North Texas nonprofit "Communities In Schools" raising awareness during Mental Illness Awareness Week
NORTH TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) — It is Mental Illness Awareness Week and the nonprofit "Communities In Schools" is raising awareness while highlighting the ways they can help.
For middle schooler Leyla Trasfi, talking about the day-to-day stresses she faces isn't easy.
"I have a sick grandma to take care of so I have a lot of stress put on me about that and my mom is also stressed out about that," she said.
Her peers are concerned about transportation to and from school, grades, getting enough food and even mean posts and comments made by other students on social media.
"I know there are kids who just don't think about it, but they don't know that they're hurting other people by posting this and that," middle schooler Jessica Gonzalez said.
They say all of this affects their mental health and this year, Communities In Schools is seeing an increase in students dealing with mental health-related issues. Some of these issues include anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, thoughts of suicide and self-injury.
"For years and years and years, there's always been a stigma attached to mental health and having mental health challenges," Communities In Schools Dallas region chief clinical officer Dr. Summer Rose said. "We feel like it's important to normalize the fact that that everybody has challenges."
Dr. Rose says they partner with 150 campuses in the Dallas area, providing a multitude of services that surround students with support and resources.
"Our program allows us to have a person on the campuses that we partner with that are committed to seeing students achieve in life," she said. "We also have licensed mental health professionals that are providing individual and group counseling."
Middle schooler Jovanni Salcedo said it feels like "you can just open up to them and tell them a lot."
Trasfi said it's very helpful and relieves a lot of pressure. "I think a lot of kids could benefit from this."
Dr. Rose says parents can even play a part by doing the following:
- Approaching kids with curiosity and honesty
- Putting time aside for one-on-one conversations
- Listening and refraining from judgement
- Monitoring social media
"Yes, they're growing up and yes, they want their autonomy. But they still need their parents," she said.
"I appreciate every second I have of this," Trasfi said. "Just check up on your kids and make sure their mental health is doing OK."