Add a full-time mental health clinician to Effective School Solutions contract

In plain English

The district would add one more full-time mental health clinician to its existing contract with Effective School Solutions, LLC, the outside firm already providing three full-time mental health therapists for the 2026-2027 school year under an agreement dated March 23, 2026. The added clinician would start November 1, 2026 and work through the end of the school year, serving up to 25 students at a time, with services tied to students' Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals. A yes vote approves the addendum and the extra cost of $66,080.00, paid in seven equal monthly installments of $9,440 from November 2026 through the end of the school year. The item is on the consent agenda, meaning it is voted on with other routine items unless a board member pulls it out for discussion.

Students with disabilities whose IEPs call for mental health therapy would gain a fourth clinician's caseload of up to 25 slots, and the district would commit $66,080.00 more of its budget to this outside provider for the rest of the school year.

Key facts

Adds one (1) additional ERMHS (Educationally Related Mental Health Services) clinician to a contract that already covers three (3) full-time mental health therapists.
Added cost: $66,080.00 for the 2026-2027 school year, paid in seven (7) monthly installments of $9,440.
Service period for the new clinician: beginning November 1, 2026 through the end of the school year.
Each mental health professional serves up to twenty-five (25) students at any given time.
The addendum caps this contract at a total of $66,080.00; any increase requires the district's prior written approval, and the provider must notify the district in writing if more staffing is needed.
Vendor: Effective School Solutions, LLC, 430 Mountain Ave., Suite 304, New Providence, NJ 07974; addendum dated September 29, 2026.

Reasons to support

The clinician would deliver therapy aligned with students' IEP goals, which the district says helps ensure students can benefit from their educational programs.
A fourth clinician adds capacity for up to 25 more students at a time, building on the three therapists already under the March 2026 agreement.
The addendum sets a firm ceiling of $66,080.00, requires invoicing only for services rendered, and bars any increase without the district's prior written approval.

Reasons to oppose or change it

The $66,080.00 is new spending beyond what the board already approved in March 2026, and the money must come from the district's existing budget for the rest of the school year.
Because it sits on the consent agenda, the added clinician and its cost would be approved without separate discussion unless a board member asks to pull the item.
The arrangement expands reliance on an out-of-state contractor for IEP-required mental health services rather than district-employed staff, and the addendum anticipates that the term could be extended at prices negotiated later.

Official wording

Approve Addendum to the Effective School Solutions Provider List This is an amendment to the Effective School Solution contract. The full contract went to the board on 3/28/2026 and was approved at that time. This will add an additional full-time mental health clinician to the contract. These clinicians will deliver mental health services in alignment with students’ IEP goals, helping ensure access to appropriate therapeutic support so students can benefit from their educational programs. Prepared By: Megan Hunt, Executive Director Approve Amendment to Effective School Solutions Contract

Official agenda Addendum A - Modifications to 2026-2027 ERMHS Agreement.pdf

Summary written by claude-opus-5 from the agenda and the Addendum A - Modifications to 2026-2027 ERMHS Agreement.pdf. It can contain mistakes. The official documents govern.