Jay Clark

The meeting commenced with a roll call and introductions. Unfinished business included a report on the Inner Explorer mindfulness program, which Battle Lake Public Schools may adopt. Under new business, attendees reviewed and improved the Mini-grant application language, with a commitment to distribute it soon. A brief mention was made of an MDE report showing improvements in student mental health, acknowledging the efforts of staff and providers. Discussion also covered how the committee reports to the County Commissioners, with one member tasked to share the Adult Mental Health report.

The meeting commenced with a roll call, though the December meeting was cancelled due to a storm. Under unfinished business, attendees shared key takeaways from reading chapters one and two of the book 'Rethinking Chronic Absenteeism,' emphasizing that chronic absenteeism is a community-wide issue stemming from problems not addressed by current policy and data collection methods. New business focused on updates regarding the BARR program from Perham High School and Battle Lake, including plans for presentations at the 2026 National BARR conference. The group reached a consensus to include a BARR overview and offer site visits at the next meeting. An update on Promise Fellows was shared, and information regarding the 'Homework begins with Home' grant was presented.

The meeting addressed unfinished business concerning the Original Interagency Agreement, resulting in a unanimous motion to update the membership clause language regarding board resolutions for joining the Collaborative. The alignment between the missions and workplans of ECI, CCHV, and ECWG was reviewed, noting that ECI is seeking new funding after July 1, 2026. Under new business, the group reviewed the ECI financial report and discussed the transition of WCI funding, with continued minimal support expected. Guidance drafts for CMH LAC were reviewed, and a motion was passed to allocate unspent funds to support school attendance at the BARR National Convention, including lifting the professional development reimbursement cap, not to exceed a $30,000 total investment. Furthermore, the group determined not to lose sight of existing BARR school needs while assessing interest for investing in additional BARR schools. Finally, funds were approved to support stipends and expenses for the county-wide YPAR project.

The meeting commenced with introductions and discussions concerning focus maintenance and establishing a secure environment. New business featured a presentation on "Youth Agency in Action," a project designed to boost youth engagement and belonging through a participatory action research process involving 7th to 12th graders. The group explored its potential role as a guiding coalition to monitor and advise on the project, ensuring the inclusion of diverse youth perspectives using both quantitative and qualitative data. The discussion concluded with plans to present the youth project to other bodies and formally define the committee's involvement in project guidance.

The meeting included an overview and demonstration of the Inner Explorer mindfulness platform, which is designed to support student mental health at Tier 1. Discussions included potential funding opportunities, such as mini-grants from Partners in Suicide Prevention that might cover part of the cost. The committee also reviewed the concept of assessing mental health services and gaps using the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework across different age groups, detailing the three tiers: Primary Prevention, Secondary Prevention (2A and 2B), and Tertiary Intensive Services. A notice was provided regarding the Mentor MN Mental Health Ambassadors application deadline of December 12th.