Mental Health Awareness

    Mental health is one of the most important issues students face today. A lot of students deal with stress, anxiety, depression, and other problems. Sometimes other people can’t tell if or when someone’s struggling because they might be bottling up or hiding their feelings and thoughts. School can also be stressful because of homework, tests, family problems, and social media. Here at VHS we try to help students by giving them a safe place where they can talk about their problems and feelings and can get support. VHS also works to bring awareness to mental health and suicide prevention so students know that they’re not alone.

One place that helps students is the wellness center. Mr. Hector works there and he helps students when they’re having a hard time. Students can go to talk to him about school, family problems, stress, and or other things that are bothering them. Here’s what he had to say: 

What other jobs have you done in the past?

Mr. Hector: Before this I was at an elementary school as a campus supervisor and that’s actually where I found out that I want to help kids. And from there, I’m like, okay. I started working with social workers at school and they motivated me to pursue a degree in social work because they saw that I was a good fit and that I was helpful for the kids and connecting them with services. And before that I was actually in a completely different field, which everybody usually gets a little shocked by is that I was in the automotive field. I went to school for automotive. And so yeah, after high school, I went straight into the automotive field

What made you want to do this job and help teenagers with their mental health?

Mr. Hector: Going back to what I said about working at the elementary school as a campus supervisor, you really see all the kids. You see them during recess, during lunch, before school, and after school. So you see them right? So you catch on when a student is going through something, you’ll see that they’re covering their heads, they’re isolating, they’re alone, right? And it’s just me seeing that I would approach them and oh something is going on. And they’re like, you’re the first person that has checked up on me. And when I, you know, hearing that, it's just, it’s rewarding, right? Because you know that you’re helping them out and connecting with the social workers at that school and helping them out and seeing what they did. It’s something that I found rewarding. And just being able to be that person that kids can come and ask for support, right? They can ask for help. That’s to me that’s rewarding. I don’t think there’s anything else better than that. 

What did you study to get this job?

Mr. Hector: I did bachelor’s and my masters in social work. So again, I got mentored into social work. So a lot of people what they do is they go into sociology and then from sociology they go they get their masters in social work. But since then I was working with social workers. They knew that I wanted social work off the bat. They were like just do your bachelors in social work and then  do your masters in social work.

Students are often worried about being judged by their friends or other students. How is the wellness center designed to feel safe and discreet?

Mr. Hector: It's meant to be where you’re able to ask your teacher when they’re in class, hey, can I go to the wellness center? That might not be sweet right? So, what they can do is we have QR codes outside our windows. We’re trying to post them around the school where they can just get their phone, scan it, and then they can choose who they want to meet with, me or Miss Mayda. And they can just give us a brief description of what’s going on. That way we can just pull them out. Nobody knows, right? Because I know a lot of times kids don’t want to be like, oh, he was at the wellness center or oh something's going on. So, I’m not going to brag about it. I mean. I’m not going to go around saying “Oh, so and so was here” Right?  That’s one way that we keep it discreet. So nobody has to know and there’s no issue with that. But the kids know already that it’s a place where you can come and let your teacher know. You don’t even have to give your teacher a reason. Just let them know I want to go to the center, right? Here we have confidentiality between the student and myself. For the most part a lot of kids just want to come in here and just be heard.

How do you make the center feel like a safe, cool place to go so kids aren't embarrassed to be seen there?

Mr. Hector: I try to keep up with the stuff here with a lot of the fidgets like some Needohs, and the ping pong table. Like that is something new and it's been a big attraction from the kids. I think that’s really brought in a lot of people here because it’s something different that you don’t see at a school. There’s fun activities that we have here, we have rock painting, slime making, and bracelet making. I try to keep it just entertaining and fun. A lot of times kids are in class and they’re stressed out. The last thing they want to do is more work. I try to keep it light and again fun. I keep it safe by always stepping in. If I hear something, you know, something’s going on. I step right in, I don’t let it linger. I address it. I think that’s the biggest thing. The kids here know that I’ll step in. They know they can reach for me for help if they need it.

Have you noticed students being more stressed or less stressed since the school changed its rules about cell phones?

Mr. Hector: That's a big one. I've seen phones be a big part of our life. Even myself, I’m not going to say it’s just the kids. For some kids, it’s stressful, right? They live with their phones because that can be the only way of communicating with friends. They’re kids that might not have any friends and that’s the only way to connect with friends outside of school, the country, or outside the state. So, for those students, it’s hard right? It’s a barrier that has to be seen, has to be addressed. I think students should understand that there’s a time and place for phones. We come to school to learn, not to be on our phones.

What do you enjoy most about working here at VHS?

Mr. Hector: I like the older population. I like that you guys can talk and express yourselves. Again I used to work at an elementary school, so you had to kind of like pick what you could say. And here you guys can talk, you guys can vocalize, and I really like that. I think that it’s very cool to be able to talk to somebody and actually have a conversation. Also that the students care, they care for each other. If they notice that somebody’s having a hard time, they’ll, you know, they’ll do a referral and I think that’s really awesome. I like the culture and the environment. I think we’ll get along well here and I look forward to being part of it more.

If you could add one thing to the VHS mental health system, what would it be? 

Mr. Hector: I would like it to be for everyone to be on board and be understanding that mental health is real. I think there’s a stigma behind mental health where we think it’s not necessarily real or not the priority, but I really believe that it is. Especially for those students that bottle everything in and don’t have an outlet. I think it’s beneficial to have students be okay with accessing mental health services or using the center without feeling like they’re missing out on class or it’s becoming an inconvenience for their education. I think it’s worth having students even circulate to come in here and just do a quick check in. And be okay with the culture of the school to embrace it.

Mental health help and support is available inside and outside of school. Students can talk to their parents/guardians, a doctor, a therapist, another family member, or a trusted adult. Also as a reminder, the VHS Care text is for students to ask for help if they’re worried about someone or if something is wrong. The Care text is just another way students can get help or support. The messages aren’t anonymous, but they‘re confidential. Speaking up can help keep people safe and make sure that they get the help that they need.