In 2020 the whole world fell into shock when COVID-19 hit harder than an earthquake, and the effects of COVID-19 left many people sick globally, some even fatally ill, which called for a state of emergency. Everyone around the globe had to shelter in place for almost two years. Companies began to lay off some of their employees, and some companies shut down. Even schools had to close and transfer to virtual learning. This global pandemic left students in shock the most, especially middle, and high school students, who had to miss out on monumental school memories like homecomings, prom, and graduations just to name a few.
In 2022 almost 96% of public schools in the U.S. said that they were capable of providing students with mental health services within the 2022-2023 school year and according to (NCES,2022) 69% of public schools saw an increase in the number of students that were requesting those mental health services since COVID, but 87% of those public said that they weren’t able to service all students effectively that needed the services. Somehow now the reports (New York Times,2024) that were once being reported by the government have slowed or even not been reported at all in the state of Missouri.
Here are five ways that both parents and educators can help high school and middle school students who are dealing with mental health. They can be of more support and offer services and help.
These include providing resources, being available to listen, creating a positive environment, creating a plan, and referring them to professional help. Parents and educators should also be aware of the signs of mental health issues in young people, such as changes in behavior, changes in mood, difficulty concentrating, and difficulty sleeping. Additionally, they should provide support to family and friends who may be struggling with mental health issues. The first thing that (Navigate 360,2024) said that schools can do is strengthen school culture, by providing a positive and safe environment that students can and will be comfortable being in. Creating that culture can include several things like talking with students and their families about mental health, training students and staff to prevent harm, and enforcing anti-bullying policies.
Tiara Byas Infographic/Canva 2024
The second is to add more mental health personnel. The American School Counselor Association says all schools should have at least one counselor for every 250 students. Hiring more counselors, social workers, and psychologists would help school counselors support students who deal with mental health issues daily but Navigate 360 said that the national average was one counselor for every 424 students. That's well over the recommended ratio amount.
Thirdly, parents and school boards can provide mental health support to students. Mental health support can include providing access to counselors, providing workshops on stress management, and creating a safe and supportive environment for students to share their experiences. These measures can help students to cope with their emotions healthily and productively. Schools should be able to offer students and their parents psychological health care whenever they need it. Schools can suggest providing mental health screenings, early prevention, and intervention, and recommending treatments. Providing mental health care to students as well as their parents to have at home helps parents become more knowledgeable and knowledgeable, as well as helps students to talk openly more about mental health issues with their peers.
In a YouTube interview Full Sail University Journalist Tiara Byas interviewed her classmate and 7-year resource teacher from Savannah, Georgia Deanna Majors, in an interview about the yearly experience Deanna said that most children from 13 to about 17 during COVID had little to no parental control during virtual learning and believed that the same behavior carried back into the classroom once schools resume in-person learning. Deanna also discusses how teachers are now trained to recognize social-emotional learning in their students.
The effects of COVID are still impacting students' learning ability, but not as much now that schools are better preparing themselves to support mental health with the school system, Another thing that Deanna Majors mentions is how some school districts are providing teachers and staff members with a wellness day, so that educators can better prep their selves mental for students. Number four is expanding social-emotional learning programs also known as (SEL). According to Navigate 360 having more SEL programs is beneficial to students’ mental health and development and doesn’t have to interfere with teachers' lesson plans or school schedules. Navigate 360 has created a solution that fits into schools' current plans.
The fifth and final way high schools and middle schools can support their students with mental health is to become aware of signs of trauma and changes in behavior. If teachers or staff members can notice or identify when a student is struggling with mental health or has been struggling with mental health, then they can move vastly toward getting the student some help. Navigate 360 said, “The quicker teachers act to connect the student or students to the appropriate mental health services, the better the outcome will be.”
Sherrie McClellan, an expert school counselor for seven years in St Louis Public Schools, is the guest on Tiara Byas' podcast Talks with T. When Tiara asked what was one of the reasons for students' mental health, Sherrie said, non-active students who have parents who don't care, because they may be dealing with a lot themselves, or because some parents believe that once a child is enrolled in school, the school is responsible for dealing with him or her, which can make it difficult for a student to receive assistance and support around the clock.
Sherrie also mentioned that active parents should stay active and rally other parents by linking up with the school and their child's teachers and finding out what help they may need. She also suggested starting up a PTA group that works outside of the classroom or promoting certain events the school may put on to help mental health students.
Although the school system is getting better and practicing how to help students with mental health within the school, there is still so much work needed to be accomplished, and no one knows exactly how long it will take for these changes to become effective. After all, COVID-19 was a total surprise to everyone. So, in the famous words of clergyman John C Maxwell who wrote the famous book 18 years ago, he once said, “Teamwork makes the dream work” and that quote is still relevant today and holds as well.
To conclude, everyone can participate. It is the parents who are the first to be aware of their teenager's or preteen's mental state, especially when it comes to their education. An interview with Nicole Daniels, a single mother of a preteen girl, was recently featured on Talks with T. Nicole advises parents to approach their teen or pre-teen situation with an open mind and realize their child is human first before they are a child. Educators are more than just teachers. Parents and educators should come together and support their students as a unit.
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