FAQs

about the MN School Linked Grant through FACTS

What is the grant?
The school-linked mental health (SLMH) services grant was created by the State of Minnesota to
serve uninsured and underinsured children who would otherwise not have access to mental
health services. These school-linked clinical services are designed to help counselors, social
workers, teachers, and parents identify the early signs of mental health issues in children and
youth. It is shown that early detection of mental health issues will minimize the long term impact
they have on a childs functioning, including increasing school attendance, improving school
performance, decreasing symptoms of anxiety and depression, identifying school conflict
(bullying), and improving social skills.
Funding will last through the 2017-2018 school year. The hope of the grant is to build a
sustainable model of mental health services for children and families beyond the grant period.
This is done through early identification of families who currently do not have access to health
insurance and providing resources to help them access insurance through MNSure. In all cases,
insurance companies are the primary payer for services. The grant funding is used as a
secondary payment option.

What services does the grant cover?

The grant allows FACTS to provide school linked and co-located mental health services to middle
schools in ISD 196 and 197, elementary schools in ISD 194, 196, and 197, and early childhood
programs in ISD 06, 191, 194, 196, 197, 199, and 200. The grant also covers:
Mental health services for uninsured and underinsured students (assessments,
individual therapy, family therapy, and group therapy).
Help with co-pays and high deductible plans if the cost is a barrier to services.
Meetings with parents or students before services start to help answer their
questions and help to begin to build a relationship with them.
Meetings with school staff to build a collaborative relationship with all of those
involved with the student.
Training for staff or students on mental health related issues.

Who provides the school linked services to the student?

FACTS SLMH providers are a dedicated team of therapists with a variety of experience and
backgrounds who have one thing in common: a passion for working with youth and adolescents
and their families. They are committed to helping strengthen students relationships with their
parents and build on strengths within the family to promote a safe and supportive environment
in which children can thrive. Our services are strength based and require a significant amount of
family involvement as we work to help equip parents to raise their children to the best of their
ability.
Each school is assigned a therapist through FACTS who will remain the provider for that location
throughout the school year. This is done to provide consistency for students as well as support
the collaboration that occurs between school staff and the FACTS therapist.

How do I identify if a student is appropriate for services?

Students who are experiencing truancy or decreased school attendance, poor academic
performance, difficulty with peers, angry outbursts, mood swings, or other concerning behaviors
or symptoms may be a good fit for these services. Students who are struggling with more serious
issues such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, ADD/ADHD, Aspergers Syndrome (or higher

functioning ASD), gender identity, suicidal thoughts, self injurious behaviors, criminal activity or
similar concerns would likely benefit from our services. We do not provide ADHD evaluations but
we will work with students who have previously been diagnosed. We have diagnosed kids with
ADHD but only provisionally until they go to their physician for a more thorough evaluation.
Students who are experiencing major life changes such as divorce/separation, the loss of a loved
one, physical, sexual or emotional abuse, parental incarceration, moving to a new residence, etc.
are also appropriate to refer for services. Children with general behavioral problems or those with
severe disabilities may not be a good fit with our services and your SLMH therapist can help you
determine if they should be referred for more appropriate services based on their needs.
Please understand that the issues above are the most common reasons students are referred but
this list is by no means all inclusive. You do not need to be certain if a client is appropriate for
services. Your SLMH therapist will help you and can even contact the family to explain our
services before a release is signed. They would be able to provide general information about our
SLMH program and FACTS.
If you are unsure if a student would be appropriate for these services, please do not hesitate to
discuss this with your assigned therapist with FACTS or you can contact the Program Coordinator,
Linda Santa Cruz at linda.santacruz@facts-mn.org or 651-373-2721.

How is a student referred for services?

First, students who may benefit from grant services are identified by school staff. School staff
then contacts students families to inform them of services and answer any questions. During
this contact, it is helpful to mention to parents the family component of these services. Parents
must consent to their child receiving treatment in order for mental health services to occur.
FACTS views parents as an integral part of the therapy process with their child, and are therefore
required to participate in services through FACTS.
Once consent is given, the school staff sends a completed referral for SLMH, health insurance
information, and consent for services to FACTS. This can be done through email to faxes@factsmn.org or via fax at 651-405-0358. All referrals must be sent through the FACTS main office and
cannot be given directly to the school based therapists. This is to ensure that all referrals are
tracked and reported through the grant outcomes. Once FACTS receives the referral, the provider
assigned to the students school will contact the family to begin services.

