Mental Health
There are many resources for kids and adults with mental health concerns. Your child can also find help at school by talking to a trusted adult, seeing a school counselor, or anonymously reporting a concern to safe2tell.org, which will send the report to school administration, school safety personnel, and law enforcement.
Other District 51 mental health resources include:
- A Crisis Intervention Team responds to a school impacted by the death of a student or staff member or any other crisis. The group brings extra counselors that remain at impacted schools as long as needed and enlists administrative staff to help.
- Numerous schools host grief groups organized by HopeWest.
- A growing number of D51 schools have Sources of Strength, which is a year-round, peer-led program featuring activities aimed at combatting bullying and suicide.
- Riding the Waves teaches all District 51 fifth-graders about building healthy emotional skills to help combat suicidal ideation early.
- Signs of Suicide, a suicide prevention and depression awareness program, is offered twice a year in all middle and high school grades.
- A student-organized Kindness is Contagious Week takes place in all District 51 high schools during a week in February, encouraging students to be kind, talk about mental health and suicide prevention, and promote anti-bullying behaviors
- Suicide prevention posters, which include information about how to contact someone when you or a friend is in crisis, in all middle and high school bathroom stalls, hallways, and counseling offices.
- Suicide prevention training for all staff members who have contact with students. Hundreds of teachers also have been trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid, an eight-hour “gatekeeper” training.
- The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) offers a presentation about mental health and suicide called Ending the Silence to small groups in some schools.
Mental Health Resources
- COVID 19 Mental Health Resources
- Crisis Services
- Links and Helpful Resources for Mental Health Information
- Find Ongoing Mental Health Treatment
- Links and Helpful Resources for Suicide Prevention
- Report a Safety Concern