A Reflection on Mental Health Awareness Month 2020
by Shubhra Endley, LCSW-S, CIS of Houston Director of Mental Health & Wellness
CIS Continues to Adapt to Meet the Mental Health Needs of Students and Families
As we conclude Mental Health Awareness Month, the world remains in flux which means that our students and their families will continue to encounter the many uncertainties and barriers presented by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
“It is relationships, not programs, that change children. A great program simply creates an environment for healthy relationships to form between adults and children. Young people thrive when adults care about them on a one-to-one level, and when they also have a sense of belonging to a caring community. ”
Currently there are many studies and research that describe the effects of this collective trauma. These studies discuss the impact of social isolation, the related disruption to our way of life, paired with a volatile economy is creating a second crisis. A crisis that endangers the mental health and wellness in our communities.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, CIS stayed on mission with intentional focus on maintaining relationships with the students, their families, our district/system partners and our partners in community.
CIS did not let physical building closures stop us from providing needed support for our students and their families. We leaned into virtual work and these methods of connecting may look a little different today.
How do these relationship connections look?
Students continue to receive CIS services through telephonic and audio video platforms. CIS has addressed mental health needs maintaining supportive counseling services offered by our licensed mental health staff and 5 mental health partner agencies. Additionally, CIS Student Support Managers are using online school platforms to provide psycho-education with a focus on coping strategies, as well as wellness skills to manage stress and anxiety related to COVID-19.
As the academic school year closes, and our world continues to be in flux, Communities In Schools of Houston will continue to stay on mission. We will continue to adapt so that our students and their families receive support to navigate the many uncertainties and barriers presented by the COVID-19 Pandemic.