CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

Wellness Center to debut at John Burroughs

Burbank Leader - 12/21/2016

Dec. 21--Burbank school officials agreed last week to set aside $50,000, starting next month through the end of May, to provide counseling services for students at John Burroughs High School in a room that will make its debut as an on-site Wellness Center in January.

The center will open its doors to students a year after a similar site opened at Burbank High School, which was, in part, the result of the school's principal, Mike Bertram, and the Family Services Agency collaborating to fulfill a need on campus to support students experiencing anxiety or depression.

A few months after the center opened at Burbank High, district administrators approved an overarching mental health and wellness master plan that was six months in the making.

The plan called for a new mental health and wellness coordinator position, which the district filled earlier this year with John Costanzo, a longtime Burbank High psychologist.

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

Since the start of this school year in mid-August, more than 800 students have received services at the Burbank High site, Costanzo said.

With the cost of counseling services at Burbank High still covered by the Family Services Agency, Burbank Unified officials agreed to take on the cost for services at John Burroughs High, which could total $100,000 annually.

"What we're looking at is our funding sources -- can we sustain $100,000 on an ongoing basis?" Burbank Unified Supt. Matt Hill asked during the board meeting.

A mental health task force is looking closely at the possibility of using state and federal funds to help operate the new center, said Tom Kissinger, assistant superintendent.

For school board member Steve Ferguson, providing the funding will be key for the district in continuing to "reduce barriers to care," he said.

"If ultimately, this is what gets us access, there will be a cost to it," he said.

In the meantime, the Family Services Agency is finishing a fundraising campaign to kick-start the new center at John Burroughs in a similar way the agency did at Burbank High.

The agency will use donations to update a room with new paint, carpet and furniture to house the Wellness Center, Hill said.

--

Kelly Corrigan, kelly.corrigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @kellymcorrigan

___

(c)2016 the Burbank Leader (Glendale, Calif.)

Visit the Burbank Leader (Glendale, Calif.) at www.burbankleader.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.