Sarkeys Foundation awards $400,000 for mental health services in OKC schools

Sarkeys Foundation will award $400,000 to support behavioral health improvements throughout Oklahoma City Public Schools through EmbraceOKC, an approach to boost social and emotional well-being for students and their families through schoolbased mental health services.

Launched in 2019, Embrace OKC is a initiative of the Oklahoma City Public Schools Compact, a group of community partners including Oklahoma City Public Schools, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, the Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools, United Way of Central Oklahoma and the City of Oklahoma City.

As students throughout the district continue to adjust to a new normal amid the COVID19 pandemic, Superintendent Sean McDaniel says the need for mental health support in the schools is at an all-time high.

“Under normal circumstances, we know many of our students face challenges in their personal and family lives,” McDaniel said. “For some, their friends and teachers at school are the only support system they have. Since they have been away from school since mid-March, we must step up our game and provide them with the emotional support they need to return to learning.”

A recent report from the Oklahoma- based Healthy Minds Policy Initiative projects that childhood mental health needs will increase substantially as a result of the COVID- 19 pandemic. For example, as many as 30% of children i nvolved in quarantines may experience post-traumatic stress disorder, a rate that is seven times higher than that of children who do not experience quarantine.

“With the heavy toll the COVID-19 pandemic continues to place on our community, Sarkeys Foundation believes that supporting the emotional wellness of our children and providing a safe, healthy environment for them to learn is a top priority,” said Kim Henry, executive director of Sarkeys Foundation.

The EmbraceOKC districtwide action plan aims to not only i ncrease the number of counselors in Oklahoma Cit y Publi c Schools, but also to provide training to teachers and support staff to help them identify behavioral health issues so they can connect the student and family with support services. EmbraceOKC also will provide for the implementation of social and emotional learning programs to support and strengthen well-being among students and educators.

The Oklahoma City Public Schools Compact is seeking additional donations to fully fund the comprehensive mental health initiative.

“Funding for EmbraceOKC and behavioral health support for our students is a critical need for our community,” said Debby Hampton, president and CEO of United Way of Central Oklahoma, which is administering funding for EmbraceOKC.

To make a donation to EmbraceOKC, text Embrace to 40403 or call United Way of Central Oklahoma at 405-236-8441.