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