Page 18 - The EDGE Summer 2024
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MENTAL HEALTH
BY NIKKI CRIDER
Caring Beyond the Surface:
Addressing Mental Health in Schools
Nikki Crider
The statistics surrounding mental health are teachers, school staff, and contracted vendors like
jarring. facilities management providers – to be actively
involved in keeping students safe and secure.
For example:
• One in every five students report being bullied "Fostering awareness, understanding,
(National Center for Educational Statistics, and empathy has never been more
2019).
• 50% of all lifetime mental health conditions critical in school environments."
begin before the age of 14 (National Alliance
on Mental Illness). Vendor and District Responsibilities
• A 10% increase in negative experiences on Both vendors and districts should have training in
social media corresponds with a 13% rise place to proactively support students' mental health
in loneliness, resulting in heightened risks and actively monitor the school environment. This
of psychological and mental health issues, training should focus on identifying potential
including depression and suicide (JAMA areas of concern in student behavior, alerting
Psychiatric Study, 2019). proper administrators, and supporting students by
creating a positive, welcoming environment.
Fostering awareness, understanding, and empathy
has never been more critical in school environments. The best tool each member of the school
While students only spend a portion of their days community has is the ability to keep a watchful
within school walls, being seen and heard in that eye and a listening ear. If you see something,
environment can change the trajectory of their lives. say something. School staff, vendors and
teachers spend the school day alongside students,
According to the American Institutes for Research, and should be trained and able to learn the
a welcoming, supportive school climate contributes school environment, observe interactions, and
to students' and teachers' social, emotional, and communicate when something seems off.
cognitive development. This environment can, in
turn, improve test scores and attendance, increase In his presentation on this subject, Dale Ponder,
grade promotion and graduation rates, reduce Chief of Finance and Operations, Crane Schools,
violent behavior, and even mitigate teacher burnout. said: "Think about students like an apple on a
desk: When you look at an apple or picture one,
Each adult within a school environment can it is probably shiny, clean, and red. You may not
have a positive impact on the mental health of realize that the back side of that same apple –
students. While each party may carry different outside of your view – may be bruised, rotting, or
responsibilities, there are ways for everyone – have a bite missing. Students are the same. They
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18 THE EDGE SUMMER 2024
