Schools

Columbia Neighborhood Lunch Clubs: 'How Do You Get Food Into as Many Homes as Possible?'

Jennifer Roberts is one of the organizers of the Columbia Neighborhood Lunch Clubs – a group of volunteers that collects the meals delivered to bus stops by Columbia Public Schools and delivers them door-to-door.

She spoke about how many families – from all economic backgrounds – are struggling with food access during the ongoing pandemic and how they all can utilize the Clubs’ services and make providing meals to school age kids a simpler task.

This piece was reported and produced by Chris Mitchell.

Childcare & COVID-19: 'If Childcare Centers Closed Down, Will Kids Have the Care They Need?'

Casey Hanson is the Director of Outreach and Engagement for Kids Win Missouri, a statewide coalition of childcare providers and advocacy groups. She's been speaking with lots of childcare providers during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and says that many are struggling.

She spoke about the impact the pandemic is having on the well-being of providers and about some of the possible long-term impacts on kids’ development if childcare providers have to close their doors.

'We Need Strategies Where They Can Be College Students, and Still Be As Safe As Possible'

Lynelle Phillips and Scott Clardy both work with Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services. Scott is the Assistant Director and Lynelle is a professor at the University of Missouri who leads a team of contact investigator volunteers.

They spoke about the bad rap that college age students get when it comes to testing positive for COVID-19 and about some of the ways college students can help keep themselves and their community – safe.

College Student Mental Health: 'No One is Achieving Self-Actualization During Quarantine'

Madeline Nash is a counselor at University Counseling Services at Truman State University in Kirksville, and full disclosure, someone I knew during my undergrad at Truman.

She spoke about her role with college students since classes moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic, and about how students – and others – should “give themselves that empathy” to mourn the loss of things like graduation during this unprecedented time.

Mental Health First Aid: 'So Much of it is Just Being Willing to Ask the Question'

This week’s Missouri Health Talks is a collaboration with Vox Magazine.

Jessica Trussell and Amy Bartels are both human development and family science specialists with the University of Missouri Extension. Jessica in Livingston County – Chillicothe – and Amy in Camden County.

They both teach a class called mental health first aid – essentially a training that gives adults tools to use to help identify mental health crises and connect others with resources. Amy focuses on teaching people who work with youth in schools.

You can learn more about mental health first aid in the October issue of Vox Magazine - available now in print and online: “In case of emergency: starting the conversation with mental health first responders.”

Restraint and Seclusion in Schools: 'We Can Equip Staff Better. We Can Teach Our Children How to De-escalate too'

Christina Ingoglia and Michelle Ribaudo are both board members for the Missouri Disability Empowerment Foundation, or MoDE Foundation, in Columbia. Christina is the current President and Michelle is the current Vice President of this organization that works to advocate for people with disabilities and promote inclusion.

They spoke about the use of restraint and seclusion rooms for students with special needs and about the potentially dangerous ramifications of such policies.

For the past few weeks, these policies and their usage on members of the diverse Columbia Public Schools student body has been a passionate topic of conversation. Local advocacy group "Race Matters, Friends" posted photos online of very small rooms designed to isolate students with Individualized education plans, or IEPs, when they may be a danger to themselves or others.