# data[].attributes.body
Students experience a lot of stress so they're at high risk for mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, etc. Having mental health issues can affect attendance and student performance because it could lower student motivation which can contribute to students grades and attendance decreasing over time.

# data[].attributes.body
Bring Change to Mind is a program created to end stigma and discrimination that surround mental illnesses. In this program, you can speak with others who have similar issues, and the website provides virtual events. It helps high schools create programs to help their own students manage their own mental health issues. There was research conducted in Australia that found that students prefer their home where they feel supported and feel intimidated and unsafe with older students. This research helps the program because students can join conversations and virtual events in their own home where they feel comfortable.

Hughes H., Franz J., Willis J., Bland D., Rolfe A. (2019) High School Spaces and Student Transitioning: Designing for Student Wellbeing. In: Hughes H., Franz J., Willis J. (eds) School Spaces for Student Wellbeing and Learning. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6092-3_6

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
At Bring Change to Mind, our mission is to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness. We work with industry-leading scientists to make a real difference in the lives of teens and adults across the country.
Click below to learn more about our organization.

The Latest & Greatest

See our newest PSA, partnerships, and event updates right here.

We are partnering with the CW to launch a series of PSAs addressing the importance of mental health care for everyone. Stars from All American and All American: Homecoming remind us that we are not alone.

On October 9, 2023 we hosted Revels & Revelations 11 in New York City. This star-studded event featured entertainment, conversation, heartfelt moments and the bestowing of the Robin Williams Legacy of Laughter Award to Ryan Reynolds.

Our High School Clubs are now in 38 states with over 12,000 participating students. In March, we hosted a student summit in New York City, the first of a series that will be held both virtually and in-person over the course of the year.

Help is Here

Get useful tools for yourself, your friends, or family members, curated by our staff, our Scientific Advisory Council, and our partners.

BC2M HS

Our nationwide high school program empowers students to take on the challenge of ending the stigma around mental illness together by creating a culture of peer support within their schools. Click below to learn more and apply to start your own club!

Featured Partner

We are proud to partner with Title Boxing Club, whose mission is to increase fitness and decrease stress through authentic boxing training, anytime, anywhere.

What We Do

School
Programs

We help amplify the voices of students across the country, through peer support and access to exclusive resources.

PSAs

Our award-winning campaigns have helped us get our mission in front of millions, and have featured everyone from A-List celebrities to real-life BC2M club members.

Research

Our team of mental health experts ensures we have the most accurate and up-to-date information for our resources, programs, and events.

Events

We partner with everyone from global brands to local businesses to create a stigma-free future, and hold an annual fundraiser to help us continue bringing our message to the masses.

It costs just $5 a year to support a BC2M youth advocate.

Make a contribution today!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At Bring Change to Mind, our mission is to end the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental illness. We work with industry-leading scientists to make a real difference in the lives of teens and adults across the country.Click below to learn more about our organization. See our newest PSA, partnerships, and event updates right here.

# data[].attributes.body
School counselors believe:
• M. 5. Effective school counseling is a collaborative process involving school counselors, students, families, teachers, administrators, other school staff and education stakeholders.
• M. 7. Comprehensive school counseling programs promote and enhance student academic career and social-emotional outcomes.
• B- PF 6. Demonstrate understanding of the impact of cultural, social, and environmental influences on student success and opportunities.
• B- PF 9. Create systematic change through the implementation of a comprehensive school counseling program.

American School Counselor Association. (2019). Asca National Model: A framework for school counseling programs.

# data[].attributes.body
School psychologists: can provide students with mental health services and support staff and parents with interventions, identification and assessment, and referral for community resources
Social workers: can assess behavioral patterns, well-being, and encourage to change what is under their control
Teachers: provide a safe environment, encourage good health, and help students access mental health resources
Parents: create a sense of belonging, reinforce positive behaviors and decision making, encourage good physical health
Nurses: provide frequent check-ins and provide empathy and compassion

How counselors and other school staff can help students with their mental health. CareSolace.org. (2022, January 3). Retrieved January 8, 2022, from https://www.caresolace.org/la-times-how-schools-help-student-mental-health/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy issued a public health advisory this month on protecting youth mental health, he brought attention to the widespread challenges facing today's young people. But he also emphasized that these challenges are surmountable - and often preventable.

One of his recommendations, as part of what he calls a "whole-of-society" effort to mitigate the pandemic's corrosive effects on mental health, is to support students' mental health in schools.

What kind of support systems do students have there? What can parents rely on school counselors to handle, and when does an issue become something that requires extra assistance? Debra Duardo, the superintendent of schools for Los Angeles County; Loretta Whitson, executive director of the California Assn. of School Counselors; and staff from the Santa Ana Unified School District explain.

How does it all work?

Schools have a combination of counselors, social workers, psychologists and nurses who work together as a mental health team on campus, Duardo said.

