Victoria Independent School District is partnering with Gulf Bend Center on “Bend the Trend,” a school-based mental health community collaborative at no cost to district families. This program strives to identify the needs for and provide early intervention mental health services for students who attend Torres Elementary School.
Bend the Trend is a proactive approach to providing early intervention and support to students that show signs of social–emotional needs. “If these needs are not met at an early age, children often develop unhealthy coping mechanisms that can impact their learning and their ability to function in society,” said Cindy Salinas, VISD Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Coordinator. “By proactively identifying these students and building a continuum of support around the student and their family, our goal is to empower students with healthy coping mechanisms that will lead to students finding their genius.”
Bend the Trend will be available to Torres Elementary students and families when they return from Winter Break beginning January 4, 2023.
"VISD is excited to pilot this program at Torres Elementary,” said Salinas. “Our vision is to increase school-based mental health services through community collaboration with the purpose of developing a continuum of services and a tiered system of support for students experiencing mental health and behavioral needs. Our mission is to empower students to find their genius.”
Torres Elementary Counseling and Behavioral team will work alongside a Gulf Bend case manager that will be housed at Torres Elementary. This team will work collaboratively in connecting students to supports that will effectively meet their mental health needs and improve their learning environment. Students and families in the program will be able to access the resources provided by Bend the Trend directly at Torres Elementary.
Gulf Bend Center currently provides mental health services to students in VISD schools to help improve their quality of life. This partnership with VISD for Bend the Trend is an innovative next step in supporting and helping to meet the needs of our students, families, and schools. We believe that collaboration between community resources is vital to the success of the people in our community.
“This is a momentous occasion, and we are excited to partner and collaborate more closely with VISD and Torres Elementary School,” said Kim Omencincki, Gulf Bend Program Manager for Child and Adolescent Services. “We are looking forward to this opportunity to collectively provide support to our community and find innovative ways to meet the needs of our children, families, and schools.”
Parents of Torres Elementary students interested in learning more or taking advantage of the Bend the Trend program may contact Social Emotional Behavioral Specialist (SEBS) Brandy Garcia at brandy.garcia@visd.net and/or Counselor Kayla Henery at kayla.henery@visd.net.