Are parents expected to pay for services?

When possible, the family's insurance will be utilized first to pay for services. Depending on
insurance plans, many families are responsible for a portion of services in the form of co-pays,
deductibles or coinsurance. The grant can help pay for these costs particularly when the cost
becomes a barrier to services. Families who can afford the fees will be expected to pay them. A
conversation between the therapist and the family will help to determine what they can afford.
Families who do not have insurance are also eligible for grant services. The family may be asked
to apply for insurance through the State of Minnesota while they are receiving services. Some
families may have a high deductible plan such as the ones associated with a Health Savings
Account (HSA). In those circumstances, if the family can afford services they will be asked to pay
for them. Funding through the grant is somewhat limited. In order to ensure such school based
services continue, a concerted effort must be made to identify all other payment options
accessible to each family.

Where do services occur? Do they stop when the school year ends?

Services are provided in the school, home or clinic setting. On occasion they are also offered in
the community at a public library or other location where privacy can be maintained.
Services are provided year around. During the summer, most services occur in the home unless
school buildings are open for summer school or as district policy. More intensive work is possible
during the summer months, as well as help for students preparing to transition to new settings
(e.g. preschool to kindergarten, elementary to middle school, middle school to high school).
Services through FACTS are not currently offered in any of the high school settings. This is
important to note as students are transitioning into the high schools. FACTS therapists will help
transition eighth-graders who are currently utilizing services over to the provider who is serving
the high school they will be entering. Services with FACTS cannot continue into the ninth grade
year.

What, if any, is the role of the school/school staff when services have
started with the student?

The intent is to have integrated services between the school and FACTS. The therapists in the
schools are expected to collaborate with school staff members who are directly involved with the
children they are serving.
While we expect the therapists to be able to share information with the school about the work
being done, there may be limits as to what they can share. Information gathered in an initial
assessment of a child is comprehensive and includes things such as family history, current
stressors or concerns, and other information that the family may feel is sensitive in nature and
may not want school staff to know all of the information contained within it.
We can safely say that the diagnosis along with what is being worked on the treatment plan is
something that can be shared with school staff as well as most of the current barriers that may
be affecting and impacting the child's current functioning. Families have the right to withhold
any or all information from the school if they so desire.

Should FACTS staff be present at grade level meetings and SAT

meetings?

Decisions to attend SAT and other school meetings are made by school staff based on a
students level of need. Some schools have included FACTS therapists as part of these teams
since this is where emerging mental health concerns about students are discussed. This will
likely become more common as FACTS therapists become part of the continuum of care in the
school.
Information that is shared at school meetings varies on a case by case basis depending on
parental consent as well as information that pertains to school functioning. FACTS therapists will
need to balance both the needs of the family as well as the school in the sharing of important
information about the student.

How can FACTS collaborate with outside providers?

It is expected that FACTS therapists will collaborate with individuals who are working with the
students. This may include school staff as well as outside providers such as psychiatrists, case
managers, probation officers or other mental health professionals.

Can FACTS provide training for school staff regarding

screening/awareness of mental health issues? (i.e. early signs )

One of the purposes of the grant is to increase early identification of mental health disorders in
children. The grant funding supports general and more specific topical trainings on mental health
for school staff within the districts served.

Can FACTS therapists attend parent meetings, even if they aren't a

client, but school staff wants FACTS to explain services to parents?

Yes. There is some funding to support informational meetings with parents or a student prior to
starting services. The purpose of these meetings is to help answer questions about the grant or
to help engage the student and family through more informal conversations with them about
services.

How involved will FACTS be in crisis response at the school?

The therapist from FACTS will be working with a specific caseload at the school and does not
have parental permission to provide crisis intervention to students outside of their caseload.
FACTS therapists are not involved in any day-to-day discipline issues or crisis situations that are
occurring at school unless they are in the building at the time of the crisis. FACTS therapists are
typically providing services to multiple schools, and their availability to respond to crisis
situations may be somewhat limited. Exceptions to this may occur in such situations where a
suicide risk assessment is needed, or extreme events occur (such as a parent dying
unexpectedly).
If you have any further questions regarding the SLMH services through FACTS, please contact
Linda Santa Cruz, LMFT and SLMH Program Coordinator at linda.santacruz@facts-mn.org or 651373-2721.