The team's No. 1 priority is making sure students can learn. This includes identifying and removing (or at least reducing) any barriers that are preventing a child from receiving or absorbing instruction.

But it's important to understand that all school employees are trained in how to identify distress in children, Duardo said.

"Because sometimes children won't go to a counselor," she said. "Maybe the first person they're going to talk to is their teacher or custodian, someone else that they connect with."

If a parent is concerned, Duardo recommends talking to the teacher first. "They spend so much time with the children in their classroom that they can see when something is off and a child is behaving differently than they typically do."

The teacher will know what resources are available at the school and be able to refer parents to the appropriate person.

Here are the main roles on campus

Duties may vary - and blur together - depending on the school and district. Middle and high schools tend to have more support than elementary schools, but that gap is narrowing.
School counselors
There are many different types of school counselors.

Some are academic or college counselors who help students set up classes and plan for the future. There are also attendance counselors, who try to figure out why some kids aren't showing up in school. And there are counselors who are more clinically oriented. They may work in campus wellness centers and give short-term care to students struggling with depression, anxiety or other mental health challenges.

Counselors can also provide support for parents and caretakers. Sometimes a parent needs advice on how to deal with a kid who refuses to attend school. Sometimes students need help communicating something that they're scared to tell their parents - for example, if a student is pregnant or HIV-positive.

"You can't help a child without addressing the parent," Duardo said.
School psychologists
Though one might assume psychologists are the ones providing therapy at schools - and they can be - school psychologists are usually the ones working with students with special needs. They help special education teachers develop individualized education plans and monitor progress.
School social workers
The role of school social workers can vary as well. They are trained in counseling and crisis intervention. They could also be working to help with a child's living situation, assisting kids with disabilities or developing trauma-informed programs.
School nurses
Though nurses deal with physical ailments, these symptoms can often be tied to mental health. If children are getting sick because they aren't sleeping enough or eating enough, this could be a sign of a mental health issue.

The goal is for all these providers to collaborate and understand the fuller picture of what a child's struggles are. Then they can pass the baton - what schools call "warm handoffs" - to the appropriate person at each stage of a student's need.

According to Sonia Llamas, assistant superintendent at Santa Ana Unified School District, that process starts with the early identification of the problem and continues to intervention and coordination of care and services. And if a student requires hospitalization, the school needs to provide support to help the child's transition back to campus.
What are the limitations of school-based mental health systems?
School counselors have extremely high caseloads. Though the American School Counselor Assn. recommends a ratio of 250 students per counselor, the national average for the 2019-20 school year was 424 students per counselor. California had a ratio of 601 to 1.

When school counselors have such a high caseload, they're forced to try to identify students' issues very quickly so they can figure which cases they need to prioritize, Duardo said.

Many schools use a framework called Multi-Tiered System of Supports. There are three tiers that correspond to different levels of student need. The majority of kids are in Tier 1, which focuses on prevention. Tier 2 is for kids who require early intervention, which can come in the form of group sessions. And Tier 3 is for kids who need individualized care.

For the most part, schools provide short-term counseling, and if students need extra support, schools refer them to an agency or work with the parents to see what kind of therapy or other assistance is covered by their insurance. Care Solace, for example, works with 300 school districts to help connect families with mental health providers.
What are some of the goals moving forward?
Schools have been working over the years to offer more assistance to students and caregivers who reach out for help. But they're also trying to do more to head off problems by integrating social and emotional learning lessons into the classroom. This includes teaching kids such fundamental skills as how to make friends, encouraging them to talk about their feelings and showing them the importance of being resilient.

Referring to the pandemic's numerous disruptions, Whitson said: "Kids have been thrown a real hard curve here. What we're working on is trying to help them understand that this is not permanent. And help them cope with it."

One reason schools are advocating for more counselors is because it makes it easier to be proactive in tackling the youth mental health crisis.

Just this year, the Santa And Unified School District successfully met the nationally recommended ratio of 250 students per counselor. This has made a world of difference in counselors being able to build trust with students, said Rebecca Pianta, the district's coordinator of college and career readiness.

There is more time for one-on-one connection, and counselors can build relationships with students - with fun activities in the quad or surveys to learn what topics they are curious about - before they need assistance.

This is especially important in communities where there is stigma associated with asking for help, said Káty Castellanos, the district's director of college and career readiness. Their district serves a majority Latino population.

"Because the mentality is that if you have a problem at home, you don't talk about it, you don't discuss it with anybody," she said. "And if you go to a school counselor and social worker, you're 'crazy.' So we're trying to demystify that."

View the news story in the LA Times here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
how counselors and other school staff can help students with their mental health - caresolace.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
care solace is a mental health care coordination service for education systems on a mission.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How counselors and other school staff can help students with their mental health - CareSolace.org

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy issued a public health advisory this month on protecting youth mental health, he brought attention to the widespread challenges facing today's young people. But he also emphasized that these challenges are surmountable - and often preventable.