Open Minds Youth Mental Health Alliance

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Executive Summary

Open Minds Youth Mental Health Alliance is a nonprofit in Minnesota that puts mental health awareness and licensed counseling inside the schools where young people spend their days. We teach students and the adults who care about them how to understand mental health, recognize when someone is struggling and ask for help early. Then we make sure that help is easy to reach: a licensed therapist in the building, free of charge to the student, with no long wait and no ride to arrange.

Most mental health conditions begin in childhood or the teen years, yet many young people never get help, or get it only after a crisis. Some do not know what they are feeling has a name. Some are afraid of what their friends will think. Parents often do not know where to turn, and clinics may have waiting lists of months. Teachers see the signs every day and are not sure what to do. Meanwhile, school counselors, who are essential, have many students and many duties. We work alongside them to fill the gap between a worry and a first appointment.

With this grant we will place licensed School-Based Therapists at three partner schools (two middle schools and a high school) and provide counseling to about 160 students in about 1,200 sessions in Year 1. About 900 students will take part in our mental health awareness sessions. We will train about 120 teachers, coaches, parents and other adults in Youth Mental Health First Aid, and train about 45 student Peer Ambassadors to be good listeners and good connectors, never counselors. Families are part of everything we do, and we offer evening family nights in several languages. We follow safe messaging practices, and every school has a written crisis plan.

Our Year 1 budget is about $368,000, growing to about $557,500 by Year 5 as we grow to six schools and four therapists. Each year's budget is planned to balance, with a small surplus each year. We have 5 paid staff in Year 1 and 8 by Year 5. School district contracts and Medicaid and insurance payments grow from about 22% of our income in Year 1 to about 46% in Year 5, so grants fall from about 71% to about 44%.

We are asking the North Star Children's Health Foundation for $90,000 for one School-Based Therapist, clinical supervision, Youth Mental Health First Aid and teacher training, and awareness campaigns. School districts, Medicaid and insurance, other grants and local donors cover the rest, so this grant is one part of a shared funding plan.

I am Jordan Ellis, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and the Executive Director. The numbers in this proposal are estimates based on the assumptions listed at the end, not promises.

Company Description

Open Minds Youth Mental Health Alliance is a nonprofit organization in Minnesota. We are a 501(c)(3) public charity (or a program of one, through a fiscal sponsor), governed by a volunteer board of directors. We will provide our IRS determination letter, board list and most recent financial statements with this proposal.

Our mission. To make sure every young person understands mental health, knows where to turn and can get timely, caring support in the place they already are.

What we believe. Mental health is part of health. Struggling is not a weakness and asking for help is a strength. Young people are experts on their own lives, and young people and families should have a voice in what we do. Support is most effective when it comes early, when it is close to home and when it respects each student's culture, language and identity. Schools, families and clinicians work best together.

How we started. Open Minds began when a high school counselor, a pediatric nurse practitioner and a youth pastor began meeting after a hard year at their school: several students had been in crisis, and the nearest counselor had a wait of more than three months. They invited a clinical social worker to hold weekly "open office hours" in the school library. Within a semester, more than 40 students had come, some on their own, and teachers began asking for training. Two other schools asked whether the same service could come to them. This proposal asks for support to turn that pilot into a staffed program at three schools.

What we offer:
- Mental health awareness. A short, evidence-based classroom series for students in grades 6 to 12 on what mental health is, stress and coping, how to recognize when you or a friend is struggling and how to get help. Lessons are taught in health or advisory classes in partnership with teachers.
- School-based counseling. Licensed School-Based Therapists provide individual, group and family counseling in a private room at school, during and after the school day. Counseling is free to students and families. We bill Medicaid and insurance when a family has coverage and permits it, and we never bill a family.
- Youth Mental Health First Aid for adults. A national program that teaches teachers, coaches, parents and others how to recognize signs of a mental health challenge or crisis in a young person and what to do.
- Student Peer Ambassadors. Trained students who lead awareness activities, reduce stigma and help friends connect to an adult. Peer Ambassadors are not counselors, and they never keep a friend's safety concerns secret.
- Family engagement. Evening family nights, short workshops and one-on-one support, with interpretation and materials in the languages families speak.
- Crisis response and follow-up. A written crisis plan at every school, support after a hospital stay or crisis and a warm handoff to community providers when a student needs more care.
- Connections to community care. A Care Access Fund that helps pay copays, bus fares or rides when a student needs psychiatry, a higher level of care or specialized treatment.

