“Ensuring the physical, social and emotional well-being of all students.” That is the motto of the new Wellness Center facility that made its debut Wednesday night during the annual open house at the school.
The goal of the Wellness Center is to “assist staff and several co-located providers in providing quality programming and therapies to Becker students,” according to BHS Asst. Principal Mark Kolbinger. Having the facility on campus will also “increase access for students, as well as decrease the wait time usually associated with many of these services,” he said.
Kolbinger also said that the project has received “generous donations” from Becker Furniture World, which provided design work and furnishings for the facility, as well as the Dylan’s Hope Foundation and the Clear Lake Lions Club.
The Center will also be presenting a series of educational seminars and presentations aimed at substance abuse prevention, with a list of seminars available on the district website.
Current Providers
Sara Dahlquist is a truancy prevention/intervention specialist who will be at the center every Friday. The Sherburne County Co-located Truancy Prevention/Intervention Program is a partnership between the Sherburne County Health and Human Services office, Sherburne County schools and 180 Degrees, Inc.
Her purpose is to identify and connect with students at risk of truancy, case management, accessing services, establishing a truancy “process” a
nd developing a relationship with students and parents.
Shelly Bohmert represents the Youth Intervention Project at Lutheran Social Services, and will be on-site to provide mental health therapy in a variety of areas, to include anxiety, depression, grief, parent-child conflict and academic problems, as well as developing social skills, coping mechanisms and anxiety reduction techniques.
Jennifer Kenning is a chemical health consultant in the St. Cloud Hospital Recovery Plus Unit, and will focus on the areas of abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
Recovery Plus offers information, educational materials, counseling and intervention services in schools and within the community.
Sharon Kuhlmann is a registered nurse and licensed marriage and family therapist with a focus on working with children, adolescents and adults in dealing with relationships, mental health, mood issues and school-related problems. Visit www.SharonKuhlmann.com for more information.
Renee Arbogast is the food service director for the Becker Public Schools, and will be providing nutritional education information and strategies through the Wellness Center. Her first presentation on school meals and health will take place Tues., Sept. 29 at 3:15 p.m. in the Wellness Center, which is located next to the Media Center at BHS.
Attendees at the opening of the center Wednesday night included Kuhlmann, Dahlquist, LLC Therapist Meghan Zumbusch, Phil Knutson, Becker Furniture World, Jeremy Hallquist, Backpack Buddies, Ryan Obermuller, Dylan’s Hope Foundation, Sara Gallus, Backpack Buddies, BHS Principal Sandy Logrono, Randy Lyon, Clear Lake Lions Club and Kolbinger.
The Wellness Center also includes a food shelf which has Becker schools partnered with the Backpack Buddies program to provide food to any E-12 students and their families in the district. Stocking is being handles by adult and student volunteers at the present time.
Families who wish to take part in the program can contact their child’s school office, or the BHS assistant principal’s office to make an appointment.
For more information on any of the programs listed, contact BHS Assistant Principal Mark Kolbinger at (763) 261-4501.
