Communities In Schools of Houston celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month 2024 while supporting students’ mental health in Greater Houston area
Communities In Schools of Houston (CIS), an educational nonprofit, celebrates Mental Health Awareness Month in May, part of a national campaign by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), centered around the campaign theme “Take the Moment.” NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. In May, CIS team members will be raising awareness across campuses about the importance of good mental health, including coordinated activities.
For the past 45 years, supporting students' mental health and well-being has been at the core of what CIS does. CIS of Houston, which celebrates 13 years since the launch of its Mental Health Initiative (MHI), is the largest provider of mental health services for schools in the Harris County area.
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With the MHI, CIS has been able to implement targeted efforts to collectively address the growing mental health needs on CIS campuses.
CIS serves 163 school campuses in six school districts across Greater Houston. At least one full-time CIS staff member (Student Support Specialist) on each partner campus ensures basic needs are met, delivering direct services, providing mental health services, and connecting students and families with much-needed community resources. During the 2022-2023 school year, CIS mental health professionals served 7,569 students and CIS mental health partners served 642 students on 100 campuses, totaling 25,740 hours of mental health support for CIS students.
“Based on current research, mental health issues continue to increase among students in Harris County, Texas and across the nation,” says Shubhra Endley, LCSW-S, CIS of Houston’s Director of Mental Health & Wellness. “Possible factors that contribute to this may include the intersection of adverse childhood experiences with the social determinants of health such as lack of community resources, academic pressures, loss of a loved one and bullying at school and on social media.”
“CIS mental health staff and our mental health partners step in to bridge the gap with students and their families by developing strategies for good mental health,” Endley continues. She notes that CIS of Houston has made it a priority to ensure all campus-based staff members are trained in trauma-informed practices, Mental Health First Aid and suicide prevention strategies every year.
Millions of people in the U.S. are affected by mental illness each year. It is important to measure how common mental illness is to understand its physical, social and financial impact. These numbers from NAMI are also powerful tools for raising public awareness, removing stigma related to mental health issues and advocating for better health care.
1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14
Closer to home, the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute estimates that, each year, nearly 310,000 children and youth in Harris County suffer from some form of mental health disorder with just under 250,000 with mild to moderate needs and just under 65,000 with severe needs. Of those children with severe needs, 35,000 live in poverty and 4,000 are at high risk of out-of-home or out-of-school placement. Systemic barriers to access result in too many children experiencing their first care in a juvenile justice facility or an emergency room.
Mental Health Awareness Month reinforces the need for mental and behavioral health services from elementary school through college. Early intervention is the key to success in getting students on a healthy track mentally, physically and emotionally.
“Students with unmet mental health needs risk school failure, social isolation and dropping out unless their problems are addressed by caring adults,” Endley says. “Our mental health professionals use evidence-based interventions to help students develop coping skills to manage mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and trauma. Additionally, these professionals are trained in supporting students in their grief journeys after the loss of a loved one.”
Endley says according to the Texas Education Agency, school is the primary space where mental illness and social-emotional challenges are identified and addressed, outside of a student’s home. Nearly 70 percent of students who receive mental health interventions access these services at school.
Since 2012, CIS has continually increased the number of licensed mental health professionals on staff and has expanded its capacity to provide training and supervision to achieve licensure. It has solidified partnerships with mental health agencies to further support students. CIS students and parents are urged to reach out to counselors and mental health specialists in their schools or seek community resources when the need arises.
Today, the MHI encompasses a three-part program of mental health support on the campuses served. Through CIS campus-based mental health professionals, the CIS Mobile Mental Health Team and mental health partners, CIS provides counseling, facilitates support groups and makes referrals to students and their parents. Partner agencies include Bo’s Place, The Council on Recovery, DePelchin Children’s Center, Family Houston, Mental Health America, Montrose Center, Nick Finnegan Counseling Center, and re:MIND.
At a time when the need for mental health services on school campuses is high, Communities In Schools of Houston continues to ensure that the students it serves receive the professional support needed to survive and thrive. For more information about the Communities In Schools of Houston’s Mental Health Initiative, please visit https://www.cishouston.org/mental-health-initiative.
Throughout the month of May, in order to support and sustain Communities In Schools of Houston’s mental health programming, all donations made to CIS will go directly to the Mental Health Initiative. CIS relies on charitable donations to help to bring critical mental health services to students across the Greater-Houston area. To donate, visit www.cishouston.org/donate.