What we do not do. We are not a crisis service or an emergency room. Our therapists do not prescribe medication, and we refer to psychiatrists and primary care providers when a student needs it. We do not replace the school counselor, school psychologist or school social worker. We do not promise any outcome for any student.

How we are run. A seven-member volunteer board of directors oversees the organization and approves the budget each year. The board includes a child psychiatrist, a school counselor, a school principal, a pediatric nurse practitioner, a parent, a young adult who received counseling as a student and a certified public accountant. The Executive Director, who is also our Clinical Director, supervises clinical work and manages the organization, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Where things stand today. Three principals have signed letters of support, and a school district has agreed in principle to a contract for each school. We have a letter of intent for a small administrative office near the district. We have started the application to enroll as a Medicaid provider and to be credentialed with the main insurers, which can take several months, so first-year insurance income is planned low. Before we begin, an attorney will review our agreements with the schools, our consent forms and our privacy policies.

Problem & Opportunity

Why this program is needed.

Mental health challenges are common among young people. Anxiety, depression, trauma, and the stress of school, family and social life affect students in every community. Many of the conditions that adults live with begin in childhood or adolescence. When young people get help early, they have a better chance of doing well in school and in life. When they do not, problems can grow, and they may show up as falling grades, missed school, conflict, substance use or a crisis.

The gaps we see:
1. Not enough care. There are too few child and adolescent mental health providers for the number of young people who need them, especially in rural areas and for families on Medicaid. Many clinics have waiting lists of weeks or months.
2. Hard to reach. Families often have to take time off work, find a ride and travel to a clinic during the school day. Many students do not get to an appointment, or they stop going after a few visits.
3. Stigma and silence. Many young people and their families are afraid of being judged. In some cultures, mental health is rarely discussed. Many students do not recognize what they are feeling as something that can be treated.
4. Adults are not sure what to do. Teachers, coaches and parents often notice that a young person is struggling but do not know what to say or whom to call.
5. School staff are stretched. School counselors, psychologists and social workers do essential work, but many have caseloads far above recommended levels and many duties besides counseling. They often cannot see students weekly.
6. Crisis without follow-up. After a crisis or a hospital stay, students may return to school with little support and no plan.
7. Gaps for some groups. Students who are LGBTQ+, students from immigrant and refugee families, students of color, students in foster care and students living in poverty may face greater stress and fewer culturally responsive services.

Why school-based care. When counseling is in the school, students do not have to miss class for a long trip, parents do not have to take time off, and teachers and the therapist can work together, with the family's permission. Research on school-based mental health programs suggests that students are more likely to start and keep going when care is offered where they already are.

How we will show the need. Before we submit this proposal, we will add the findings from the most recent Minnesota Student Survey for our school districts, which asks students about their mental health and their sense of safety and support, and the CDC's Youth Risk Behavior Survey for national comparison. We will add each partner school's number of students, the share who qualify for free or reduced-price meals and the ratio of students to school counselors, psychologists and social workers. We will add the number of child and adolescent mental health providers in our county and the typical wait for a first appointment (which we will check by calling local providers), the number of referrals our pilot received and the number of students on our waiting list.

Who benefits first. Students in grades 6 to 12 at our three partner schools, especially students from families with limited income, students covered by Medicaid or without insurance, students from families who speak languages other than English, and students who have not been able to get counseling anywhere else. Also their families, teachers and coaches.

Products & Services

What the grant will pay for and what we will do.

1. Place licensed therapists in schools. Our School-Based Therapists are licensed mental health professionals (such as licensed clinical social workers or licensed professional clinical counselors), or are completing the supervised hours needed for licensure under a licensed supervisor, as Minnesota law allows. In Year 1, two therapists serve three schools: one full-time at the high school and one split between two middle schools, with a private room at each. Therapists coordinate with the school's counselor, psychologist and social worker.

2. Make it easy to ask for help. A student can ask for counseling directly, be referred by a teacher, counselor or parent, or be referred after a screening. A parent or guardian's consent is part of the process, and we confirm with an attorney which Minnesota rules apply to a minor's consent to mental health services. We never require a family to pay, and we help with Medicaid enrollment when a family wants it.

