Resources available as pandemic takes toll on students' mental health

CAPITAL REGION (WRGB) Sebrina Barrett has two students at Shen.

“When they have meltdowns, when they have breakdowns, when they have stressors, how do you walk them through that?”

One is a freshman, the other, a third-grader.

“I think mostly I'm just worried about the long term.”

Barrett is using free resources from the Mental Health Association of New York State, or MHANYS – specifically, their school mental health resource and training center.

“For me it was helpful to just hear other parents talk about how they're coping and how they are helping their children through this very difficult time.”

And through the programs that MHANYS did, which are online, you can hear other parents and talk about what they are going through and other educators.

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“The level of anxiety and stress and depression and trauma is huge.”

Glenn Liebman is CEO at MHANYS. He says the school mental health resource and training center started in 2018 - but need with COVID has exponentially increased, and that around 80 -percent of schools in New York state have reached out in some way, for conversation or training. South Colonie Central School District is one.

“I think what COVID has done has made the mental health needs even that more acute.”

Timothy Fowler is supervisor of education. He says this summer they started using the no-cost "School Health Assessment & Performance Evaluation," or SHAPE, in an effort to make sure they're addressing all mental health needs in their schools - especially with remote learning.

“If you are a person who has challenges around depression the last thing you need is isolation.”

Barrett said, “My daughter is not able to do music, or art. and things like that. So what are they missing out on? My kids ask me all the time, mom, how long do you think we are going to wear our masks?

A question no one can answer yet.

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“And we don't know how long this pandemic will last, whether there will be another one at some point. And some of this might be what the future looks like for us.”

Barrett says she's learned to take a deep breath and go day by day, and control what she can right now, all while trying to encourage her kids.