Marshfield Clinic: Accepting behavioral health grant applications from school districts

MARSHFIELD, Wis. – Marshfield Clinic is now accepting applications for two school-based youth mental health programs open to eligible schools across the Marshfield Clinic service area.

b.e.s.t.® Universal Screening is an innovative online screening tool designed to assist educators in fostering the emotional health of students while identifying those who may require additional behavioral support. Developed by school psychologist Eric P. Hartwig, Ph.D., b.e.s.t. offers educators straightforward, positive strategies to help students thrive in their school environment.

Life Tools is an early-intervention, skill-building program that equips students with practical coping and social-emotional skills through structured, facilitated group sessions with caregiver and school engagement.

The two programs serve distinct but complementary roles: b.e.s.t. Universal Screening helps schools proactively identify students (and provide high level support to teachers and school administration) who may need behavioral health support, while Life Tools provides a targeted, skill‑building intervention for students who would benefit from additional support. Together, they create a prevention‑to‑intervention continuum that addresses needs early and reduces escalation.

This is the 12th year Marshfield Clinic has offered b.e.s.t. and the seventh year for Life Tools.

“For more than a decade, Marshfield Clinic has been a trusted partner with school districts in delivering early, preventive behavioral health support through strong school and community partnerships across the region,” said Jay Schrader, senior director of Marshfield Clinic Community Relations. “The increased the attention on student mental health in recent years amplifies the need for programs Like b.e.s.t. and Life Tools to support students’ well-being.”

School districts eligible to receive the grant are located in Dickinson County, Michigan, or one of the following Wisconsin counties: Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Green Lake, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, La Crosse, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Marquette, Monroe, Oneida, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Richland, Rusk, Sawyer, Shawano, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Washburn, Waupaca, Waushara or Wood.

For more information

We are pleased to announce that Marshfield Clinic and its partners are offering these two opportunities to support the social, emotional, and behavioral health of children and youth. Both opportunities are now available through one streamlined application.  

Apply here: https://redcap.link/bestandLifeTools

For the 2025-26 school year, 37 schools received the b.e.s.t.® platform and 30 schools received Life Tools. The programs include technical support, training, consultation and ongoing assistance

Since 2013, Marshfield Clinic has championed the implementation of b.e.s.t. Universal Screening across 89 school districts, positively impacting more than 600,000 screeners complete and 12,000 educators and staff. During the 2024–2025 school year, the Life Tools program expanded this impact by serving 285 students through 59 completed group sessions.

About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 55,000 employees and serves more than 2 million patients and nearly 415,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 58 hospitals, 289 clinic locations, 145 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and 1,100 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to nearly 80 specialties. More than 400 residents and fellows are trained each year through graduate medical education with Sanford Health fully funding and supporting 29 of the 40 available programs. Sanford Health also includes Lewis Drug, a pharmacy and retail chain with 60 locations in three states and nearly 190 pharmacists. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.