3. Provide counseling that fits the young person.
- A first meeting where the therapist listens, explains confidentiality and its limits, checks for safety and agrees with the student on goals.
- Individual counseling, group counseling and family sessions, using evidence-based approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma-focused CBT and skill-building groups for school settings, selected by the therapist with the student and family.
- Sessions of about 45 minutes, scheduled so students do not always miss the same class, before and after school, and by telehealth during school breaks and the summer.
- Services in English and Spanish, and professional interpreters for other languages.

4. Track progress with the student. At the start and at regular points, students complete short, standard questionnaires, such as the PHQ-A for depression and the GAD-7 for anxiety, to see change over time and talk about progress. They are not used to label a student, and they are not shared with the school unless the student and family agree or safety requires it.

5. Teach mental health awareness. A 3-session classroom series for each partner school's students in grades 6 to 12 on what mental health is, how stress and feelings work, how to recognize signs in yourself and friends and how to take the next step, using an evidence-based curriculum, such as one listed in the SAMHSA Evidence-Based Practices Resource Center. About 900 students take part in Year 1. We follow national safe messaging guidelines: we never describe methods of self-harm, we never present suicide as a solution to problems and we emphasize hope, help and how to reach it.

6. Train adults. About 120 teachers, coaches, bus drivers, parents and others complete Youth Mental Health First Aid in Year 1, a national course of about seven hours that teaches how to notice signs, start a conversation and connect a young person to help.

7. Support student leaders. About 45 Peer Ambassadors receive training on listening, reducing stigma and connecting friends to an adult. They lead school activities and awareness events. They do not provide counseling, and they are taught to tell an adult whenever a friend may be in danger.

8. Work with families. Six evening family nights a year, with a meal and interpretation, and one-on-one family support. Families learn what to look for, how to talk with their children and how to find help.

9. Respond to crises and follow up. Every school has a written crisis plan that we helped write with the school. A therapist is available to the school during the school day, and the school follows its own emergency procedures, including calling 911 or the county mobile crisis team when a student may be in immediate danger. After any crisis, hospital stay or return to school, the therapist follows up with the student and family, helps with a safety plan and a school re-entry plan and connects them to community providers.

10. Connect to higher levels of care. When a student needs psychiatry, intensive outpatient care or specialized treatment, we make a warm handoff to a provider and help with copays, bus fares or rides from the Care Access Fund.

How we will measure results. We count students counseled, sessions, wait time from referral to first session, attendance and number of students who stop early. We track average change on the PHQ-A and GAD-7 for students who stay in care, student and family satisfaction, and referrals completed. For awareness, we ask students short questions before and after about whether they know how to help a friend and where to turn. With school permission, we look at total attendance and discipline for students in counseling compared with the school overall. We ask students and families for feedback and share what we learn.

Our Year 1 goals:
- About 160 students receive counseling in about 1,200 sessions.
- At least 80% of students referred are seen within 7 school days.
- At least 70% of students who attend four or more sessions show improvement on their PHQ-A or GAD-7 scores.
- About 900 students complete the awareness series, and at least 75% say they know how to help a friend and where to turn.
- About 120 adults complete Youth Mental Health First Aid.
- About 45 students are trained as Peer Ambassadors.
- At least 90% of students and families say they felt respected and heard.
These are goals, and we will report our real results to the Foundation, including where we fall short. We do not promise that counseling will work for every student.

Market Analysis

Who we serve and how many.

The young people. Students in grades 6 to 12 (about ages 11 to 18) at our partner schools, and their families, teachers and coaches. Counseling is open to any student at a partner school with a parent or guardian's consent, whether or not they have insurance. We reach out especially to students from families with limited income, students covered by Medicaid, students from immigrant and refugee families, students who are LGBTQ+, students in foster care or otherwise in transition, students who have been out of school after a crisis and students who have waited a long time to see a provider.

Where we work. Three partner schools in Year 1 (two middle schools and a high school in one school district), growing to six schools by Year 4. Therapists work in each school's private counseling room, and telehealth keeps care going during school breaks and the summer.

How many we will reach:
- Year 1: three schools, about 160 students in counseling and about 1,200 sessions, about 900 students in awareness sessions, about 120 adults trained and about 45 Peer Ambassadors.
- Year 2: four schools, about 290 students in counseling and about 2,200 sessions, about 1,300 in awareness sessions, about 160 adults trained and about 60 Peer Ambassadors.
- Year 3: five schools and a third therapist, about 440 students in counseling and about 3,300 sessions, about 1,700 in awareness sessions and about 200 adults trained.
- Year 4: six schools and a second Youth and Family Outreach Specialist, about 540 students in counseling and about 4,000 sessions, about 2,100 in awareness sessions and about 240 adults trained.
- Year 5: six schools and a fourth therapist, about 670 students in counseling and about 5,000 sessions, about 2,200 in awareness sessions and about 240 adults trained.
Over five years we expect to counsel about 2,100 students in about 15,700 sessions, and to reach about 8,200 students with awareness sessions. Some students take part more than once.

