Branson, MO: District partners with mental health provider; more kids with ASD/ADD

Jan 31, 2019, Springfield, MO, Ozarks First, KOZL: Branson Schools Expands Mental Health Services For Students https://www.ozarksfirst.com/news/branson-schools-expands-mental-health-services-for-students/1740729863 The Branson School District has expanded its reach to help students struggling with mental health issues -- through a new partnership. That partnership is two-fold. One aspect of it allows school officials to point students who need help in the right direction and the other gives school leaders the ability to follow up. A social worker helping students cope with mental health issues is nothing new to the Branson School District. However, through this new partnership, with Burrell Behavioral Health and a more than 86-thousand-dollar grant from the Skaggs Foundation, it will now be able to expand the effort. … "There's an increase in autism spectrum diagnoses. There's an increase in A-D-D diagnoses," said Lisa Furtkamp, Branson school social worker "There are increased depression and more of the suicidal cutter type situations than we saw 25 years ago, like when I started," Furtkamp said. She believes social media plays a big role in the growing problem….