Helping Nevada students build resilience and thrive

After fleeing a domestic violence situation with his family, a Nevada high school student walked into a Communities In Schools of Nevada resource room after school and asked, “Is this the place where you get help?”

A student's ability to succeed in school often depends on more than what happens in the classroom. Challenges related to mental well-being, attendance, family needs, and social support can affect a young person’s opportunity to receive an education and, ultimately, graduate.

That's why Intermountain Health continues to invest in community organizations that strengthen student well-being across our communities.

Community Health Director Will Rucker explains why Communities In Schools of Nevada (CIS Nevada) was selected as a collaborative organization in Southern Nevada.

“Communities In Schools has the infrastructure, a strong reputation, and solid data that demonstrates impact,” Will said. “Working with Communities In Schools allows us to really reach the entire district through one door and they are well-aligned to our community improvement strategies."

CIS Nevada was among the organizations that provided valuable input during Intermountain's recent Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), which was combined with public health data to prioritize behavioral health, child and family well-being, and social drivers of health as the most significant health needs in the community.

Through Community Health and the Intermountain Community Care Foundation (ICCF), Intermountain supports the work of CIS Nevada, helping students overcome barriers to success through individualized support, social-emotional learning, and college and career readiness programs.

Last year, Community Health provided $10,000 to support CIS Nevada's Integrated Student Supports program, helping expand individualized case management and connect students and families with community resources. This work addresses nonacademic challenges that can affect school attendance, academic performance, and overall well-being.

What CIS Nevada Does

CIS places trained site coordinators directly in schools, where they become part of the school community and work closely with students, families, teachers, and administrators to meet students’ needs that impact their learning and overall health. Their goal is to identify and address the challenges that can prevent students from succeeding in school.

The organization provides three levels of support:

• Schoolwide services: Resource rooms stocked with essentials such as food, school supplies, clothing, hygiene items, and other basic needs available to all students.
• Small-group support: Targeted interventions for students facing common challenges.
• Intensive case management: One-on-one support for students with significant needs, including help connecting families with child-serving community-based organizations that provide housing, food, healthcare, mental well-being services, and other community resources.

Investing in mental well-being

Building on Intermountain’s prior Community Health support, CIS Nevada was awarded a competitive $90,000 grant from ICCF, Intermountain’s charitable foundation, to strengthen non-clinical mental well-being support for students in Title I and high-need schools throughout Southern Nevada.

“According to a recent study from the Guinn Center, the recommended number of school psychologists for Nevada is 1 to every 500 students,” said Dalisa Cooper, director of development and engagement for CIS Nevada. “Current numbers are about 1 psychologist to every 1,900 students. This is a critical gap that we’re actively working to ensure kids receive the support and resources they need to strengthen their mental well-being.”

The new ICCF grant focuses on strengthening trauma-informed and relationship-centered practices across Southern Nevada schools.

Funding will support:

• Professional development for Site Coordinators.
• Social-emotional learning interventions.
• Student engagement activities that build resilience and emotional competency.
• Ongoing evaluation of programs to ensure they meet student needs.
• Schoolwide supports and family engagement efforts.

The initiative is expected to directly reach more than 67,000 individuals and aims to improve attendance, behavior, coursework completion, social-emotional learning outcomes, grade-level promotion, and graduation rates.

Impact

Remember the high school student who turned to a CIS Nevada resource room to get help?

A CIS site coordinator stepped in to support the family by connecting them with housing assistance, food support, employment resources for the mother, and other community services. The student became one of CIS Nevada’s case-managed students and ultimately graduated from high school with honors and went on to college.

“This really speaks to the power of just having a person who sees you. Someone who makes sure that you're okay. That person who asks how your day is and checks in on your mental well-being,” said Brittany DuPree, chief development officer at CIS Nevada.

According to CIS Nevada, the model produces strong outcomes for students they case-manage, including:

• 97% graduation rate among seniors
• 99% grade promotion rate for students in grades K-11
• 87% college readiness
• 92% career readiness
• Improved attendance, behavior, and social-emotional readiness

By investing in student resilience, emotional well-being, and future success, we're helping create stronger opportunities for young people across Nevada.

To learn more about Communities In Schools of Nevada or explore ways to get involved, visit their website.