HEALTH AND HUMAN NEEDS COMMITTEE TO HEAR PRESENTATIONS ON DANE COUNTY’S YOUTH COMMISSION AND IMMIGRATION AFFAIRS OFFICE
June 10, 2021
County Board Supervisor Elizabeth Doyle, (608) 616-0698
County Board
The Human Health and Needs Committee will meet tonight to hear presentations on the Dane County Youth Commission and the Dane County Immigration Affairs Office.
The Dane County Youth Commission presentation will be an update of their recent work. The commission was created in 1980 by the Dane County Board to work on behalf of the interests of young people in Dane County. The commission works with agencies and communities to establish priority for youth services.
The Dane County Immigration Affairs Office presentation will also be an update of their recent work. The office is committed to assisting and supporting immigrants and their families. They compiled some resources that can help families find important information and services around Immigration.
The committee will also consider a resolution to award a major contract to Madison Metropolitan School District, as well as other Dane County schools, as a recipient of the K-12 Emotional Wellness and Mental Health Support Grant.
The grant will be funded by the 2021 American Rescue Plan (ARP). The purpose of the grant is to assist K-12 students and their parents/caregivers in meeting student mental health and wellness needs during the transitional period of re-entry to physical school settings during the continued COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns around young people’s mental health increased during the pandemic, and the Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health Fact Sheet cites Wisconsin Health Insurance companies saw a 100% increase in the number of self-harm, substance use and mental health claims for teens between calendar years 2019 and 2020.
"The past year has been tough on everyone, especially our younger residents. We need to provide the supports necessary to help them thrive as we slowly return to our new normal," said County Board Supervisor Elizabeth Doyle (District 1), who Chair’s the Health and Human Needs Committee.
The grant may be used to expand or adapt any currently provided mental health supports offered by Dane County School Districts, youth and/or parent/caregiver peer support, resource linkage or navigation, wellness activities, purchases of computer software and/or hardware, or online subscriptions to support student/family mental health or mental wellness or other related materials, or one time basic needs allocations for families to help promote safety and wellbeing.
The meeting will take place virtually beginning at 5:30 pm. Information for the public to attend and register to speak is available on the top of the agenda.