Mental health is one of the hottest topics in today’s society. There are multiple types of mental illnesses ranging from anxiety to depression all the way up to schizophrenia. Children and the adolescent youth are the most at risk. 1 in 10 young people have a mental challenge that is serious enough to impair the way they learn at school or behave at home. This is placing a severe strain on the sleeping habits,discipline,and responsibility these young adults have. The high school dropout rate has skyrocketed in the past 5 years. A research study done in Montreal, Canada showed that of the 7,000 high school students who have dropped out, a quarter of these students were diagnosed with some sort of depression or anxiety either before or after attending high school. These statistics have caused an uproar in parents which has in turn called for major changes in the way the school systems handle mental illness. The rapid growth of students with mental illness has caused the schools to take notice.

Palm Beach Schools are now giving the students a way to fight off depression and seek help from guidance counselors and staff at school. Recently, there was a symposium held at West Boca Raton Community High School that allowed parents and members of the community to  attend and gain knowledge about mental health issues that plague the student population.

This symposium addressed the efforts that West Boca and the surrounding community are taking to help their students. Many organizations were present at the symposium including the Ruth and Norman Rales Jewish Family Services, American Association of Caregiving Youth, and the Faulk Center for Counseling. These organizations offer many counseling opportunities, therapy, and support groups for those who are unable to care for themselves. They provide students with the care to help them succeed and live a normal life for themselves and their peers surrounding them.  

Beth Townsend, a mental health professional at West Boca High School, was a speaker at the symposium and talked about the common issues she sees among the students and how this affects their motivation, drive, and overall well-being. Ms. Townsend is a new addition to West Boca this year and speaks to students who have been recommended by their guidance counselor. She received her bachelor’s degree at The College of William and Mary in Virginia (Go Tribe!); majoring in psychology and minoring in Spanish, and completed her Master’s Degree in Philadelphia at Chestnut Hill College. She has since worked with people with mental illness as well as developmental issues.  “I have just simply always been fascinated with figuring out why people behave the way they do….or why they don’t behave the way we might expect. One thing that has piqued my interest in recent years is the plethora of work on happiness – a topic we don’t pay enough attention to in mental health. That said, the best part of my job is when I see that light turn on, that ah-ha moment, when the person realizes their happiness is just around the corner.” West Boca is excited to welcome her!

Another speaker was Howard Ginsberg, an attorney, who spoke about his son Bradley. Bradley was a student at West Boca Raton High School and committed suicide while attending Cornell University. Bradley’s father sued Cornell and won the case stating they did not do enough to prevent Bradley’s death. Now, Howard is an advocate for mental illness among young teens and adults.

West Boca has many resources on campus now in place to help the students with depression, anxiety, and any other mental illnesses. School counselors are trained to assist with social emotional concerns involving the students well-being. School counselors can be seen by appointment or before school, at lunch, or after school on a walk in basis. If you feel are going through a crisis in appointment is not necessary. Ask your teacher for  a pass to go to guidance and simply explain that it is an emergency. Talks with a guidance counselor ARE confidential unless a student is in danger of harming themselves or harming others at school. Parents or guardians will be called if a counselor feels the student is in danger of harming themselves or harming somebody else or if the student is being harmed by someone else. This gives the student support in school and support out of school for resources they may need. Guidance counselors are not there only for scheduling or applying to colleges, they are there to talk about feelings or concerns, make a report about a friend or family member you are concerned about, work through stress anxiety or feelings of sadness, academic concerns, or for you to just say hi! A group session is run every Friday through the Faulk Center for counseling that deals with anxiety and stress management and self-esteem issues. This group is confidential and further helps deal with the many stressful things high schoolers deal with in their everyday lives.

If you ever feel a point of sadness, a feeling being in a depressed state, or know anyone with symptoms along the lines of depression, anxiety, or any mental illness,please seek out guidance. You could help change or even save someone’s life. Below are links to multiple organizations that may help you, a friend, or family member who is suffering. Seeking help is not something to be ashamed of; seeking help is the right thing to do.

Ruth and Norman Rales Jewish Family Services offers many resources to students for a fee.  They offer support groups for students in addition to individual and family counseling.

https://ralesjfs.org/services/counselingandmentalhealth/counseling_mental_health/

American Association of Caregiving Youth is a non-profit organization that provides support to students who are caring for a family member in their home who is unable to care for themselves. They also offer free tutoring and counseling.

https://www.aacy.org/

Faulk Center for Counseling provides a variety of free and low-cost programs such as psychological and mental health consultation, therapy and support.

http://faulkcenterforcounseling.org   

National Suicide Prevention Hotline

1-800-273-8255