Mental health issues have always been a challenge for area youth and their families, but that became much more apparent in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Coming out of the pandemic, we saw a rise in anxiety and depression,” said Megan Traficano, director of youth and family services for Oak Park township. The township offers its youth engagement program via an intergovernmental agreement with most local taxing bodies, including municipalities, school districts, libraries and park districts.
The program supplements what those entities, especially school districts, are able to offer to youth and families in the way of mental health support. Services are free, Traficano said, “because mental health isn’t always covered by insurance. We have a lot of different things we try to provide to youth and families.”
Traficano and Laura Devitt, youth engagement program manager, are both Oak Park natives and licensed clinical social workers. They oversee a team of two master’s degree-level youth engagement specialists, one of which is also licensed clinical social worker. Together, they work to meet the needs of the 41 youth clients that were in the program at the end of May. The program serves those age 6-18.
Virtually all local taxing bodies are part of the intergovernmental agreement with Oak Park township to participate in the youth engagement program, which is a two-year commitment and is in its renewal cycle in 2026.
Participating bodies include school districts 200, 90 and 97; the villages of Oak Park and River Forest, along with Oak Park township; Oak Park and River Forest public libraries; and the River Forest Park District. The only non-participant is the Park District of Oak Park; Traficano said that entity “decided the program wasn’t meeting the needs they had.”
But others, like River Forest School District 90, are on board.
“We’ve been pleased at the school level,” said superintendent Dr. Edward Condon at the June 2 board meeting, where the board voted 6-1 to approve its two-year commitment. The only board member who did not vote for the measure was Dr. Kristine Mackey, who preferred a one-year commitment.
“I’m speaking anecdotally, but the feedback I’ve gotten, especially from the middle school administration (is) students that have been getting supports have benefitted when I look at the dollar value relative to what my understanding is the way it has been delivered here,” he said. “Not that that’s a fair way necessarily way to look at a partnership, but it’s a pragmatic way, I do think this dollar value is definitely being delivered to the children who are at some of our highest levels for different reasons.”
The Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 board approved its two-year engagement agreement at its May 28 board meeting. The total cost among all the taxing bodies from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 is $419,770.
That’s an important number for taxpayers, of course, but Traficano said the program value is the assistance she and her team provide to its youth clients. That includes mental health counseling for youth who need assistance in areas like anxiety and depression, crisis and trauma issues and behavioral and aggression problems.
“We work with them on their goals, like their mental health goals,” she said, adding that a youth is typically in the program for up to three months. If therapy is required, that timing jumps to six months to up to a year.
“We have such a great relationship with our school districts, whether it’s the school social workers, the counselors or the deans,” Traficano said. “We really try to wrap around our services with our school partners. A couple of years ago, OPRF approached us; the hours weren’t working because of after-school activities, so we added hours in the evening for everybody.
“I think sometimes we’re just that extra supplement,” she said. “Schools are so busy during the day; we can help with referrals. We may not be the right place for each child or family, so we want to make sure the child and the family get to the right place.”
Area families or youths that are experiencing mental health challenges can reach out to Traficano and Devitt at the youth engagement program via youth@oakparktownship.org.