West Fargo, ND – (September 6, 2022) – It is with great pleasure that Ms. Annie Richards, Director of Behavioral Health & Wellness, announces that Ms. Malarie Carlson has accepted the position of Behavioral Health & Wellness Coordinator for West Fargo Public Schools.  

Ms. Carlson began working with Creative Care for Reaching Independence (CCRI) in 2007 as a support professional and then a mental health practitioner, before moving to the Community Violence Intervention Center in 2013. There, she served as the self sufficiency coordinator, the wellness coordinator, and a youth therapist until she joined the staff of Oak Grove Lutheran School as a school counselor in 2018. She holds a master’s degree in counseling and student affairs from MN State University-Moorhead and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from NDSU.

When asked what most excites her about taking on this new role, Ms. Carlson replied, “A significant challenge I see within my current system is access to mental health services. I have direct experience working with children who require services beyond what a school counselor should provide and have also been witness to the difficulties of securing services in the community. Strategizing and setting goals to overcome similar obstacles is something I have been doing with my colleague at the middle and high school as this issue is only becoming more prevalent. Having the opportunity to do this on a larger scale would be rewarding in order to help plan and facilitate access to services.”