Because of the struggles and stigma surrounding mental health, children are not addressing mental health-related issues until much later in life. The need for early mental health intervention and education as it applies to children is even less discussed. Statistics show it takes an average of 11 years to identify a mental health condition in a child, and experts have expressed this delay can intensify the child's condition due to a lack of early intervention and support. The stigmatization of mental health and mental health education has been an ongoing and prevalent issue that has negatively affected our communities for decades. It has been reported that 1 in 6 children in the United States ages 6-17 experience a mental health disorder. Untreated or undiagnosed mental health conditions can affect a child's growth, development, and ability to learn (Mental health in schools, n.d.).

We are asking Denton ISD to implement a plan that would be low budget, but have the potential to make a big impact in our community. This intervention would not only help promote the normalization of mental health, but promote early prevention within the individual, family system, neighborhood, school district, and among peer groups, by teaching skills and techniques to both children and parents with the utilization of monthly after-school seminars. Educating families as a collective would create a dynamic of family knowledge and understanding of how to acknowledge and address concerns, and live mentally healthy within life’s various circumstances. This would be done by connecting the school's mental health workforce and qualified mental-health volunteers to students and their families to discuss mental health-related topics. There will be age-appropriate activities for the students to educate and increase self-awareness, an open space for parents to learn and ask questions, and a safe environment to support families in navigating through potentially difficult conversations with their children. Our goal is to bring families closer together and empower parents and children with the tools they need to maintain positive and healthy family relationships both now and throughout their lives. Through education, we aim to normalize healthy communication about and lessen the stigmatization surrounding mental health.

A student's mental and emotional well-being are essential preconditions for a student's success in not just school, but in life, as they transition from childhood to adulthood. Youth and families of the most vulnerable populations are immensely struggling because of the early foundational systems we are built upon and the lack of shared, equitable resources. Anyone can see the additional toll this past year has taken on children and communities. With families being quarantined together for the past year and a half, parents have not only had to manage their mental health, but that of their children. Together, let’s "improve resilience and the ability to succeed in school & life." 

Mental health in schools. (n.d.). Retrieved September 06, 2021, from https://www.nami.org/Advocacy/Policy-Priorities/Improving-Health/Mental-Health-in-Schools

You can access the TEA plan and statistics here: https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/sb11mhsp.pdf