Spencer School District receives b.e.s.t. grant

Marshfield Clinic Health System and Security Health Plan have announced b.e.s.t. grant recipients for the 2023-24 school year, among them the Spencer School District. 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.