Addressing mental health concerns

A “decline” in the work ethic of students is not the only concern being brought to light in a post-pandemic world. The mental health obstacles brought on by COVID are also being addressed – or so it seems. 

A 2021 study done by the National Institutes of Health found that nearly half of Americans that were surveyed had recently reported symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder. 10% of the respondents said that they felt that their mental health needs were not being adequately met. 

At Sartell schools, the mental health needs of students have been attempted to be addressed. Last year, the Sartell School District established the Educational Equity and Student Experience Committee (EESE), a community-driven group that was jointly led by students, staff, and community members at Sartell ISD 748 schools. Over the course of the 2021-2022 school year, the EESE identified a series of recommended action steps that were to be taken with ten categories that revolved around the student experience at Sartell schools. One of these categories was student support. 

The EESE’s action steps on student support included “increasing staff support for mental health and the awareness of community partnerships and school-linked resources” and to “de-stigmatize student support services.” One of the recommended action steps to destigmatize student support services was creating a minimum of three check-ins per year with students and their respective counselors.  

“I think there is more our school could do personally,” said Hannah Rivard, a junior at Sartell High School. “They say the counselors will meet with us, yet I am not sure they have. I think just seeing them [the counselors] around the school more might be helpful to a lot of students, knowing that they are a part of the school and not just a part of their office.”

Despite a deceptive lack of action taken by the school district, there are currently some efforts being made to address mental health in schools. In an email conversation with Dr. Jeff Ridlehoover, the Sartell ISD 748 District Superintendent, he detailed the district’s current and upcoming plans to take care of students’ well-being. One of the most recognizable mental health awareness efforts made by the Sartell High School was becoming affiliated with the Green Bandana Project, a nationwide, student-led mental health support group. As of last year, Sartell High School was not officially licensed to be a Green Bandana Project school, so it was known as the Green Heart Project. Regardless, the premise of this project remained the same; members of the project tied green bandanas to their backpacks as a way to show students that they were an outlet for mental health help.

Kellan Nichols, a SHS senior and member of the Green Heart Project, said, “We are a group that focuses on mental health and mental well-being for the student body. Technically, we are not a mental health resource, and it is heavily emphasized that we are not meant to be consolation or therapy for a student in need, but we are a resource to help them find the help they need.” 

Moreover, Sartell High School has welcomed in a new counselor, Kate Turner, who was hired due to the growing student population and to make sure that students could have a stronger relationship with their respective counselors. 

In general, student mental health resources at the Sartell District seem promising as well. Sparing no expense, the school has received multiple financial grants to bring multiple mental health resources to the student body. One of these resources is the Youth Frontiers, a Minnesota-based group that aims to provide students with character training and enhance emotional learning. Sartell students will be able to attend Youth Frontier’s day-long retreats, starting next month: the Courage Retreat will be held in November for 7th graders, and the Respect Retreat will be held in February for 9th graders. Additionally, through an affiliation and grant with the Central Minnesota Mental Health Center, Sartell has added a school-linked mental health therapist that students can contact when in need. Other district plans for addressing student mental health include teacher training, social media awareness, and providing gradual and smoother transitions for students moving to a new building. 

Although the COVID pandemic has largely become an afterthought, its consequences have shed new light on academics and the importance of how schools handle the well-being of their students. Longitudinal studies that unveil the true damage to the emotional health of students will not be able to be conducted until many years from now, but as for the present day, the future of addressing and prioritizing student academic performance and mental health seems bright.