Who else benefits:
- Families. Parents and guardians gain a trusted guide, fewer missed workdays and a say in their child's care.
- Teachers and school staff. They gain training, a partner and fewer crises to manage alone.
- Pediatricians, clinics and hospitals. They gain a place to send young people and a warm handoff back to school after a crisis.
- Classmates and friends. Peer Ambassadors and awareness sessions teach every student how to be a good friend.
- The community. Young people who get help early are more likely to finish school, work and contribute to their communities.

How we will size the need before we submit. We will add the number of students at each partner school and in the district, the Minnesota Student Survey results, the ratio of students to counselors, psychologists and social workers, the number of child and adolescent mental health providers and wait times in our county, and the number of referrals our pilot received. These come from the Minnesota Department of Education, the Minnesota Department of Health, the school district and the county.

Competitive Landscape

Other places students and families can turn, and how we fit.

- School counselors, psychologists and social workers. They are our closest partners. They see many students, handle crises and provide guidance, but most cannot offer weekly therapy to many students. We take on ongoing counseling for students who need it, and we meet with school staff regularly so that we never work at cross purposes.
- Community mental health clinics and private therapists. Many do excellent work, but they often have long waits, limited hours and travel barriers, and many do not take Medicaid. We refer students who need a higher level of care or prefer a clinic, and we accept referrals from clinics when a student needs support at school.
- Primary care providers and pediatricians. They screen and may prescribe medication. They often have few places to refer patients. We take referrals and send back a short note, with the family's permission.
- Hospital emergency departments and crisis services. Essential in emergencies, but they are not designed for ongoing care. We coordinate with them, the county mobile crisis team and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
- Online and app-based programs. These may help some students, but many lack a licensed human connection, are not culturally tailored and are not integrated with the school.
- Community and faith youth programs. They are valuable sources of support and belonging. We partner with them and offer training for their staff.
- National awareness programs. Many offer good materials. We use evidence-based programs and pair them with real access to a therapist.

The gap we fill. In our school district, no other program brings mental health awareness for students and adults and licensed counseling into the school, with family engagement and warm handoffs to community care, in one coordinated team.

Our partners:
- Three partner schools and a school district, which provide space, referrals, scheduling and contract payments.
- Two pediatric clinics and a child psychiatrist, who accept referrals and consult.
- The county's mobile crisis team and a children's hospital's behavioral health unit.
- A university social work and counseling program, which places graduate interns in later years.
- Cultural community organizations, which advise us and help us reach families.
- A local mental health coalition and the 988 Lifeline center.

Marketing & Sales Strategy

How students, families and schools will find us and how we keep them engaged.

Reaching students:
- The school day. The awareness series reaches every student in the grade, so no one has to sign up, find a ride or admit anything to start.
- Visibility. Therapists introduce themselves in classes and assemblies, and the counseling room is clearly marked and welcoming, not hidden.
- Easy ways to ask. A student can ask in person, through a teacher or counselor, by dropping a short request in a box, or through a secure online form.
- Peer Ambassadors. Students trained to talk about mental health and point to resources, through posters, announcements and events.
- A simple website and social media posts, designed with students, that give accurate information and never share a student's story without written permission.

Reaching families:
- Letters, flyers and consent forms in English, Spanish and other languages used in the district.
- Six family nights a year with a meal and interpretation, in partnership with trusted community organizations.
- A welcome call to every family when a student starts counseling, and regular updates with the student's permission.
- Faith communities, pediatric offices and community centers share information with families.

Reaching adults:
- Youth Mental Health First Aid courses for teachers, coaches, bus drivers, parents and youth leaders, held at schools and community sites.
- A guide for staff on how to refer a student, what to say and what to expect.
- Regular check-ins with school counselors, psychologists and social workers.

Keeping students engaged:
- The same therapist works with the same student whenever possible.
- Sessions are flexible and scheduled to protect class time.
- Students set their own goals, and we celebrate progress in the student's own words.
- When a student misses sessions, the therapist follows up kindly with the student and family, and we make it easy to start again.

