UM program aims to alleviate shortage of school counselors
Jan 03, 2025
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1/03/2025“Missoula This Week” is reported and written By Katie Fairbanks. Send your Missoula news and tips to [email protected] school counseling program aims to increase professionals in rural districtsAs part of its effort to increase the number of licensed mental health professionals in rural schools, the University of Montana this year moved its school counseling program to a fully online master’s degree. The change allows students to attend the program without having to uproot their personal and professional lives, according to a UM news release. The first cohort of online students doubled last year’s in-person class from seven to 15. “That’s what made it possible for me — the fact that it went online,” said Francine Stiffarm, a master’s student who works for Dodson Public Schools, in the press release. “As educators, you don’t want to step away from your role. I’m able to balance work and my personal life.”Stiffarm’s school and most of its neighbors lack a licensed school counselor, she said. Across the state, nearly 24% of schools do not have a licensed counselor, according to the 2023 Montana Critical Quality Educator Report. Another UM program, VAST — Virtually Assisted School Teams — helps fill the gap by connecting counseling students to 22 rural school districts. Shifting the master’s program online is part of a strategy by UM and Montana State University to increase the number of licensed mental health professionals in rural schools statewide, according to the release. A few years ago, the universities found that a majority of school counseling graduates are clustered in the Missoula and Bozeman areas, while counselors who went to work in rural communities unfamiliar to them often didn’t stay for long. Kristen Murray, a UM counseling professor, was awarded a $3 million Rural School Mental Health Prepare in Place grant to recruit and pay the cost of attendance for eight Montana-based school counselors in the master program each year for the next five years. Graduates will be targeted toward rural, high-needs schools. “The idea is that these are people who have likely already built their lives in a place, in that community and school,” Murray said in a statement. “By getting access to this level of training, they can stay and sustain mental health support in their communities for many years to come, and then we can start to close the gap in school counselors in our state.”Students can apply for the grant funding at the same time they apply for UM’s school counseling program. Although students from any state may enroll in the master’s program, they must be based in Montana to be eligible for the grant funds. Montana’s state licensure rules permit graduate students to become licensed provisionally if they’re enrolled in a school counseling program, allowing many UM students to get a job before graduation, according to the university. Across all of UM’s counseling master’s degrees, students have a 100% job placement within 18 months of degree completion.“There’s a ton of school counseling positions in the state right now,” said Arianna Vokos, UM school counseling program coordinator and clinical assistant professor. “This allows people to apply to our program, immediately fill those open positions while they’re in our program and provide services immediately.” Public Notice On Monday, the Missoula City Council will hold a public hearing to consider changes to the city’s sidewalk assessment program that would make more people eligible to defer some or all of the cost. Citing the economic environment, the council discussed the changes and paused a project planned for the Franklin to the Fort neighborhood in early December. Under the current cost-share rules, property owners are assessed for adjacent sidewalks, driveway approaches and boulevard work. For single-family homes and duplexes, the city pays the first $1,000, then splits the costs until the property owner hits $3,500. The city pays up to $12,000 more, then the city and property owner split costs until the property owner pays $5,500 more, capping the owner’s cost at $9,000.Property owners can pay the assessment in full or over eight, 12 or 20 years. Residential properties with a sidewalk assessment of more than $6,000 or those making less than 80% of the area median income can defer payment until the sale of their home. The deferred amount accrues interest, plus an administrative fee required by state law.The proposed changes would allow property owners with an assessment of more than $3,500 or those making less than 120% of the area median income to defer payment until their home sells. The council will also consider eliminating the rule that prohibits infill projects that postpone sidewalk construction from getting a cost-share later on, as recommended by the public works department. The council meeting starts at 6 p.m. on Monday at the City Council Chambers, 140 W. Pine St. People can also join the meeting online via the Microsoft Teams link at the top of the agenda.By the Numbers The number of travelers who passed through the Missoula Montana Airport as of Dec. 20, a new annual record. Airport Director Brian Ellestad said the milestone is about a 10% increase over 2023’s record. That year, the airport broke its passenger record for the first time since 2019, he said. “I’m looking forward to 2025,” Ellestad said. “We do expect 2025 to be a record over 2024 but it will be less of a huge growth year.” Ellestad said the airport is fortunate to have Sun Country Airlines and Frontier Airlines offer seasonal service to Minneapolis and Denver, respectively, again in 2025. The airport received a grant that will hopefully allow it to extend service to Chicago year-round, he said. Phase two of the airport’s expansion project is set to open in the spring, with two additional jet bridges offering better gate access and an expanded baggage claim, Ellestad said. A ground boarding gate will be converted to a jet bridge later in the year, he said. The upgrades will “right size” the new terminal and allow more flexibility for airline scheduling and flight connection opportunities, Ellestad said. “As frequency increases and is streamlined, it helps with more seats, lower fare opportunities for our customers,” he said. 5 Things to Know in Missoula On Thursday, the Missoula County commissioners set a new daily rate of credit for incarceration reflecting increased costs to hold inmates. State law allows those jailed on a bailable offense to receive credit for time served that may go toward a fine levied upon conviction. The $138 rate is an increase from last year’s $125 daily rate. The increase does not apply to the reimbursement the county receives from the Montana Department of Corrections for holding state inmates, said Chris Lounsbury, the county’s chief administrative officer. Missoula County has pushed the state to increase the reimbursement rate to pay the full cost of incarceration or to take the inmates it’s responsible for. The issue is likely to resurface during the upcoming legislative session, Lounsbury said. Applications are open for a vacant Missoula County Public Schools Board of Trustees position. The trustee must live within the Seeley-Swan, Seeley Lake, Sunset, Potomac or Clinton school district boundaries and be a registered voter. The board will appoint an individual to fill the seat until the May 2025 election. Applications are due by noon on Jan. 22, and the board will interview candidates on Jan. 28. More information is available on the school district’s website. Missoula County’s rural grant program is now taking applications for community projects outside city limits. Individuals, nonprofits, citizen groups, community councils, schools and special districts can apply for “micro-grants” of $100 to $500 for projects that can be completed within 90 days and “impact grants” of $501 to $4,000 for projects that can wrap up by the end of the year. The micro-grant program is open on a rolling monthly basis, with the first round of applications due Jan. 31. The impact grant deadline is Feb. 28. Application information is available online. Missoula Public Health is holding free screenings of “The Invisible Shield,” a four-part PBS documentary on the history of public health, at the Roxy Theater. The first hour-long screening is at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, followed by showings at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 13, March 13 and April 10. Facilitated conversations about public health will follow each screening. Space will be limited and people are asked to reserve tickets on the Roxy’s website.The Missoula Downtown Foundation is accepting applications for its Downtown Arts & Culture Impact Grants through February. The program pairs artists with building owners for impactful art projects downtown. Individuals, organizations or private entities can apply online. Proposals should comply with the goals of the Downtown Master Plan, the North Riverside Parks & Trails Plan, and/or the Missoula Heritage Interpretive Plan. The foundation allocated $15,000 for up to three projects in 2025. The post UM program aims to alleviate shortage of school counselors appeared first on Montana Free Press.