MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The U.P. Wellness Task Force held a meeting on Monday with the Marquette-Alger Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA).
This task force brings a collaborative opportunity to problem solve and update on topics related to the mental, social and behavioral wellness of all ages, specifically students. A wide array of community members are found at these meetings, representing every possible angle to tackle these issues.
“We have law enforcement here, we have school system here, we have mental health services here, general community members here,” said Jodi Pfarr of J. Pfarr Consulting, the facilitator of Monday’s meeting. “They’re all coming together to say ‘we want the strongest community possible.'”
The public meetings center around aiming for the future by creating 90 day plans to uphold certain goals for the school districts. Those in attendance have the opportunity to speak on behalf of their organizations and how they are able to contribute to these ideas.
“Here’s what we can do in the next 90 days, to get at our future story,” continued Pfarr. “This builds transparency, it builds collaboration, and it builds accountability.”
This wellness task force program is unique to Marquette County, being the only of its kind across the state of Michigan, specifically as an educational service with a heavy emphasis on therapy, working alongside community partners.
Over its 3 years of quarterly meetings, the task force has made significant headway throughout the surrounding school districts.
“We’ve created a youth crisis center, we’ve also created a youth day treatment program,” said Dr. Jennifer Krzewina, the director of mental health services at Marquette-Alger RESA. “We’ve enhanced programing around social and emotional learning, and suicide prevention.”
Each U.P. Wellness Task Force meeting is open to the public both virtually or in person, with its next meeting scheduled for this summer.
To view upcoming meetings and other Marquette-Alger RESA events, visit their website.
