additional Supports

  • KCPS focuses on the comprehensive well-being of all students, including physical, emotional and environmental safety.
  • Through our Trauma Sensitive Schools Initiative, we are cultivating learning environments where students can feel respected and heard.
  • School staff work with the Division of Student Support Services to identify students who may benefit from mental health support and/or interventions (Collective Impact Model). 
  • KCPS uses a tiered funding model to direct more resources to schools where students are experiencing the most trauma. We have 15 Tier 1 schools, 5 Tier 2 schools and 12 Tier 3 schools. Our Tier 3 schools receive the highest level of interventions.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased the need for school-based mental health services.
  • KCPS has been hiring additional school counselors and clinicians to meet this growing need. For example, in the past, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy and Lincoln Middle School have shared a clinician. However, this year we have had more students experiencing anxiety, depression, grief and loss. In January, we assigned a full-time clinician to LCPA to help meet our students’ needs.
  • KCPS works with a number of partners to provide school-based mental health services:
  • When our students’ mental health needs can be adequately addressed at school, we refer families to community-based mental health providers. However, there are often long wait times.
  • When students are experiencing conflict with each other, families often want to know what consequences the other student will face. However, due to federal student privacy laws, we are usually limited in what discipline information we can share. We know this can be frustrating to families and look like inaction.
  • KCPS has a Code of Conduct (available online in English, Spanish and Swahili) that provides an overview of the restorative justice and trauma-informed practices used in schools. However, for serious offenses, KCPS follows the Missouri Safe Schools Act.
  • KCPS is in the process of developing an app that allows students and staff to report any safety concerns they have at school. We expect to announce this launch soon.

KCPS Trauma Sensitive Team

Behavior Health Manager - Travanna Alexander (816) 723-1355
School Name Clinician Contact Number EXT Email
 Elementary School         
African Centered  Angelique Tembo (816) 309-6855 1273 atembo@kcpublicschools.org
Benjamin Banneker Angelique Tembo (816) 309-6855 1863 atembo@kcpublicschools.org
Border Star Montessori  Alicia Smith  (816) 423-9081 1700 asmith3@kcpublicschools.org
Faxon Mohana Chakrabarti (816) 304-1306 6527 mchakrabarti@kcpublicschools.org
Foreign Language Academy Johanna Kelley (816) 210-9211 6008 jkelley@kcpublicschools.org 
Garfield Christina Kohn (816) 929-9147  3626 ckohn@kcpublicschools.org
George Melcher Candice Wise (816) 301-1557 6727 cwise@kcpublicschools.org
George Washington Carver      
Gladstone Johanna Kelley (816) 210-9211 4007 jkelley@kcpublicschools.org 
Hale Cook Cole Griffin  (816)210-9043 6531 cgriffin2@kcpublicschools.org
Harold Holliday Sr. Montessori Alicia Smith  (816) 423-9081 1700 asmith3@kcpublicschools.org
J.A. Rogers Nicole Allan (816) 294-5966 4778 nallan@kcpublicschools.org
James Mohana Chakrabarti (816) 304-1306 3741 mchakrabarti@kcpublicschools.org
John T. Hartman Kenya Hicks (816) 533-6922 1757 kanthonyhicks@kcpublicschools.org 
Martin Luther King Jr.       
Phillis Wheatley  Kelly Ewing (816) 294-0243 4825 kewing@kcpublicschools.org
Pitcher Candice Wise (816) 301-1557 6727 cwise@kcpublicschools.org
Primitivo Garcia Christina Kohn (816) 929-9147  8777 ckohn@kcpublicschools.org
Success at Knotts Lateisha Williams (816) 213-2958 1927 lwilliams2@kcpublicschools.org
Trailwoods Cole Griffin  (816) 210-9043 3283 cgriffin2@kcpublicschools.org
Wendell Phillips Kelly Ewing (816) 294-0243 3931 kewing@kcpublicschools.org
Whittier Nicole Allan (816) 294-5966 3858 nallan@kcpublicschools.org
Middle School Sites        
Central Middle Kiera Hylton (816) 914-2049  2141 khylton@publicschools.org 
Lincoln Middle Jacqueline Brown (816) 723-1353 1504 jbrown2@kcpublicschools.org 
Northeast Middle Elijah Watkins (816) 210-9039 3458 ewatkins@kcpublicschools.org
Paseo Middle Malena Binger (816) 352-4000 2302 mbinger@kcpublicschools.org 
High School Sites        
East High MacKenzie Even (816) 226-8096 3150 meven@kcpublicschools.org 
Central High Kayla Neal  (816) 695-9153 2000 kneal@kcpublicschools.org 
Lincoln High Arica Miller (816) 646-9843 3011 amiller1@kcpublicschools.org
Northeast High Arlesha Pugh (816) 305-5777 apugh2@kcpublicschools.org 
Paseo High Malena Binger (816) 352-4000 2302 mbinger@kcpublicschools.org
Southeast High Dorothy Patterson (816) 668-7261 1317 dpatter1@kcpublicschools.org
Prepped & Ready: Experts Edition

KCPS partner Children's Mercy has released “Prepped and Ready: Experts Edition,” a series of free online (short) videos for caregivers of preteens and teens. “Prepped and Ready" aims to help caregivers learn steps to improve the health of safety of your children as they become teens.

 

Caregivers will learn tips for:

  • Addressing vaping
  • Preventing eating disorders
  • Handling tough questions
  • Suicide prevention
  • Understanding how teens think
  • And much more!

 

View the videos at childrensmercy.org/PreppedAndReady. Complete a pre and post survey after watching the videos to receive a free safety toolkit.