Three years ago, United Way of Sheboygan County (UWSC) held a community conversation, along with other local partners, to listen and learn about brain health* and wellness in the Sheboygan County area. We listened, and we learned. Barriers to care for the population that needs brain health services was identified as a major problem, and the problem has grown since then.

The next action UWSC took was to research and adopt a program to meet the needs of school-aged children seeking brain wellness services. With that, Providing Access to Healing (PATH) was launched in Sheboygan County.

PATH is provided in schools for several reasons: the school provides a safe and accepting environment to make parents and students comfortable, parents don’t need to take time off work for the therapy, and students miss less school time. A school setting can also help destigmatize the mental health program as students access the benefit within their school day schedule.

Therapy for students who need help is provided by licensed, experienced therapists who have specific expertise in working with children and adolescents.  The results collected in Sheboygan County in the last year and a half are showing great promise.

With that, United Way of Sheboygan County is requesting proposals to partner in delivering new PATH programs in school settings (PreK-12) in Sheboygan County. Partner schools will be expected to provide regular updates on the accomplishments of funded programs and meet periodically with Community Action Team members to discuss programs and strategies.

United Way of Sheboygan County’s Community Action Team (CAT) will manage the process of receiving and reviewing submitted information. Current funds for PATH programs are limited and will be strategically invested based on the CAT recommendations.

Proposal for Services should be no more than three pages and include:

• Organization Name:
• School Site:
• Contact Name:
• Contact Phone:
• Contact Email:

Describe the need for PATH in your school and the ability to accomplish PATH goals by responding to the following questions:

• Describe and demonstrate with data the need for PATH for proposed school site
• Describe the target population for PATH
• List intervention services currently available that support (wrap around) PATH services
• Describe other stigma reduction services that are available to students attending this school site

Please send completed application via email by end of business on Monday, May 15 to:

United Way of Sheboygan County
Sara O'Hara, Director of Community Impact
sara@uwofsc.org

*In an effort to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness, many physicians and organizations are using the term Brain Health as opposed to Mental Health. UWSC will be using Brain Health moving forward.