WILMINGTON, MA – Wilmington School Superintendent Mary DeLai published her weekly blog post on Sunday, discussing how the school district is recognizing Mental Health Month, including holding the first annual Behavioral Health Provider Fair at the Wilmington Middle School on Thursday, May 12, from 3pm to 8pm. Read DeLai’s blog post HERE or below:
The month of May has been designated as Mental Health Month by a number of national organizations including the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Mental Health America (MHA). The intent of this observance is to bring awareness to the growing challenge of mental illness in our society and to fight the stigma associated with mental health. Millions of Americans contend with a variety of mental health conditions each year. According to NAMI, twenty percent of children between the ages of 13 and 18 have or will have a serious mental health illness – that’s one out of every five children. Ten percent of children have a behavior or conduct disorder, while eight percent suffer from an anxiety disorder. Fifty percent of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by the age of 14 and seventy five percent by the age of 24.
These compelling statistics only further emphasize the importance of the work that our schools can and should be doing to support the behavioral needs of our students and to promote healthy social and emotional growth and development. The question now being discussed is what exactly is the role of schools in supporting and/or addressing students’ behavioral health needs. In a recent parent survey that our district issued, 98% of parents expressed that the primary responsibility for helping a child deal with his or her emotions rests with parents. Yet, in another question, 28% of parents felt less than completely confident in their ability to do so. Thirty eight percent felt less than confident in their ability to help their child develop good friendships. The reality is that schools do have a strong role to play in the behavioral, social and emotional learning domains. Behavioral health and social competence are fundamental to readiness to learn. If students are not ready to learn, academics will take a back seat for children.
The theme this year for most organizations promoting the observation of Mental Health Month is around sharing our stories. While 1 in 5 individuals will be affected by a mental health condition during their lifetime, nearly every person is affected or impacted by virtue of having a friend or relative struggling with a mental health condition. When I was growing up, I had a sibling who struggled with an emotional impairment that manifested as episodic explosive behaviors that were extremely frightening to a young adolescent. The stigma associated with this mental health prevented my family from seeking the help that we truly needed. We were prohibited from discussing our situation with anyone which to led to attention seeking behaviors including, sometimes, self-injury. Ironically, most of the injuries went unnoticed and, if noticed, would generally be attributed to my own clumsiness. For me, school was my safe place. Each morning I looked forward to my walk to school and faced many afternoon treks home with anxiety and trepidation.
The trauma associated with those episodes of violent behavior certainly took a toll on me but fortunately, as an adult, I was able to avail myself of the counseling supports necessary to deal with the post-traumatic impacts of my childhood experiences. Counseling helps us learn how to care for ourselves and manage our symptoms. We heal but are never truly cured.
As a school district, there is much that we can do to support struggling students. Whether it is the child exhibiting explosive behaviors or the sibling struggling in silence, school is often the safe place where students must work through these issues. Not only can we support our students, but we can also support parents and families struggling to help children or family members who are suffering from a mental health condition. It is for this reason that Wilmington Public Schools is hosting its first annual Behavioral Health Provider Fair at Wilmington Middle School on May 12, 2016, from 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. It is our hope that parents, families, and even students will come out to support one another, to share their stories, to learn about the resources, tools, and strategies available, and to end the stigma and shame that too often prevents us from getting the help we need.
So what else can you do to observe Mental Health Month?
- On May 17th, St. Thomas Church will be hosting a Drug Awareness Night. Many who suffer from mental health issues also struggle with substance abuse disorder. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about how to support those with drug dependency.
- Share your Story. Click HERE to tell us what you would like people to know about your struggles with mental illness. This is an anonymous shared document that anyone can access. Please be appropriate and respectful. Your stories may help some to feel that they are not alone and inspire others to get the help they need.
- Take The Stigmafree Pledge HERE through the National Alliance on Mental Health. Individuals, companies, organizations and others can all take the pledge to learn more about mental illness, to see a person for who they are and take action on mental health issues.
- Purchase a green Mental Health Awareness lapel pin and wear it during the month of May. Pins will be available in each school’s main office beginning this week for a suggested donation of $5.00. All funds go to supporting our annual Behavioral Health Provider Fair and our district’s behavioral health initiatives. Our thanks to Wilmington Rotary for their donation of 500 pins to Wilmington Public Schools.
- Register to take the Mental Health First Aid course available through Wilmington Public Schools or the Wilmington Board of Health. If you are interested in registering for an upcoming class (dates TBA), email us at info@wpsk12.com and let us know you are interested in MHFA. Please be sure to leave us your contact information. Our thanks to Lahey Medical Center for the generous grant that made it possible for several school and town staff to become certified MHFA instructors.
- Take advantage of self help tools available through Mental Health America or find support resources through the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
And remember, “Not all wounds are so visible. Walk gently in the lives of others.”
~healthyplaces.com
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