Olathe Public Schools to offer free mental health services during the summer

Olathe Public Schools will be offering free mental health counseling this summer for all staff, students and families, district officials said.

The Summer H.E.L.P (Help Each Live Productively) Clinic is offering individual mental health sessions, group sessions, family therapy, parent support groups and staff wellness groups.

The program has been in place since the summer of 2018, according to Becky Grubaugh, a spokesperson for the Olathe school district.

Sessions are up to 50 minutes and will be conducted by Olathe Public Schools Licensed Mental Health Providers and interns from Friends University’s marriage and family therapy program.

This year, many students across the school district have been touched by gun violence.

On March 4, 18-year-old Jaylon Elmore was accused of opening fire on resource officer Erik Clark in the administrative offices in Olathe East High School. Elmore and Clark were injured in the encounter, as well as assistant principal Kaleb Stoppel.

Elmore was released from the hospital and into the Johnson County jail May 10 and was charged with attempted capital murder in Johnson County District court.

Also during this school year, six teens were charged with first-degree murder after the shooting death of 19-year-old Marco Cardino May 14. According to the Olathe School District, three of the accused teens were students at Olathe schools.

The H.E.L.P. program requires minors to attend with a parent or guardian for their first session. Sessions are limited to six per person or family.

Each service has a limited number of openings and will fill up on a first-come, first-serve basis. Individuals can sign up for groups and individual sessions on the school district’s website. The district has already scheduled more than 150 group or individual sessions, Grubaugh said.

Sessions will take place at the Millcreek Learning Center in Olathe and run from June 6 to July 28.