Edmond Schools, Paycom Partner To Bring Mental Health Programs To Students

Thanks to a new grant, Edmond Public Schools said it's adding new resources for children, mainly for mental and behavioral health resources at all of their schools.

The district said they know there's a mental health crisis right now for children and adults. They said they're partnering with Paycom to prepare their students for a brighter future.

A healthy mind can help students navigate a number of issues they may face at school or at home.

The district said they're adding more resources and training to help.

“I'm here on behalf of Paycom today to present the Edmond Public Schools foundation with a $50,000 check,” Cassie Niemann with Paycom said.

Paycom said this check represents a two-year commitment to Edmond Public Schools mental health and behavioral programming.

“That teaches things like emotional intelligence, to be able to name their feelings, to be able to process through your feelings, to be able to have safe spaces to do that,” Niemann said.

People in the community voiced their concerns at a school board meeting this week saying they need more programs like this.

“Failure to address student mental health needs is linked to poor academic performance, behavior problems, school violence, dropping out, substance abuse, special education performance, suicide and criminal activity,” concerned citizen said.

In a behavioral assessment done by the city, it said, “The behavioral health needs of children, youth, and their families residing in Edmond, especially those with more complex needs, exceeds local provider capacity.”

“As they learn these coping skills and learn how to recognize these emotions and how to regulate these emotions that's a skill that will carry on in their entire life,” Edmond Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Angela Grunewald said.

The school district said they will continue to look at more resources they can add for their students’ well-being.