Each day, students at districts across the Northwest Educational Service District 189 (NWESD) region see licensed Mental Health Professionals (MHPs) who are embedded into their school buildings.
These MHPs are reaching students where they are, literally, and making a difference for those students who need extra help.
NWESD currently has MHPs that serve 25 school districts. Between Sept. 1, 2025, and March 31 of this year, the MHPs have completed 10,950 appointments and served 808 students.
For Mental Health Awareness Month, which occurs each May, a few of the providers are sharing what makes their jobs special.
“This role for me highlights the importance of supporting students where they are,” said Debbie Gough, an MHP at Lakewood School District. “Many children face emotional, social, and behavioral challenges that directly impact their ability to learn and connect with others. Providing mental health support within the school setting allows for early intervention, consistent care, and the opportunity to help students develop coping skills in real time. It’s rewarding to be part of a system that not only focuses on academic growth, but also prioritizes students’ emotional well-being, knowing that both are essential for long-term success.”
Roberta Martinelli, who works as an MHP in Meridian School District, started her career at a women’s transitional facility. A friend encouraged her to apply at NWESD and initially, she was nervous about working with teenagers.
Now, she couldn’t imagine working anywhere else. She gets to support students in their darkest moments and celebrate their triumphs.
She sees that close-up when students stop by if they are having a bad day or greet her in the hallway.
“They will say, ‘I can’t wait to see you later, you will be so proud of me!’” Martinelli said. “I’m already so proud of them.”
Their successes vary from showering that day to working through their anxiety in a major way.
Debbie Gough has similar experiences.
“I once had a parent share that every Wednesday morning, her child wakes up and excitedly asks, ‘Do you know what day it is?’ The mom says she plays along and responds, ‘No, what day is it?’ And the child proudly says, ‘It’s Debbie Day!’ Knowing that a student looks forward to our time together in that way is something I don’t take lightly,” she said. “It reflects a sense of safety, trust, and connection – exactly the kind of environment I strive to create. Moments like that remind me that the work we do reaches far beyond sessions or school walls; it becomes something students carry with them, and that is incredibly meaningful to me.”
Both Martinelli and Gough talked about how important it is to have the students and the care in the same place. Many students don’t have access or means to see a mental health professional outside of school.
“Some of these are kids who haven’t seen a doctor in 10 years,” Martinelli said.
That’s where the MHP program comes in.
“Having a Mental Health Professional (MHP) embedded within a school district is vital because it helps remove common barriers to care, increases accessibility for students and families, and reduces the stigma often associated with seeking mental health support,” Gough said. “When services are provided in a familiar and trusted environment, students are more likely to engage consistently without the challenges of transportation, scheduling, or navigating outside systems.”
Having a professional in the hallways also helps with the stigmatization of receiving mental health care, Gough said. It helps inform students and staff what the MHP does and what they can do for the students.
“They can provide training for staff on recognizing signs of mental health concerns, implementing classroom-based strategies to support emotional regulation, and responding effectively to students in distress,” she said. “This collaboration strengthens the overall school environment, creating a more supportive, informed, and responsive community for all students.”
Students who utilize this program often wouldn’t have access to it if the MHPs were not in the school with them.
“When MHPs are embedded in schools and districts, this gives students and families access to outpatient mental health services that they would otherwise have to seek outside of school. Often in our more rural districts, that is far outside of their communities,” Behavioral Health and Prevention Services (BHPS) Director Natalie Gustafson said. “Students/clients are provided with a complete mental health assessment, diagnosis, and individualized treatment plan to reach their mental health goals. MHPs coordinate and collaborate with school staff and other health care providers to support their client’s mental health needs at school and in the community. Family and caregivers are also often included as part of the plan to improve client’s mental health.”
Those appointments address a variety of concerns and mental health supports to help students with their social, emotional, and behavioral well-being. They complete screenings to help identify mental health concerns and provide psychotherapy to students to help with issues like anxiety, depression, grief, and developing coping skills. They also connect families with community-based services and coordinate care with students’ healthcare providers as needed.
“For me, working as a mental health therapist who is embedded within a school district offers the chance to make a meaningful impact at critical stages of development,” Gough said. “Children and adolescents spend much of their time in school, so providing consistent support in that environment allows therapists to address emotional and behavioral challenges in real time, where they naturally occur. This setting also creates opportunities for early intervention, helping prevent concerns from becoming more severe over time and producing stronger outcomes for students. Equally important is being able to be an advocate for students to help create supportive, inclusive environments.”
The NWESD 189 also offers Student Assistance Professionals (SAPs) who provide both school-wide education and activities, as well as targeted 1-to-1 and small group interventions and referrals to services for students who need more support than can be provided in a school setting.
Between Sept. 1 and March 31, our SAPs provided 7,103 hours of services to 1,409 students across our region.
“Mental health and substance use prevention are deeply connected,” NWESD Prevention Coordinator Mitchell Metcalf said. “When students have early support, coping skills, trusted adults, and positive connections at school and in their community, they are better equipped to handle challenges and less likely to engage in risky behaviors. Research shows these protective factors are also linked to better attendance, stronger academic outcomes, and improved graduation rates.”
These services are available because of partnerships with districts, he said.
“Prevention is most effective when schools and communities work together,” Metcalf said. “Through Student Assistance Program services and strong partnerships with districts across our region, BHPS supports education, early intervention, and prevention strategies that help students build resilience, stay connected, and make healthy decisions.”
NWESD Prevention Coordinator Stephen Keck agreed.
“Our embedded staff work collaboratively with community partners to integrate with the communities they serve and practice cultural humility,” he said.
Learn more about the great services our Behavioral Health and Prevention Services Department offers on our website.
