Meet Our Facilitators

Cheryl Dick
Talahi Elementary

Philicity Messman
Kennedy and Lincoln Elementary Schools

I am in my fifth year providing Mental Health Facilitator services as part of the elementary programming at Kennedy and Lincoln Elementary Schools. Previously I worked at Discovery Elementary and prior to that I worked at Talahi Elementary as a school social worker. Earlier personal experience included ten years of medical social work.

As Mental Health Facilitator I will be working with students in the classroom, in small group, and on an individual basis. This will provide an opportunity for social skills training, coping strategies, and individual support. These services are provided to aid in the elimination of barriers to learning for special education students.

I look forward to meeting the parents of the students I am fortunate to serve this school year. I am available to offer support, information, referral, and advocacy services. Our goal is to link home, school, and community.

Erica Miller
Clearview Elementary

Diane Opatz
Discovery Elementary

I have worked for the district for sixteen years. During this time I have been at Talahi, Westwood, and am currently at Discovery Community School. Before I started with the school district I worked as a therapist for Caritas Family Services in St. Cloud.

In my current position, I work with individual students and with small groups providing support and teaching healthy coping stategies. I help students recognize the power of their thoughts and that connection to a healthy state of mind. I also try to help students recognize their strengths, their health and their wisdom. I am able to provide information to parents regarding community supports and services. The link between school, home and community is an important goal in my position.

Mike Rivard
Madison Elementary

Janette Sawin
Apollo High School and North Junior High School

Hello! This is my seventh year as the Mental Health Facilitator for the district, and I currently work at North Jr. High and Apollo Sr. High Schools. I came to District 742 after working 10 years in high schools and another 10 years in child and family services. The past 19 years I have really focused on working with children and adolescents who have emotional and behavioral disorders, particularly those with high-risk behaviors.

The last few years, it has been my great pleasure getting to know our students and their parents as we developed this service, which is a part of our Special Education programming. We are able to provide social skills groups, a sexual abuse survivors group, therapeutic mediation to resolve peer conflict, coordination with area mental health providers, pet therapy, healthy boundaries groups, crisis intervention, and many hours of individual support and therapy. At the end of each year, we collect data and find that there is a significant decrease in disciplinary actions and truancy among most students who received Mental Health Facilitator services on a regular basis.

Linda Scherer
ALC West, ALC Wilson, and Oak Hill Elementary

I am very pleased to return to work with adolescents in the Area Learning Center programs as well as join Oak Hill Elementary this year. This is my eighth year providing counseling to children and adolescents of District 742. My earlier counseling career includes ten years of work in outpatient and residential treatment settings as a therapist and supervisor.
I look forward to helping students learn how to access and rely on their own strength and wisdom. I often use art, music, videos, and literature in my work with students. I meet with students individually and in small groups. Small groups are created as I become aware of groupings of students with similar interests or need areas.

I love the energy and strength of the young people I work with. I enjoy learning of their perspectives on life and certainly learn as much from them as they do from me. I hope to work closely with parents in mutual support of their child's education. I am always open to contact with parents and welcome your phone calls, emails and/or visits.

Kirsten Tatge
Tech High School and South Junior High School

Hello! I am the Mental Health Facilitator at South Junior High and Tech Senior High. For two and a half years before my work as a Mental Health Facilitator I worked as an Elementary School Counselor at Talahi Community School. Prior to my work at Talahi, I was a therapist at the St. Cloud Children's Home.

I provide mental health services to special education students. I get the opportunity to work with students individually and in small groups. We will be working on different skills such as coping, anger management, and self-control, based on the students’ needs. I continue to be excited about working with the students, families and staff of South and Tech.

Jackie Wollschlager
Westwood Elementary School