COLUMBUS, Ohio — A program that began two years ago has now led to a group of Dublin City Schools teachers and staff earning their master's degrees in social work from the Ohio State University, all to improve mental health in schools. 

What You Need To Know

  • The program began two years ago as a way to improve mental health resources in schools

  • Dublin City Schools will be adding 25 mental health professionals to its staff, which is more than double what it had before

  • Program coordinators say the increase in mental health illness in youth sprung the idea into action

In the summer of 2023, Ohio State University and Dublin City Schools partnered up for the Educator-to-Social Work Pathway program, a rigorous two-year program that was created because of the need for mental health support in schools across Ohio, said Dawn Anderson-Butcher, a professor in the College of Social Work at Ohio State. 

DCS currently has 18 mental health specialists, and with the 25 teachers graduating in May, they will more than double that number. 

“We’ve seen a 40% increase in depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation over the last 10 years among youth in the United States,” Anderson-Butcher said. “It’s a big issue. Schools lean on their community mental health providers but there’s often a waiting list that’s nine months or longer. DCS came to us and said, ‘What do we do?’”

Anderson-Butcher and her colleague, Samantha Bates, have been studying the “grow your own” program at the policy level and examining its effects across the school district. 

“Dublin City Schools is a district that had recognized and acknowledged the youth and adolescent mental health crisis and taken immediate, proactive steps to address it,” said Tyler Wolfe, director of student wellness for DCS. “There is no doubt that our interns, along with our current team, will have a positive impact on the future success of our students and their community.”

Each participant in the program completes the full coursework for the master in social work degree, and they have two field placements — one at the university’s LIFEsports Initiative and another year-long placement at a DCS school. 

“Think about a teacher who knows how to teach well,” Bates said. “What an amazing gift to then be able to do psychoeducation with a young person experiencing a mental health concern. This program also offers teachers a way to stay in education, to continue to support students, but on a different career path.”

One of the members in the group, Kathy Poling, wasn’t a teacher before entering the program, but has been with DSC for 11 years serving as a paraprofessional, providing extra support for special education students. 

“I’m so grateful,” she said. “My role is different in a school hierarchy; I’m supporting the teacher. I’m happy my experiences and what I bring to the table as a paraprofessional were even considered for the program.”

For more details about the program, click here.