While class is just beginning for many students, some have been hard at work to prepare for the 2023-24 school year to support their peers' mental wellness.
School districts across Wisconsin have a little more opportunity to build up resources for students to support their mental well-being heading into the new school year.
In January, Gov. Tony Evers declared 2023 as the year of mental health, calling it a “burgeoning crisis.” He laid out roughly $500 million in mental health budget priorities, many focused on supporting kids. However, many of those requests have been reduced or cut as the budget moves through the legislature.
Kids interact with a lot of spaces in the community. Increasingly, the adults in those spaces are needing to be trained in how to help children learn to manage their mental health; this includes the people who expect to see kids for things like ear infections.
Helping provide students with resources to have an equal opportunity to succeed is nothing new for schools. However, in 2023 there are more needs, particularly mental health deficiencies, needing to be addressed than even a few years ago.
Knowing what to say or how to connect with kids to let them open up about the difficulties they are facing can be challenging, but doing so is important to support kids’ mental wellness.
After analyzing all of the data and elements impacting kids’ mental well-being, the Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health landed on fostering social connectedness as a key area to make the most change.
As school ends, summer marks a time to keep a close eye on your teenage kids. The National Survey on Drug Use and Health asked kids ages 12-18 when they first used drugs or alcohol and year after year, summer is the season of experimentation.
Kids do not always verbally express what is going on with them, especially if they do not know how. This can lead to behaviors adults find to be difficult, but educators say the behaviors are a form of communication themselves. Often they are symptoms of more troubling issues impacting students' mental well-being.
As you’re making your weekend plans, some very energized teens will be looking to give your mental health a positive boost. On Sunday, students from Wausau and Merrill’s ‘Raise Your Voice’ clubs are hosting walk events.
Addressing mental health and substance use continue to be among the top needs in the community health assessments nonprofit hospitals provide. Suicide is a particular focus that data show is creeping into the thoughts of younger and younger people, even before the age of 10.
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