Methow Valley School Board approved a pilot program at their meeting June 16 that allows police to notify MVSD when a student is affected by a police call.
Under the new program, police can notify MVSD when they encounter or learn about a child that is present during a police call. The notification would come by email with the child’s name and the subject line “Handle with Care” (HWC). The school district can then initiate contact with the child that may lead to further follow up.
Okanogan County Sheriff Paul Budrow said he is evaluating whether his department will participate in the program while Winthrop Marshal Ty Sheehan voiced his support. Outgoing MVSD Superintendent Tom Venable said Twisp Mayor Hans Smith has not committed to the program. Twisp is contracting with the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office for police services as they look to rebuild their police department.
The program has been implemented in other school districts in the state. Venable said MVSD’s program will be modelled after Yakima’s, which has a partnership with police, school district, and a third party mental health provider. MVSD does not have an agreement with a third party mental health provider, but as mandatory reporters, they are obligated to contact Child Protective Services if certain conditions are met.
Children as young as five could be asked about a situation that led to a police call. A child’s statement, whether accurate or not, can lead to further follow up.
Under the memorandum of understanding, MVSD is not required to notify parents about contact or discussions with their child(ren) following a HWC notification. The word “parent” is not found in the memorandum of understanding.
The program is designed to provide support for children following a traumatic event. When asked what qualifies as “trauma,” Venable responded, “Like our school district staff, I have high regard for our law enforcement officials. I’m confident that as trained professionals, they will exercise sound judgement when determining whether or not to notify a designated POC [point of contact] with the school district.”
The memorandum of understanding identifes a traumatic event as “any situation that could cause emotional, psychological, or physical distress, such as witnessing domestic violence, experiencing abuse, or being involved in a critical incident.” It does not provide any additional criteria, leaving it up to the responding officer to determine whether the situation warrants a HWC notification. The notification does not need approval from a parent or legal guardian.
Venable said staff would be trained to comply with all applicable laws. He said points of contact for the initial HWC notification would include building administrators, school counselors, and school nurse. However, he did not exclude, nor does the memorandum exclude, notification to other staff. The program in Yakima identifies teachers and support staff on the flowchart following a HWC notification.
Venable referred MVE to a video of the program as implemented by the Yakima School District. In the video, a school resource officer can provide additional details to school officials, beyond the HWC subject line, if it does not interfere with an investigation. MVSD does not have a school resource officer, but Venable did not address a specific question whether MVSD would seek additional details from police following a HWC notification.
Venable said the program complies with all applicable laws.
