Health & wellness
BY DUSTIN BUTLER
Richardson ISD provides mental health resources to students Richardson ISD o ers a variety mental health resources for students. In a Q&A with Community Impact , Director of Counseling Dr. Summer Martin explained what services are available and how students can access them. What types of mental health services are currently available for students in the district? All students have access to their school coun- selor to receive support for their mental health. All secondary students have access to an intervention counselor who speci cally works with students on mental health related concerns. Some campuses also have a social worker who work on mental health related concerns and focus on connecting students and families to resources. All students
also have access to TCHATT, or telebehavioral health services through Children’s Health, which allows students to have free counseling with a therapist virtually during the school hours (with parent approval). How can students or parents request access to mental health services? Students can request to see their counselor by stopping by the counseling o ce or lling out an online request form. You can also email your counselor as well. Parents can call their child’s counselor or email them—email is preferred as the counselors will be working with students during the day and may not be able to make a phone call. What mental health education or awareness programs are provided for students and sta ? The counselors provide various lessons on men- tal health through guidance lessons at all levels. These lessons are provided by counselors at the elementary levels at di erent times throughout the day, usually going into all classes twice a month. At the secondary level, shorter lessons are provided during the advisory time at least once a month.
What kind of training do teachers and sta receive to recognize and respond to signs of mental health challenges in students? Every year, teachers are trained on recognizing the signs of students who are struggling and are equipped with the information to make sure they get the help they need. Do you partner with any community mental health organizations or providers? If so, can you explain how the partnership works? If not, are there any plans to nd partnership opportunities? We have many partnerships in RISD—we work with our community partners to provide additional services to students free of charge based on need at either the campus or individual level. Our partners in mental health include Children’s Health, Grant Halliburton Foundation, Mental Health America of Greater Dallas, Youth 180, Journey of Hope, Ardyn Hope, the JED Foundation, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, Rainbow Days, Trauma and Grief Network, and Metrocare.
Richardson ISD sta are trained to recognize signs of students struggling with mental health.
COURTESY RICHARDSON ISD
CONNOR PITTMAN COMMUNITY IMPACT
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