![]() ![]() The overall mission of New York's School Mental Health (SMH) program is to promote healthy social, emotional, and behavioral development of students, and "break down barriers to learning so the general well-being of students, families, and school staff can be enhanced in collaboration with other comprehensive student support and services." Beginning in July 2018, New York will be the first state in the nation to require mental health education for all students. New York mental health experts recognized that earlier intervention could result in more positive outcomes for these students. Underlining the seriousness is the fact that 60 percent of high school students with mental illness don't graduate.įurther reading: Ease Student Anxiety in the Classroom Despite the fact that the average age of early signs of mental illness is 14, most individuals don't seek help until adulthood. The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that one in five people live with some sort of mental disorder or disease. With the help of medication and therapy, she managed to graduate with her class. Melina was hospitalized for a period of time, but she was able to return to my classroom a few months later. They discovered that Melina was depressed and suicidal, and she needed an immediate psychiatric intervention. Luckily, my school had social workers on staff who could speak to Melina and assess her issues. Because I had some training in mental health awareness, I knew Melina was in some sort of trouble. When I tried to speak to her, she was uncharacteristically distant and withdrawn. ![]() Previously meticulous in her appearance, Melina would come to school disheveled, wearing the same clothes. ![]() I noticed that Melina no longer did her homework, and she didn't even try on her essays. Seeing the Signs in My StudentĪ few years ago, a student in my senior class changed drastically in a short period of time. As a high school teacher with more than 23 years of experience, I welcome the fact that mental health awareness is finally becoming an important part of a school's function and curriculum. Education professionals have recognized the impact that a student's mental health has on learning and achievement, and they realize that there's a great deal that can be done to help students with mental health issues. Mental health awareness is an important issue for all educators, who are often the first line of defense for their students. ![]()
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