Lake County Gazette

A licensed social worker will work at Buffalo Grove High School for 15 hours weekly as the Village of Buffalo Grove, in partnership with School District 214 and OMNI Youth Services, reinstates a student counseling program to support mental health and substance abuse challenges.

According to a Village of Buffalo Grove news release, the initiative was made possible through the use of opioid settlement funds allocated to the village. The program is set to begin in January 2025 at Buffalo Grove High School. The counselor will provide tailored support, including individual and group therapy, mental health awareness education, after-hours family counseling, parent coaching, and mentoring/life skills. These services aim to address challenges such as stress, anxiety, trauma, and substance abuse to ensure comprehensive care for students and families within the community.

"We’re thrilled to partner with the Village and OMNI to bring these essential services to our students and families," said Kara Kendrick, Associate Superintendent for Student Services at School District 214. "The success of our previous collaborations with OMNI demonstrates the profound impact of accessible mental health services, and we’re excited to expand this support through this new program."

According to the news release, Britany Wilson from the Buffalo Grove Police Department said that by providing accessible and affordable mental health resources directly in the school they can address critical needs to foster a stronger, healthier community.

The news release further explains that the program will leverage opioid settlement funds to cover all necessary services for insured and uninsured families. Individuals and families with Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), Aetna PPO, or Medicaid will see their insurance billed first, with settlement funds covering remaining costs such as co-pays, deductibles, and out-of-pocket expenses. OMNI will bill Medicaid, BCBS, and Aetna. This approach aims to maximize available resources enabling the school to extend support to more students and families.

OMNI counseling services at the high school served 23 students in 2021-2022 and 35 students in 2022-2023 with more than 340 therapy sessions conducted during those years. The upcoming initiative intends to build on that success by offering more comprehensive support tailored to meet growing community needs. An annual funding amount of $58,000 enables hiring a part-time counselor at Buffalo Grove High School for four years.