For most of us, when we were in school, we accessed the resources
of our school guidance counselor, whose main focus was to help us select our
classes, make sure we were on track to graduate, and talk to us about what we
wanted to do after high school. If we wanted to go to college, they would
send a transcript to the college, and we would wait to hear that we got in, and
then go along our merry way. I don’t recall feeling any stress about the
college process, or worrying about what classes I was taking, or even thinking
that I may not get in. I was awarded a full-tuition scholarship to the
college I attended, and looking back on it now, I am not sure how that even
happened!
Fast forward to 2019. Times have changed. Students
begin to stress about the college application process as early as late
elementary school. I have heard comments from sixth graders about
community service opportunities and how they will look on a resume. There are
record numbers of students applying to college with no more seats added over
the years, which has made it even more difficult to get into a four-year
school. We add on to that the graduation requirements of SOL tests,
verified credits, a virtual course, a credential exam, a sequential elective,
an academic career plan, First Aid-CPR training, computer literacy, and what do
you want to be when you grow up and how will you pay for it?
Students on at-risk lists are tested and retested multiple times in SOLs, and
now the credential exam is added to that retest list, which is usually the same
student who is already retesting SOLs. All of this then results in stress
and anxiety that sometimes escalates into mental health concerns.
You may have seen the alarming statistics that mental health
concerns are on the rise. According to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental
Illness), 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people aged 10-34. More than two-thirds
of children reported at least one traumatic event by age 16 according to
SAMHSA, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
“There’s somewhat of a stigma built up around mental health that prevents people from getting care,” said State Sen. Creigh Deeds (D-Bath). “It’s important that mental health issues [are] given the same dignity as physical health issues.”
A recent publication, iGen, by Jean Twenge, asks
the question, “Why today’s super-connected kids are growing up less rebellious,
more tolerant, less happy- and completely unprepared for adulthood?” She
drew her conclusions from over 11 million representative surveys and in-depth
interviews. In summary, with social media and texting replacing
other activities, iGen spends less time with their friends in person – perhaps
this is why they are experiencing unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression,
and loneliness.
As parents and educators, we must ask ourselves
how are we adapting and adjusting to this generation of students. We have
to ensure their social-emotional needs are being met in order to meet their
academic needs to enable them to be viable, productive citizens.
The school counseling profession has changed
dramatically over the past few years, mainly because of the changing needs of
our student populations. Below is a chart that demonstrates a few of the
changes that have occurred.
Our school counselors are experiencing a rise in working with students with mental health concerns. In Hanover County, we have tracked our numbers over the past two years in several areas, including suicide assessments for those students who have presented as at risk, students on homebound, and student visits to the nurse’s office. Our suicide assessments have risen, particularly at the elementary level. We have also seen a rise in the number of imminent threats. “Imminent threat” means that the student has the ability and a plan to follow through on their suicidal ideation. The number of our students on homebound have risen, with nearly half of them related to social anxiety and depression. The majority of visits to the school nurse are based on anxiety or physical symptoms that can be linked to anxiety.
Hanover County Public Schools is working diligently to explore
areas for best practice to provide students, parents, and staff the resources
needed to assist with mental health concerns and to combat the stigma
surrounding conversations about mental health. This year, we are rolling
out the Signs of Suicide program for all 7th and 10th grade students that will
educate them on recognizing when they are others could be at-risk. We are
also exploring a Social-Emotional Curriculum to implement division-wide, K-12,
with resources for faculty and parents imbedded. This will be a two year
roll out with the first year having a focus on teaching and modeling the
importance of social-emotional care for staff, and the second year emphasizing
the SEL model for students.
Graduation requirements
continue to change, sometimes yearly. We have more students with greater
needs every year. Our task list gets longer, and we work tirelessly to try
to meet all of our students’ needs. We all have the passion and the heart
to provide equitable resources for all of our students, but because of the
nature of the job and the cavernous needs of our student populations, this will
continue to be a significant challenge. The only viable option is for us
to do WHAT’S BEST FOR STUDENTS, and that is to offer resources and training for
our families and teachers to assist us in training up the whole child in the
areas of academics, careers, and SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL needs.