Reaching supporters. School districts, pediatric practices, businesses and faith communities are invited to sponsor awareness events, training for adults or the Care Access Fund. We share results twice a year with funders and partners, using totals and never names.

Outreach budget. Awareness campaigns, Peer Ambassadors and family nights together are about $9,000 a year in Year 1, growing about 4% a year. Language access is about $6,000. Program materials, student-designed branding and a website are paid for once from startup money ($2,500).

Operations Plan

How the program will be carried out.

Timeline for Year 1:
- Months 1 to 3 (summer): Attorney review of school and district agreements, consent forms and privacy policies, sign agreements with each school, hire two School-Based Therapists and a Youth and Family Outreach Specialist, set up the secure records and telehealth system, prepare the counseling rooms and complete Medicaid enrollment and insurer credentialing applications.
- Month 4 (start of school): Staff training on crisis response, confidentiality, trauma-informed care and the awareness curriculum. Written crisis plans completed with each school. Introductions to classes and families.
- Months 4 to 7: Counseling begins. First awareness sessions. First Youth Mental Health First Aid course. Peer Ambassadors recruited and trained. First family night.
- Months 8 to 10: Continued counseling and awareness sessions. Mid-year review of wait times, caseloads and feedback with each school. First insurance and Medicaid payments arrive.
- Months 11 and 12: End-of-year surveys, summer telehealth plans, a year-end report to funders and schools and planning for Year 2.

Space. Counseling takes place in a private, soundproofed room at each school, provided at no cost under our agreement. We lease a small administrative office near the district for supervision, records and meetings. Administrative office rent and utilities are about $12,000 a year in Year 1. Paint, flooring and sound dampening for the office are a one-time cost of $3,000, with a deposit of $2,000.

Equipment. We buy about $12,000 of equipment once at the start: six laptops with secure telehealth cameras and headsets ($6,000), play, art and sensory materials, books and calming tools for each school's counseling room ($3,000), locking file cabinets for confidential records ($1,500) and a projector, screen and portable speaker for trainings and family nights ($1,500). After Year 1, we set aside about $2,000 to $3,000 a year to replace and add equipment.

Staffing. In Year 1: an Executive Director who is also our Clinical Director (a licensed clinician who carries a small caseload), two School-Based Therapists, a Youth and Family Outreach Specialist and a part-time Program Coordinator. A third therapist joins in Year 3, a second Outreach Specialist in Year 4 and a fourth therapist in Year 5.

Clinical supervision and quality. Licensed clinicians receive regular consultation, and therapists working toward licensure receive weekly supervision from a licensed supervisor. We review cases and outcomes monthly. Clinical supervision and training cost about $14,000 a year in Year 1.

Consent and confidentiality. We obtain a parent or guardian's written consent before counseling begins, except where Minnesota law allows a young person to consent on their own, which an attorney confirms. At the first session, each student is told what is private and what is not. A therapist must act when a student is at serious risk of harming themselves or someone else, and must report suspected abuse or neglect of a child as the law requires. We follow HIPAA and the federal student privacy law (FERPA) as they apply, and an attorney reviews which law governs each type of record. Counseling records are kept separate from school education records in a secure, password-protected system, and we share information with a school only with consent or when safety requires it. We report results to funders only as totals, never with a student's name. The telehealth, records and billing system costs about $14,000 a year in Year 1.

Crisis plan. Each school has a written plan, and every staff member is trained in it. If a student may be in immediate danger, staff stay with the student, follow the school's emergency procedures, call 911 or the county mobile crisis team, notify the family and the Clinical Director, and follow up. Students and families are given the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988) and a card for after-hours use. After any crisis, the therapist completes a safety plan with the student and family.

Safe messaging and awareness. We follow national safe messaging guidelines in all classroom lessons, posters and social media: we never describe methods of self-harm, we avoid language that makes suicide sound like a solution and we always provide resources. Awareness lessons are taught with a teacher present and with an opt-out for parents who prefer.

Students and adults. All staff, interns and volunteers who work with students pass a background check and complete the district's required clearances. Therapists meet with students in school rooms with the door closed but with other adults nearby, according to the school's policies. Staff do not contact students through personal social media.

