PRESCOTT – The Prescott School Board will vote at its September meeting on a proposal to lease space in its Intermediate School to Northwest Journey, which operates mental health day treatment programs for youth.

The Siren-based company leases space in several school districts in northern Wisconsin to operate programs for students and families. The company’s website describes it as: “Northwest Journey is a mental health day treatment program for youth that provides a community-based treatment option by offering comprehensive services aimed at creating family stability and individual success. Northwest Journey aims to provide high-quality and effective mental health treatment to youth. Our individualized treatment plans and approaches are developed with a strength-based and trauma-informed perspective.”

The district would offer space for lease in the new Prescott Intermediate School that now houses grades four and five at 125 N. Elm St. Superintendent Dr. Rick Spicuzza said the building offers Northwest Journey a separate entrance and drop-off for pickup, while allowing school-age students to be serviced in a school environment and that it offers “economical use of unused space to meet increased mental health challenges within PSD by an outside agency.”

“The lower level has rooms that are not assigned to the Intermediate School or programming,” said Spicuzza. “We debated about possibly moving the district office to these rooms but found a more beneficial student-centered program that Prescott students/families could benefit from, and maybe surrounding districts.”

If the school board gives the go-ahead for the program lease, Northwest Journey-Prescott could open in January 2024 after staff is hired and state certification.

Northwest Journey would operate completely separately from the Prescott School District, though students could be referred for its programming. Northwest Journey bills through family health insurance for its programming, Anne Wollan of Northwest Journey said.

Wollan said students come to Northwest Journey through referrals from health care providers, social workers and schools. The service would be available to students in other area school districts as well.

A full board presentation was held at the Aug. 16 meeting and a work session was held with several board members earlier in the month.

“We talked about the services they could offer our students. A lot of them aligned with the needs we see in our kids,” said board member Tanya Holub. “It’s the beginning of a conversation, but it’s something I’m really excited about.”

Board member Helen Stoeckel agreed.

“It’s not only needed in our district, but in our region,” she said.

Wollan explained that the goal of Northwest Journey is to get students who have behavior needs that keep them from attending school back in the classroom.

“Most kids that come to us are struggling in all domains of their life. Our goal is to get them back to school as soon as possible,” she said.

She said initially, the program could serve 10-12 kids between 5 years old and eighth grade, with most kids between the ages of 10 and 14.

Board members agreed it’s an important need to address.

“I think the real advantage to us is we have these needs in our district. We have kids accessing this now. They could access it right in our community,” Holub said. “We’re bringing them in and taking care of them within our community. This is a need that’s happening. The community probably doesn’t hear about it that much.”

Prescott Director of Student Services Sandy Strand said that student day treatment can no longer be done in Minnesota, so students now have to go to facilities in Menomonie, Eau Claire or Amery.

“That burdens our families even more,” she said. “This does provide a service for our community.”

Parents are responsibe for transportation for the program, Strand told the school board.

Holub said Prescott already has about six students utilizing such day treatment programs.

“A lot of them will be our own kids,” she said.

Spicuzza told the board the item will be on the board agenda for approval at the Sept. 20 meeting.

“It gives us more time to process this as a community,” said Holub.