Destigmatizing Mental Health Services in K-12 Schools: A Counselor's Perspective
Article originally written for California Association of School Counselor Regional Quarterly Newsletter
Over the past few years, there has been an undeniable increase in the need for mental health services for K-12 students. As a school counselor, I noticed this surge especially following our return to schools after the COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders. However, it is important to recognize that while the demand has grown, the need for mental health services has always been present.
When I first began my career over a decade ago, I was the sole mental health counselor at a 6th-12th grade school. For many students, I was the first mental health professional they had ever encountered. Introducing mental health services to the school community required a lot of effort and some strategy. Students needed to understand what services were available, how to access them, and why they were valuable. One of the greatest challenges was addressing the stigma surrounding mental health, which is shaped by societal attitudes, cultural beliefs, and personal experiences.
Here are some of the strategies I have used to destigmatize mental health services in the schools I’ve supported:
1. Be Visible
Visibility is key to our work. One of the best ways to let students know what we do and who we are is to be visible. We can do this by getting out of our office and showing up during lunch, recess, classroom observations, school-wide events, school drop-off and pick-up. It is so important to start up conversations with students during these times so they know they can approach us regardless of what they may need.
2. School-Wide and Classroom Presentations Go a Long Way
A huge part of normalizing these conversations on our school campuses is by making sure ALL students have access to mental health content. Partner up with advisory or homeroom teachers to facilitate or create lessons that normalize mental health. Within those lessons, make sure you are sharing how to reach out to you, access counseling services and provide resources. You will be surprised at the number of self-referrals that you may get from these lessons.
3. Involve Caregivers
A lot of our early messages about mental health come from our caregivers and family. Providing caregiver workshops around mental health topics can actually support our work in destigmatizing these conversations because caregivers will have the tools to have these conversations at home. If we are supporting these conversations at home, it can begin to shift the way our students see mental health services in schools.
4. Run Small Groups
Small groups normalize our work. When we only see students one-on-one, it can send a message that we only work with certain students, when in reality we work with ALL students. Running small groups on stress management, coping skills, anxiety, friendship skills, and other mental health topics can normalize mental health services in our school settings.
5. Talk About Mental Health
Student mental health week is not the only time we should approach this topic. Remind students that mental health is just like physical health and we have to take care of it. The more we normalize these conversations, the easier it becomes for students to seek help when they need it.
The Ongoing Journey
Destigmatizing mental health services is not a one-time effort but an ongoing process. It requires consistent visibility, education, and community involvement. As school counselors, we play a pivotal role in shaping how students and families perceive mental health. By creating safe, inclusive spaces and normalizing these conversations, we can ensure that students feel empowered to reach out for support.
It can feel challenging to think of adding one more thing to our plate; however, this is a great way to begin to balance the three domains of our school counselor role.