Billing and fees. Services are free to students and families. We bill Medicaid and insurers for covered students with consent, once our enrollment and credentialing are complete. School-based Medicaid and insurance billing rules differ and change, so our billing staff checks current rules, and an outside accountant reviews our billing practices. School districts pay a yearly contract for each school.

Insurance and records. We carry professional liability, general liability, abuse liability, property and cyber insurance, and workers' compensation once we hire. Insurance is about $8,000 a year in Year 1. Grant money is tracked separately so we can show each funder how their money was spent, and an outside accountant reviews our books every year.

Management & Organization

Who leads the organization.

Jordan Ellis, LICSW, Executive Director and Clinical Director. Jordan leads the organization, raises money, manages grants and school and district partnerships, supervises clinical staff and reports to the board. Jordan is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who spent 6 years as a school social worker and 7 years in children's mental health, and who ran our pilot. Jordan carries a small caseload. Planned salary: $72,000 a year.

School-Based Therapist. Provides individual, group and family counseling at the school, takes part in case review, coordinates with school staff and follows up after crises. Must hold a Minnesota license in a mental health profession, such as a licensed clinical social worker, or a licensed professional clinical counselor, or be working toward licensure under a licensed supervisor, and complete a background check. Bilingual in English and Spanish, Somali or Hmong is a plus. Two in Years 1 and 2, three in Years 3 and 4 and four in Year 5, at a planned salary of $62,000 each. The North Star Children's Health Foundation grant would support the first School-Based Therapist.

Youth and Family Outreach Specialist. Teaches the awareness series with teachers, leads Peer Ambassadors, organizes Youth Mental Health First Aid courses and family nights and builds relationships with families and community groups. One in Years 1 to 3 and two from Year 4, at a planned salary of $46,000 each.

Program Coordinator (part-time). Handles scheduling, referrals, consent forms, records and billing support, about 25 hours a week. Planned pay: $24,000 a year.

Pay figures include payroll taxes and workers' compensation insurance.

Staff in each year: 5 paid staff in Years 1 and 2, 6 in Year 3, 7 in Year 4 and 8 in Year 5.

Graduate interns. From Year 2, one or two graduate students in social work or counseling a year, supervised by licensed clinicians. Interns are not paid by the program and are not counted as staff.

The board. A seven-member volunteer board approves the budget, reviews results twice a year and helps raise money. Board members serve three-year terms. The board's certified public accountant chairs the finance committee. The board's child psychiatrist, school counselor and principal advise on clinical and school policies.

People who help us. An outside accountant who reviews our books every year, an attorney who reviews our school agreements, consent forms and privacy policies, an insurance agent who understands behavioral health, a billing consultant for payer enrollment, and a youth advisory council of students and a family advisory group who meet each semester to tell us what is working.

Training. All staff and volunteers complete training in crisis response, suicide prevention, safe messaging, confidentiality, trauma-informed care and cultural humility before starting, and again each year.

Money management. Grant money is tracked separately for each funder. The Executive Director and a board member must both approve any payment over $2,500.

Milestones Narrative

Our goals for each year and how we will measure them.

- Year 1: Place two School-Based Therapists at three schools, counsel about 160 students in about 1,200 sessions, reach about 900 students with awareness sessions, train about 120 adults and about 45 Peer Ambassadors and complete Medicaid and insurer credentialing. A balanced budget of about $368,000, with a small surplus of about $9,600. 5 paid staff.
- Year 2: Grow to four schools, counseling about 290 students in about 2,200 sessions and reaching about 1,300 students with awareness sessions. A balanced budget of about $371,500, with a small surplus of about $9,000. 5 paid staff.
- Year 3: Grow to five schools and add a third therapist, counseling about 440 students in about 3,300 sessions. A balanced budget of about $439,000, with a small surplus of about $10,000. 6 paid staff.
- Year 4: Grow to six schools and add a second Outreach Specialist, counseling about 540 students in about 4,000 sessions. A balanced budget of about $490,000, with a small surplus of about $10,500. 7 paid staff.
- Year 5: Add a fourth therapist, counseling about 670 students in about 5,000 sessions, with school contracts and insurance payments covering about 46% of our budget. A balanced budget of about $557,500, with a small surplus of about $11,200. 8 paid staff.

What we measure:
- Students counseled, sessions and referrals, by school.
- Days from referral to first session, appointments kept and students who leave early.
- Change on the PHQ-A and GAD-7 for students who stay in care.
- Awareness session participation and what students say they learned.
- Adults and students trained, and how they use what they learned.
- Student and family satisfaction and whether they felt respected.
- Medicaid and insurance payments, and the cost per student served.

