The center, currently located within Serenity High on the McKinney North High School campus, is a grant-funded initiative that looks to address the root causes of mental health issues, its website states. The program, which began operations in early 2025, is a collaborative effort between McKinney ISD, Melissa ISD, the Coalition for Behavioral Healthcare in Collin County, Rustic Way Ranch and The Chicago School.
The details
The center offers free mental health resources, including individual therapy and small group therapy for McKinney ISD students.
The community-based care approach looks to address mental health needs, including trends that district officials are seeing. Jennifer Akins, chief school improvement and federal programs officer in McKinney ISD, said trends in mental health needs include:
- Anxiety
- Depression and mood disorders
- Grief
- Coping skills and emotional regulation
- Executive dysfunction
Some resources offered by the program are widely available, while others are limited to eligible residents in northwest Collin County. The area was targeted for service due to its high population growth and limited mental health resources, said Caryn Sawlis, who serves as the coordinator of the Student & Family Wellness Center of Collin County.
Sawlis also noted that while the center is currently located at Serenity High, officials are evaluating potential future locations, including the Melissa area.
Diving in deeper
The wellness center also offers resources for parents, including parent groups and educational events.
One resource offers opportunities for parents to learn about a pre-determined topic related parenting skills while other opportunities offer a chance for parents to lead discussions and make peer-to-peer connections, Sawlis said. Other resources for parents are available in an online format.
The parent resources were developed to support parents and create an environment where they could connect and share experiences, Akins said.
“It was enlightening hearing parents talk about how they were able to let their guard down and have an opportunity to build relationships with individuals that may not look like them or live near them, but they were all going through similar experiences with the stress of parenting,” Sawlis said of a parent group discussion.
According to a 2024 report issued by the U.S. Surgeon General, parents experience a higher rate of loneliness than non-parents. In 2023, 33% of parents reported high levels of stress in the past month compared to 20% of other adults, the report states. Akins said these factors, along with other stressors, have contributed to challenges for parents.
“That pressure for parenting is not anything that's unique to McKinney. It is a nationwide trend that we're seeing,” she said.
Quote of note
“By allowing our parents and our students a place that's safe and inviting to receive services, can just do a tremendous amount of good to a community,” Sawlis said.
The setup
Akins collaborated with Sawlis to create the wellness center, and the duo sought out community partners as well as grant funding to support establishing the clinic.
“In McKinney ISD, we have been working for a number of years to identify resources to support our students and families, and to work with partners from other agencies and institutions where we can to provide a greater array of services for students and for their families,” Akins said.
This project is supported by Texas Health Resources as part of a Texas Health Community Impact grant award. The grant will support the program for two years and will also support training efforts for over 800 educators on mental health and behavioral topics, Akins said.
“We're so fortunate that they've invested in our county and have wanted to provide this additional support for our students and families,” Akins said of the grant funding.
The program partners enable a wider variety of resources for program participants. The partnership with the Coalition for Behavioral Healthcare in Collin County enables providers at the wellness center to refer out if a higher level of care is needed, Akins said. The partnership with Rustic Way Ranch allows participants an opportunity to interact with animals and nature in a therapeutic way, Sawlis said.
“If you reach out for support, we're going to try to connect you somewhere,” Akins said. “Even if it's not through us, we still want to be able to provide some information that sometimes is difficult to track down on your own.”
Akins said that McKinney ISD has existing resources for mental health support, including a partnership with East Texas State University that provides mental health services, but there is often a waitlist. The wellness center creates additional opportunities for students and families to access resources, she said.
Akins said she would like to see the program grow and have a positive impact on the community’s wellness. As the program grows, Akins said she expects to pursue additional partnerships and grant funding to support the program.
Get involved
For community members looking to support the program, ways to get involved include various volunteer opportunities including leading parent groups. The program can also be supported by monetary and in kind donations, as well as local businesses that can offer a space for the organization to host an event.
To learn more about services available or to schedule an appointment, visit www.collincountybehavioralhealth.org/student-family-wellness-center.
