Speaking as someone who has been writing about mental health for two decades, I was eager to read the Long Beach Herald’s article, “Long Beach High School to open Wellness Center focused on student mental health this Fall.” A program where students can experience wellness-focused educational opportunities, including workshops hosted by community partners and panel discussions centered on stress management, healthy communication skills, fitness, and more. After all, by implementing “age-appropriate” workshops in a safe school environment, students will have the opportunity to learn about mental health topics openly without stigma or shame. To break down the barriers relating to mental health is a positive step forward for all!
Why schools?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, schools help promote the mental health and well-being of students through education, prevention, and early intervention. Schools can reach a large number of youth with strategies that can lessen the effect of negative experiences and improve students’ health and well-being.
Schools can establish safe and supportive environments.
Schools can connect students to caring adults and encourage positive peer relationships.
Schools can give students mental health support and link them and their families to community behavioral and mental health services.
Schools that promote student mental health and well-being can improve classroom behavior, school engagement, and peer relationships. These factors are all connected to academic success.
Mental health education in action
To have a quality mental health education program, schools need supportive policies, appropriate content, trained staff, and engaged parents and communities.
Schools can use these guidelines to support mental health education:
Have policies that foster supportive environments for mental health education and build mental health literacy.
Through training and professional development, give staff the knowledge and skills to deliver mental health education.
Make sure that school staff know how to deal with challenges. These may include supporting students in distress, getting help when a student needs immediate support, and communicating concerns to families.
Engage parents and community partners.
Think about ways to make mental health support more available by partnering with local, state, and regional organizations and community-based groups.
Key to success
Consider how parents, caregivers, and community members view mental health. Also consider how these views might affect students’ ability to ask for or find mental health support. For example, include information about mental health in school newsletters and emails. This connects mental health to academics and normalizes information about mental health. Provide information to parents and caregivers using multiple formats—email, paper flyers, workshops, and guest speakers.
School mental health partnership
The Northwell School Mental Health Partnership—a collaboration among Northwell’s behavioral health service line, Cohen Children’s, and school districts throughout the region—addresses the tremendous need for mental health interventions, crisis assessments and increased access to mental health care for children and adolescents.
The partnerships also provide districts school consultations with psychiatrists and neuropsychologists, training’s for faculty and staff, as well as parent workshops, support groups and other community-facing events and services.
On a personal note: I believe open communication between parents and the school’s trained staff is of the utmost importance, especially in understanding the emotions of a parent’s belief system and any questions they may have relating to mental health education as this is about addressing the emotional health for all involved.
Donna Pisacano-Brown is a Point Lookout resident who has been a columnist featured in local newspapers since 1996. She is a passionate advocate for drunken driving awareness, and shining a light on mental health topics.