How we review results. The Clinical Director reviews wait times and caseloads every week, and the whole team reviews cases and outcomes monthly, without names in any report. Each semester, staff, school partners, and our youth and family advisory groups review results together, and we change what is not working. Twice a year, the board reviews results and we share them with funders and partners as totals. Every number in this plan is a goal, and we will report what really happens.

Funding Request

What we are asking for, and how the money will be used. Our request: $90,000 from the North Star Children's Health Foundation for our first School-Based Therapist, clinical supervision, Youth Mental Health First Aid and teacher training, and awareness campaigns, for July 2027 through June 2028.

The request is spread across these budget lines:
- Personnel: School-Based Therapist salary, $62,000.
- Contractual: Clinical supervision and training, $14,000.
- Other: Youth Mental Health First Aid and teacher training, $8,000.
- Other: Awareness campaigns, Peer Ambassadors and family nights, $6,000 (other funds add $3,000).

Other money in the program. School district contracts, Medicaid and insurance payments, other grants and local donors pay the other $3,000 of awareness campaigns and family nights, plus the Executive Director and Clinical Director's salary ($72,000), the second School-Based Therapist ($62,000), the Youth and Family Outreach Specialist ($46,000), the part-time Program Coordinator ($24,000), the telehealth, records and billing system ($14,000), the Care Access Fund ($6,000), language access ($6,000), insurance ($8,000), administrative office rent and utilities ($12,000) and evaluation, accounting and administration ($13,000).

Year 1 budget: about $368,000, planned to balance with a small surplus (about $9,600 after the yearly wear on equipment). Year 1 money coming in: grants $263,000 (this request plus other grants we are applying for), school district contracts $60,000 (three schools at $20,000 each), Medicaid and insurance payments $20,000 and donations and local sponsors $25,000. Year 1 costs: Executive Director and Clinical Director $72,000; two School-Based Therapists $124,000; Youth and Family Outreach Specialist $46,000; Program Coordinator $24,000; clinical supervision and training about $14,000; Youth Mental Health First Aid and teacher training about $8,000; awareness campaigns, Peer Ambassadors and family nights about $9,000; telehealth, records and billing system about $14,000; Care Access Fund about $6,000; language access about $6,000; insurance about $8,000; administrative office rent and utilities about $12,000; evaluation, accounting and administration about $13,000; and about $4,400 a year for the wear on equipment.

About district and insurance income. School districts may use state and federal school mental health funds, including federal grants for school-based mental health services, to pay for contracts like ours. Those programs and their rules change, and a district's decision to renew is never certain. Medicaid and insurance payment starts late because enrollment and credentialing take months, and many students are uninsured. We expect to average about $17 per session in Year 1 (about 1,200 sessions) and about $26 per session in Year 5 (about 5,000 sessions). The amounts in this plan are planning estimates, not promises. Payments often arrive weeks after we bill, so we plan for about $22,080 owed to us at the end of Year 1.

One-time startup costs. Startup costs of $31,500 are paid once from startup money, not from the yearly budget: $12,000 of equipment (laptops and telehealth equipment, counseling room materials, locking cabinets and a projector), $3,000 for the opening stock of awareness materials and counseling supplies, $3,000 for paint, flooring and sound dampening in the office, $2,000 for the office deposit, $800 for the business license and permits, $5,000 for an attorney's review of school and district agreements, consent forms and privacy policies and for accounting setup, $2,500 for program materials, student-designed branding and a website, and $3,200 for background checks, insurer enrollment fees and the first insurance payment.

How we got our startup number. The Funding Need Calculator in this plan adds the startup costs ($31,500), the cash we need to cover the wait for the first payments (about $10,100) and a cash cushion of about $89,000, which is about three months of Year 1 costs. That comes to $131,000. We start with $20,000 of our own savings and $115,000 in startup support from a children's health foundation, a hospital community benefit gift and our board, $135,000 in all, which covers that amount with room to spare.

The next five years. Our budget grows from about $368,000 in Year 1 to about $557,500 in Year 5. Grants are planned at $263,000, $214,500, $224,000, $217,000 and $245,500 in Years 1 to 5. School district contracts grow from $60,000 to $126,000 as we add schools, and Medicaid and insurance payments grow from $20,000 to $130,000. Donations and local sponsors grow from $25,000 to $56,000. We add a third therapist in Year 3, a second Outreach Specialist in Year 4 and a fourth therapist in Year 5. Grants fall from about 71% of our income in Year 1 to about 44% in Year 5.

