Community Based Project
COMMUNITY BASED PROJECT
First Draft Community Based Project
Families with children battling mental health have access to out-patient therapy, crisis
intervention services, in home family therapy, and therapeutic mentoring. Schools can support
mental health by offering IEP, individualized educational planning or 504’s for learning and
social-emotional concerns effecting their ability to function in school. Many children with 504’s
or IEP’s in place are offered smaller classes for learning, extra time on assignments, altered
school days, paraprofessional aids, check ins with school’s counselors, and safe spaces for
coping. Our community resides in Bridgewater, MA and we need better mental health support
within our schools.
Community/ Stakeholders
Bridgewater, Massachusetts is a beautiful suburbian town that continues to host farming
cultures, wildlife, and bridgewater state university. Bridgewater is a growing community of
approximately 27,000, offering a diversity of activities, Bridgewater maintains a caring, friendly,
small-town, community atmosphere (bridgewaterma.org). This community is willing to vote and
attend meetings regarding changes and improvements of the community. People volunteer to
keep activities running and to create a safe and enjoyable childhood for our youth. Below
describes the demographics of this community.
•
Bridgewater, MA lacks diversity. 83.6% of residents are white, 7.8% black, 1.9 %
Asian, 3.6% Hispanic and 2.8% are mixed race (Neighborhood Scout).
•
Age groups making up Bridgewater, 4.2% are 5 and under, 13% are age 5-17, 22%
are 18-24 years, 10.9% are age 25 to 34, 25.7% are 35-54 years, and 24.3% are 55
and older (Neighborhood Scout).
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COMMUNITY BASED PROJECT
•
Income in Bridgewater has a median income of 88,640 a year while the US average
median is 57,652. 9.5% of people are below poverty level in Bridgewater
(Neighborhood Scout).
•
Bridgewater- Raynham school district has 5,402 students enrolled in district. 8
schools in district. And 16 student average per classroom (state average 13)
(Neighborhood Scout).
Bridgewater, MA values people and values natural resources. Someone is always willing
to help someone else and the town was developed upon farming and building from the ground
up. This town values education over the greater cost. Many residents voted yes to begin building
the school which will take 536 additional dollars-worth of taxes each year for the next 25 to
build and maintain the school. Not everyone is able to afford this rise in taxes, but they voted yes
anyways due to the future of our youth. David Kennedy, a member of this town described it best
when he said, “Bridgewater is a diverse community with many walks of life from farmers and
blue-collar tradesman to small business owners and health care support. We value our holiday
spirit and displays with parades and fireworks for each occasion and patriotism.” Values are
different for each individual but it’s clear from speaking with others and living in this
community, we value our town, the people and our education.
The schools require adjustment and support for non-traditional learners. Today, mental
health is affecting children in many different ways that impact their ability to learn within
traditional classrooms in a conventional way. 35% of Bridgewater residents are school aged
being 5-24 years old, Roughly, 36.6% of adults may have children in the school systems and
some of these students will require an IEP or 504 with accommodations to succeed within their
school. In Bridgewater, education holds a high value and for children who have difficulties
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COMMUNITY BASED PROJECT
learning due to anxiety, depression, trauma, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, or
social/emotional diagnosis, additional supports need to be put in place. The people this project
will benefit are members of the school, teachers, parents and most importantly children. Families
with young children are more likely to move and set their roots here when their research
indicates mental health support within schools is available.
Need/Problem
Currently, this community is down one elementary school which is causing a series of issues in
the public-school system and for the rest of the community. The process of building a new school
is tolling and many people are concerned regarding a rise in taxes and cost of living going up.
The middle school is currently housing the elementary school kids while the high school is
taking responsibility for the 8th grades. The school situation is not ideal for any average kid but
what happens to the children requiring extra assistance for special education, learning
disabilities, and mental health diagnosis. Mental health support for children in school is a
problem.
Within the current elementary school there is 26 children per one teacher in the
classroom. When a child has an emotional need for a break or their body becomes out of control,
they call the school psychologist and the principle to calm the child. The time for calming can
last a few minutes to an hour due to lack of calming tools and safe spaces to regulate. Children
requiring support often disrupt the class and remove attention from other students. Due to the
school set up, there is no space to cope and regulate outside of the psychiatrist office or school
hallway, neither place has coping supplies. With many students and having paraprofessionals
assisting in the classroom only 2 days a week, the support is limited. Some children require
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COMMUNITY BASED PROJECT
additional support with emotional behaviors and require a smaller class size which Bridgewater
school cannot offer at this time.
One in five children birth to 18 has a diagnosable mental disorder. One in 10 youth has
serious mental health problems that are severe enough to impair how they function at home, in
school, or in the community (Stagman & Cooper, 2010). Kids with ADHD do not have the
ability to focus or thrive in a classroom consisting of so many kids and two breaks in the school
psychologist’s office to regulate. Children who require extra support and attention are not able to
receive those needs. Children who require smaller classes for learning do not have access.
