MARSHFIELD -- Marshfield Clinic Health System and Security Health Plan have announced b.e.s.t. grant recipients for the 2023-24 school year.
b.e.s.t. ® (Behavioral Emotional Social Traits) is an online screening tool that helps educators build and support the emotional health of all school children while identifying students who may need additional positive behavioral support. Developed by school psychologist Eric P. Hartwig, Ph.D., the tool provides educators with simple, positive actions to take in the classroom to help students be successful in school life.
“School life for many children is inherently difficult,” said Hartwig. “Children continuously struggle to fulfill their needs of personal recognition while developing a sense of self and personal identity. Some children need extra support learning how to belong or learning skills to help them manage stress at school. I developed b.e.s.t. to help schools help children in this way.”
Since 2013, Marshfield Clinic Health System and Security Health Plan have supported the implementation of b.e.s.t. Universal Screening in 79 school districts, touching the lives of over 200,000 students and more than 8,000 educators and school staff.
“b.e.s.t. continues to be one of the most widely used and impactful child behavioral health programs that we support,” said Jay Shrader, vice president of community health for the health system. “Cultivating positive behavioral health in students can have many benefits over the lifetime of the student including higher academic achievement and better social connectedness at school.”
In the 2023-24 school year, 131 schools in 37 counties will benefit from the grant, which provides technical support, bi-annual screenings for students, training, consultation and support. Marshfield Clinic Health System and Security Health Plan are supporting the implementation of b.e.s.t. during the 2023-24 school year in the following districts:
- Unified School District of Antigo
- School District of Altoona
- School District of Auburndale
- Augusta Area School District
- Bayfield School District
- Beaver Dam Unified School District
- Bruce School District
- Butternut School District
- Chequamegon School District
- Chilton School District
- Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District
- Columbus Catholic High School
- School District of Crandon
- D.C. Everest School District
- Unified School District of De Pere
- Durand-Arkansaw School District
- Edgar School District
- School District of Flambeau
- School District of Gilman
- Hayward Community School District
- Hustisford School District
- Lac Du Flambeau Public School
- Lake Holcombe School District
- Marathon County Child Development Agency Inc.
- Marathon School District
- Mayville School District
- Mellen School District
- Mercer School District
- Mondovi School District
- New Auburn School District
- Osseo-Fairchild School District
- Trinity Merrill Lutheran School
- Port Edwards School District
- Randolph School District
- Regis Catholic Schools
- Rib Lake School District
- Rio Community School District
- Rosholt School District
- Shell Lake School District
- Spencer School District
- Stanley-Boyd School District
- School District of Tomahawk
- School District of Turtle Lake
- Waupaca School District
- Waupun Area School District
- Wausau School District
- Webster School District
- Wild Rose School District
- Wisconsin Heights School District
- Woodruff J1 School District
Last Update: May 24, 2023 2:15 pm CDT