Savings. We plan to keep several months of costs in savings. The lowest year-end balance in the plan is about $112,900, at the end of Year 1.

After the grant. Our plan is that school districts and insurance carry a growing share of the cost each year, since we are paid for the care we provide and for the schools we serve, with grants supporting new schools and new ideas. We will also grow local donors and sponsors and explore county children's mental health funds. A program that is paid for the work it does can last.

Risks and how we will handle them:
- A student is in crisis. Every school has a written crisis plan, staff are trained and we coordinate with 911, the county mobile crisis team and the 988 Lifeline.
- District contracts are delayed or not renewed. We share results every semester, plan with a cash cushion and keep a waiting list of other schools.
- Medicaid or insurer credentialing takes longer than planned. We apply early, plan low insurance income in Year 1 and keep a cash cushion.
- We cannot hire a licensed therapist quickly. We start recruiting early, hire license-eligible therapists with supervision where the law allows and the Clinical Director can carry more students for a time.
- Families do not consent or students do not come. We build trust with families and community partners, offer interpretation and flexible scheduling and let students ask for help in many ways.
- A grant ends. We keep savings, grow district and insurance income and diversify donors.

If you are just starting. A new organization can begin before it has its own 501(c)(3) status through a fiscal sponsor: an established nonprofit that receives grants for you and passes them to your program, usually for a fee (commonly around 5% to 10% of the grant, sometimes more; ask before you agree). Another way is to start smaller: one licensed therapist at one school two days a week, with a mental health awareness lesson for one grade, tracked carefully. Strong results from a small start make larger grants easier to win.

Appendix Notes

Documents to attach with this proposal:

- Your IRS 501(c)(3) determination letter, or your fiscal sponsor agreement.
- Your most recent financial statements and your current year budget.
- A list of your board members and what each one does.
- Licenses and resumes for your Clinical Director and School-Based Therapists.
- Signed letters of support and agreements from each partner school and the school district.
- Letters from pediatric clinics, the child psychiatrist and the mobile crisis team about referrals.
- Your crisis plan for each school, consent forms, confidentiality notice and privacy policy.
- Your awareness curriculum information, with the evidence that supports it.
- Your Medicaid enrollment and insurer credentialing applications, or proof they were submitted.
- Results from your pilot, shown as totals.
- Proof of professional liability insurance, or a quote.
If you don't have any of this yet, no worries - let's continue.

The assumptions behind our numbers (change them in the Financials section to match your own):
- Grant Revenue: $263,000 in Year 1, then $214,500, $224,000, $217,000 and $245,500.
- School District Contracts: $20,000 per school each year; $60,000 in Year 1 (three schools), then $80,000, $100,000, $120,000 and $126,000 (six schools, $21,000 each in Year 5).
- Medicaid and Insurance Payments: $20,000 in Year 1 (about 1,200 sessions at about $17), then $45,000, $75,000, $105,000 and $130,000 (about 5,000 sessions at about $26 in Year 5).
- Donations and Local Sponsors: $25,000 in Year 1, growing to $56,000.
- Pay (a full year, per person, including payroll taxes and workers' compensation): Executive Director and Clinical Director $72,000, School-Based Therapist $62,000 (two in Years 1 and 2, three in Years 3 and 4, four in Year 5), Youth and Family Outreach Specialist $46,000 (one in Years 1 to 3, two from Year 4), Program Coordinator (part-time) $24,000.
- Other yearly costs in Year 1: Clinical Supervision and Training $14,000, Youth Mental Health First Aid and Teacher Training $8,000, Awareness Campaigns, Peer Ambassadors and Family Nights $9,000, Telehealth, Health Records and Billing System $14,000, Care Access Fund $6,000, Language Access $6,000, Insurance $8,000, Administrative Office Rent and Utilities $12,000, Evaluation, Accounting and Administration $13,000. These grow between 4% and 5% a year.
- Equipment: $12,000 at the start, then $2,000 to $3,000 a year.
- Startup costs: $31,500, paid once from $135,000 in startup money.
- About 6% of each year's income is still owed to us at year end.
- Tax: none, as a nonprofit.
- Every dollar amount is an estimate. Replace them with your own quotes and real budget.

Startup Costs