Plum School District hires social workers to help with students' mental health

Plum School District officials plan to bring in social workers to help bolster their students’ mental health resources.

The board approved a memorandum of understanding Feb. 23 with the teachers union to have three social worker positions added to the collective bargaining agreement.

It also hired two of the three people that evening.

“We foresee them as being an immediate need, but also serve students in the future beyond the pandemic,” board vice president Michael Caliguiri said.

Having social workers available to help students navigate mental health challenges were among the suggestions made in a December presentation by several district counselors.

Counselors at the time talked about how grades have been declining districtwide as a result of virtual learning and not being engaged in the classroom.

The presentation was posted on the district’s website, as well as a multi-prong approach to overcoming issues.

“We see firsthand that the students and families of Plum need more support now than ever due to the pandemic,” union president JR Pilyih said. “These positions will help meet those challenges they face.”

Several parents also came before the board the past few months echoing similar concerns about remote learning and how difficult it has been managing personal time, work and school all from home.

“We’ve never been through a global pandemic before, and it’s hitting these kids from kindergarten through high school very differently,” board president Mike Devine said. “It’s something not only them, but none of us had experienced before.

“As a parent, I don’t know how to handle some of the mental health aspects that my kids are going through. Just to be able to talk through the issues they’re having with these social workers will be very beneficial to them in the long run.”

The two hired were Bess Milch, a prevention education specialist at UPMC, and Eliana Jorgensen, a social worker with the Ambridge Area School District.

Plum School District Business Manager John Zahorchak said both are expected to start in Plum within the next few weeks at an annual salary of $55,000. Wages are to be paid via federal covid relief funds for mental health needs.

Caliguiri commended the counselors for their presentation a few months ago, and union officials for coming to an agreement with the board.

“They saw a very important need to fill some voids in behavioral health when it came to children and parents,” Caliguiri said. “They wanted t0 offer some additional support and presented a plan for us that we wanted to support fully.

“We were glad to get it done. I’m grateful to the teachers union for being flexible and creative. They were cooperative while we worked through the process.”

The social workers will be available districtwide starting some time in March.

Board members hope to hire the third person later that month.

The move comes just a day after students in kindergarten and first-, second-, fifth-, seventh-, 11th- and 12th-graders were allowed to return to full-time in-person instruction.

The remaining grade levels are expected to be able to come back March 15.

Families not comfortable with their students returning to the buildings will still have an all-online learning option.