By Madeline Olsen
One in six children between six and seventeen suffer from mental health disorder every year, according to The National Alliance on Mental Illness. This is a very alarming number and this means that this applies to many individuals within our own school community. Therefore, it is very important that we do as much as we can to make this a supportive environment as we can.
This is possible with the help of our school Mental Health counselors: our school psychologist, Mrs. Kasprzak, and our school social worker, Mrs. Taberski. When asked what the biggest thing she wishes students understood about mental health was, Mrs. Taberski responded, “I wish more students knew. I worry about the stigma and that students think it is bad to get help and that they think it has to get really bad to get help. Everyone has mental health and physical health, and it is just as important to take care of our minds and emotions.”
At Williamsville East, we have many clubs and programs that help to promote mental health awareness including Sources of Strength, GRL Up, and S.U.S.O. Mental health awareness is further promoted throughout the school through presentations given in each health classroom and events such as the wellness fair. Our guidance office is always available and welcomes students to come seek support.
Everything said to our school counselors is said in confidence, and is completely private, as long as it is not a harm to oneself or others. Mrs. Taberski, wants students to know, “I am available to any student at any time about anything. From ‘typical stressors of teenagers’ to mental illness, mental health doesn’t discriminate.”
