Implement Early Integration of Mental Health in Schools
The Issue
As a student at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Indiana, I have observed a growing number of students who experience mental health issues. This can range from poor coping skills (mainly in the form of self-harm and drug use) to mental illnesses (more commonly depression and anxiety). Let's not forget that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in youth from ages 15-19 in the U.S.
I personally believe that prevention methods are just as important as diagnosis and treatment methods. It's clear that students are struggling with the new realities of life, but this can be better helped if we explore ways to help and prevent these issues from developing beforehand.
Below are some of my proposed strategies to implement in early grades as well as later grades (if this petition reaches my goals, then I will present my powerpoint presentation to a group in education authority with the hopes of them AT LEAST considering it):
- introducing people to the “The National Emergency” (aka the statistics)
- introduce students in the 4th and 5th grade about the negative coping skills and give them better coping skills and mental health promotion strategies
- introduce K-8 to mental health promotion strategies and tips that are targeted/specific to the grade level
- Teach students about the neutrality of emotions (explain that emotions are neutral and not negative at an early age)
- Eliminate behavior charts in elementary schools ( they can cause feelings of inadequacy, can cause the “badly behaved” children to fall into a rhythm, and can cause lack of self-confidence)
- Increase comfortability with school counselors/ integration of counselors early on
- Increasing the time gap between when we start to talk about mental illnesses (5th grade at minimum)
- Mental health days from grades 7-12
- Stress Support Groups- 9-12 during lunch or study hall periods
- Allow Intervention without parental consent
- Explain what these so-called "evidence-based prevention programs" are that the faculty is undergoing and what progress they've made
- Implement better teacher/student relationships
The Issue
As a student at Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers, Indiana, I have observed a growing number of students who experience mental health issues. This can range from poor coping skills (mainly in the form of self-harm and drug use) to mental illnesses (more commonly depression and anxiety). Let's not forget that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in youth from ages 15-19 in the U.S.
I personally believe that prevention methods are just as important as diagnosis and treatment methods. It's clear that students are struggling with the new realities of life, but this can be better helped if we explore ways to help and prevent these issues from developing beforehand.
Below are some of my proposed strategies to implement in early grades as well as later grades (if this petition reaches my goals, then I will present my powerpoint presentation to a group in education authority with the hopes of them AT LEAST considering it):
- introducing people to the “The National Emergency” (aka the statistics)
- introduce students in the 4th and 5th grade about the negative coping skills and give them better coping skills and mental health promotion strategies
- introduce K-8 to mental health promotion strategies and tips that are targeted/specific to the grade level
- Teach students about the neutrality of emotions (explain that emotions are neutral and not negative at an early age)
- Eliminate behavior charts in elementary schools ( they can cause feelings of inadequacy, can cause the “badly behaved” children to fall into a rhythm, and can cause lack of self-confidence)
- Increase comfortability with school counselors/ integration of counselors early on
- Increasing the time gap between when we start to talk about mental illnesses (5th grade at minimum)
- Mental health days from grades 7-12
- Stress Support Groups- 9-12 during lunch or study hall periods
- Allow Intervention without parental consent
- Explain what these so-called "evidence-based prevention programs" are that the faculty is undergoing and what progress they've made
- Implement better teacher/student relationships
Petition Updates
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Petition created on June 30, 2019