Creating a Culture of Awareness, Empathy, and Care Coordination Focusing on Mental Health at LEOMS High School
William Aristide • Cahn Fellow 2022
The coronavirus pandemic has led to drastic measures around the country, which have also affected the education system. Schools were closed in the spring of 2020 in almost every state in this country, and many children and young people were involved in distance learning. What effect these measures have on children’s and young people’s learning performance is important in view of the time pressure under which educational policy decisions must be taken. The State of Florida had our own set of issues pertaining to this topic. One of the critical effects of the pandemic is the effects of mental health related issues on students in schools.
Our Cahn project involved creating and developing a mental Health program (LEOM’S Cares), aimed at helping students become active and engaged participants in their own mental health care and contributes to creating a more supportive and responsive school environment for all. The project involved the active participation of teachers, students, parents, community members, counselors, mental health specialists and community-based organizations. Our project also aimed to shift student perspectives from feeling of isolation and discomfort to mental health concerns and challenges to having a better understanding of their own mental health issues to having feelings of the school community being a safe place to interact with others and knowing that we are all in this together.
