Program focuses on students’ emotional wellness

One of the ways to end the stigma surrounding mental health issues is to start a conversation about it. This is the reasoning behind the Shelby Cares program that was implemented during the 2018-19 school year.

Melissa Youngblood, assistant superintendent of student services, said the goal of the program is to create a culture of connecting, communicating and caring for one another.

“This is something we plan to do on an ongoing basis and getting better each year,” Youngblood said.

CONNECTING

Youngblood said knowing where to connect is important, and there are resources out there to help.

“I think there a lot of kids feel like they are the only ones going through something, and we want to make sure they know where to connect and who to connect with,” she said. “It’s important they find someone, a friend, classmate, teacher or trusted adult they feel comfortable with. Our hope is to have kids focus on building relationships.”

COMMUNICATING

Making sure students communicate when a need arises and reach out for help is another important piece of the puzzle.

“One of the things with our kids is with social media and cellphones they struggle to sit down and communicate with one another,” Youngblood said. “Communication all begins with listening. We want to get the point across of being an active listener and understanding what people are communicating and being a good communicator back to that person.”

CARING

“Sometimes we are great at caring for others, but we don’t practice self-care,” Youngblood said. “Not only do you want to be there to help support others who might be struggling with emotional wellness, but to make sure to take time to reflect on what you’re personally going through.”

Although Shelby Cares is a mental health awareness campaign, it comes from the standpoint of emotional wellness, which anyone can struggle with at times.

To get the word out about the program, videos were made and posters were placed around the schools to give students the opportunity to read or write the information down.

“There are two different kinds of kids: some who would stop and read the poster in the hall, but others are shier and more reserved, so we wanted to make sure we meet the needs of every kid we have.”

The program has a partnership with Chilton-Shelby Mental Health. This year, schoolbased mental therapists will make visits to six schools in the county.

“They come and meet with students during the school day and work with them for a period of time until they feel comfortable and know the resources available,” Youngblood said. “We are proud of this partnership and excited it is expanding.”

The Shelby Cares website also provides information on other helpful resources that are available. Teen Link also provides a way for teens to text things they may not be comfortable sharing in person.

“Some parents want to be involved but are doing all they can do,” Youngblood said. “With Shelby Cares, they can go look on our website and get connected that way and know their options. We wanted to make these resources readily available to provide a quicker response to someone who is in crisis.”

For more information on Shelby Cares, visit shelbyed.k12.al.us/shelbycares.