Bridgewater is a town who strives on the future of the children and their education, there next
priority should consist of ensuring children require mental health support have their needs met.
Solution to our problem
Bridgewater raises money for the school and teachers every month through fundraisers
and community-based activities but none of the money is going to support children’s mental
health needs through elementary and high school. Having fundraisers twice a year where the
proceeds are set aside for mental health department in schools so they can build the resources
required and funds for the additional teachers and paraprofessionals needed to maintain support
in the classroom or within a small group setting.
Small classrooms housing 5-10 children would be beneficial to the additional support that
can be offered when a child has a learning disability but is not disabled or for a child with severe
emotional and social needs that requires more attention and support with learning. It is difficult
to respond to children who require help or support when the classroom has 26 children per one
teacher. All classrooms in the school should have 20 children or less but children who require
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COMMUNITY BASED PROJECT
support due to their IEP’s and 504’s should be offered additional support. Another resource
would be a paraprofessional aid who is trained to deal with emotional and behavioral outbursts in
the classroom, to remove child and bring to a safe space as well as deescalate the situation.
Managing crisis within the school and classroom is important and for children battling mental
health everyday may require additional support so it does not affect their ability to learn.
The school requires a safe space where children can throw things like balls or pillows,
meditate, swing, draw, read, utilize sand or putty, and resistance bands. The room should consist
of padded walls or just the floor so the child can stay safe but get out frustration. This room will
be used for all forms of coping and breaks during their day as required. Established usage will be
listed in their 504 or IEP. The benefits of creating a room for students to cope would be a few
minutes to regulate and calm down so they can rejoin class and focus.
Assessment Plan
In order to create a solution for the mental health support in schools within our
community, we must assess the project and determine whether the goals are feasible to
accomplish. The goals for the Bridgewater, Ma schools require accessibility for smaller classes
for children who have difficulties focusing or getting support. Paraprofessional aids in the
classrooms to offer classroom support and assistance. Lastly, we should develop a safe space for
a child to regulate their emotions, cope and get their bodies under control so they can function
within the classroom normally.
Outcomes & Metrics Measuring Progress.
Outcomes
Data needed to evaluate outcome
Accessibility for smaller classrooms for
Obtain number of students average in the
children who require less distraction and
school with IEP/504's as well as children
better learning.
who require extra support or behavioral
concerns.
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COMMUNITY BASED PROJECT
Paraprofessional assistance in each class
rooms to support individual children who
require aid.
Cost for paying for extra aids in the
classroom as well as the cost to develop a
designed room for coping needs.
A room designed for OT breaks and coping
skill to help children regulate.
School structure and best way to create
multiple rooms for smaller classrooms.
In order to accomplish these goals, we must collect data on cost, space, resources and
staff required. Paraprofessional will require pay for their services and resources to build the room
and ensure we can create smaller classrooms for the children. We must also calculate the children
within the school who will be requiring the extra support listed within an IEP or 504.
Data Collection and Data Use.
Outcome Collection Methodology
Classrooms for Speak to the school
Smaller Classes. psychologist & adjustment
counselors to determine the
number of children with IEP’s
and 504’s.
Use of Data
IEP’s and 504 determines children
who require accommodations so with
this information, we can determine the
number of small group classes needed
to meet the needs of all children
requiring.
Paraprofessional Calculate cost for each
Determine the cost per year to
Aids for
paraprofessional and supplies
maintain classroom support and
classroom
needed per year to maintain the determine classrooms who need an
assistance.
support.
extra aid.
Development
Create room design or
Cost to ensure its feasible plan to
space for
determine space assessible
develop this support room. Room
coping.
enough for the students to
should consist of yoga matts, items for
utilize. Calculate cost of
throwing, waited blanket, sand/ putty
therapeutic tools required.
stations, swing, resistance bands and
books.
The table above shows how I will collect the data required to make this project feasible
for the community to establish and build from their current support system up. Aids are required
for extra support within classrooms, supplies are needed within the room built for additional
support and physical available spaces not only for the coping skills room but available for small
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COMMUNITY BASED PROJECT
classes. This project requires budgeting, fundraising, and involvement from school staff and
parents to stabilize the mental health of children during school.
Conclusion
Bridgewater, MA hosts a community who values its people, tradition and education. The
community votes for the best possible outcome for the future and with that being said, should
start focusing on the mental health of the youth so they can grow to be functioning adults. The
children are the future and if some are falling between the cracks due to a flawed system, we
should be the solution.
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References
Bridgewaterma.org. Community. Retrieved by https://www.bridgewaterma.org/31/Community
Neighborhood Scout. (2017). Bridgewater, Ma Demographics. Retrieved by
https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/ma/bridgewater/demographics
Stagman, Shannon and Cooper, Janice. (2010). Children’s Mental Health. Retrieved by
http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_929.html
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