Omaha Public Schools to build mental health facility at Benson High

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Omaha Public Schools partner with a number of outside agencies to provide health care or after school services.

Right now, the district is building a facility on the Benson High School Campus, and is partnering with Project Harmony. 6 News reports the new center is one of the district’s largest, and will focus on mental health.

There is a lot of work going on inside. There’s also a lot of work going on outside of Benson High School.

Construction workers are busy building an $8 million, close to 10,000 square foot facility that will house a school-based mental health and counselling service. The new facility will help students, staff, and the community.

“So education, mental health, physical health, everything that can come together in a place they’re already familiar with,” said Angela Johanek with Benson High.

Benson High School officials tell us this facility is necessary to help students who are dealing with issues outside of school that takes their attention away from their education.

“That can be anything from home life situations, neighborhood issues, and concerns to traumatic experiences, which can be anything,” Johanek said. “We know if we can help those students deal with those special issues first, and put themselves in the right head space, then their education can all of a sudden become a priority.”

Mental health is the priority here, but there’s also room inside for dental and medical services. There will also be a training academy for students who are thinking about a career in mental and medical care.

“So, they can work with professionals, they can talk with professionals, they can use them as a resource and as a reference, and hopefully a referral someday down the line,” Johanek said.

Project Harmony will be the main partner here providing social, emotional, and mental health care.

“So, we will have therapists come here to work directly with kids and families,” Scott Butler with Project Harmony said. “We will also have people that we call ‘mental health  coordinators’, people who can work with kids and families to better understand mental health, how the system works, and how to navigate the system.”

Counselors and school officials tell us the most important thing this new facility will offer is hope.

“We know that nationally, fewer than half of our kids are hopeful,” Butler said. ”Gallup has been telling us that number comes in right around 47% of our high school kids across the country are hopeful, number one predictor of their future well being, and fewer than half of them have it. A center like this is hope this brings hope to a community.”

OPS tells 6 News of course safety is a priority when constructing the facility. Officials are hoping to open the center by the end of the year.

Copyright 2024 WOWT. All rights reserved.