HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. — Hamilton County Schools says they will start taking bids for student access to mental health services.
This comes after the district faced backlash for ending their agreement with Centerstone, a company that provides school-based mental health services.
A Hamilton County mom–who doesn’t want to be identified to keep her child anonymous–says she’s been worried ever since the district ended its contract with Centerstone.
“I was really concerned, because I know a lot of families who have had a lot of good results from having their kids get counseling through Centerstone. It’s a valuable resource, a critical resource.”
HCS says they are looking for different companies so that parents can have several options for their children.
“I want to see our district move forward in a way that meets the needs of all of our students and families,” says Dr. Justin Robertson, Superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. “I appreciate the Board for their partnership and willingness to work together on this outcome, which prioritizes both student well-being and also provides families with choice. Our priority over the course of the next several weeks will be to complete this process with urgency while still ensuring careful consideration of service providers.”
The anonymous mother tells us she finally feels some relief after learning about this next step.
“As long as they’re vetted and the services are holistic, considering the whole child and their environment and everything? I’m fine with it.”
HCS says the request for proposals (RFP) will be advertised in the Chattanooga Times Free Press later this week. They’ll start reviewing submissions next week.
The RFP asks that vendors submit a proposal to partner at no cost to the district.
The proposal outlines the district’s goal to partner with organizations on a non-exclusive basis.
“The RFP submissions will be evaluated on the following criteria: qualifications of the organization, relevant experience and references, plan of approach for services, personnel protocols, and insurance billing practices.”
Retired teacher Kimberly Hays says she supports expanding options
“That was some forward thinking by some folks, and I think that it’s always good to have a choice, because not every counselor really is going to fit every need.”
Meanwhile, Centerstone started a petition to get their services back in Hamilton County Schools.
Some school board members had concerns about what Centerstone employees might be teaching students and the overall vetting process from employees.
That’s why the board ultimately voted not to renew their agreement with Centerstone.
The end of that agreement caused the abrupt end treatment for more than 2,500 students in the district.
That led to backlash from parents, who say Centerstone has been an essential service for their child.
The district says they intend to bring a list of providers who meet the requirements of the RFP to the school board for final approval at their November board meeting.