Mental Health & Wellness

Student mental health and wellness is just as important as physical wellness. Unfortunately, more and more youth are experiencing a mental health crisis.

This can include anxiety, depression or even suicidal thoughts and actions. 1 in 5 kids in America suffers from a diagnosable mental, emotional or behavioral disorder.

Working with Olathe Public Schools to financially support programs that address students’ mental health needs is a priority for the Olathe Public Schools Foundation.

Braden Robertson Student Mental Health Fund

The Braden Robertson Student Mental Health Fund provides access to mental health professionals for Olathe students in crisis. With support from this fund, families who are unable to access mental health services outside of school can obtain care for their children from a team of vetted private contract therapists who are embedded in our schools. These therapists provide one-on-one and small group therapy in a manner that protects student privacy while providing the least disruption to a student’s school day.

In the first eight years, the Olathe Public Schools Foundation raised and invested more than $1.4 million to provide one-on-one therapy to Olathe students ages 5 to 18, one child at a time.

This fund was created in 2018 in memory of Braden Robertson, an Olathe West High School student who died by suicide.

Contact your student's school counselor directly to talk about accessing mental health services.

Help Clinics

The Summer and After School HELP Clinics place mental health services, both one-on-one and group therapy, in reach of Olathe students, their family members, and Olathe staff members at no cost during the summer months and at the end of the school day. Qualified professional therapists hold office hours in a central Olathe location, and work with those struggling with their mental health. The Braden Robertson Student Mental Health Fund has supported $200,000 in four summer sessions to date.

OPS Mental Health Co-Responder

Thanks to a state grant and matching funding from the Braden Robertson Student Mental Health Fund, a mental health co-responder is now embedded in the Olathe District Schools. Her job is two-fold: She responds quickly when there is a crisis in our schools and triages mental health emergencies. Then, she follows up to make sure impacted students and/or staff are getting the mental health services they need. In two years, we have invested just over $50,000 to support this position.

Taste of the Town

With OPSF support, the Olathe Public Schools:

Embedded mental health therapists at all five Olathe high schools
Put together a roster of contract therapists who hold office hours in Olathe schools, providing access to care on site
Hosted a successful mental health parent speaker and support series
Offers free summer and after school mental health therapy sessions
Added programs focusing on social and emotional learning and suicide prevention
Trained 75 employees in Mental Health First Aid Training, with additional training occurring with funding through a grant from Johnson County Mental Health

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Mental Health & Wellness

Braden Robertson Student Mental Health Fund

Help Clinics

OPS Mental Health Co-Responder

Taste of the Town

With OPSF support, the Olathe Public Schools:

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Parents & Students

Educators & Staff