Editor’s note: This is the first article in the “Mind Mental Health” series, in which Forum reporters explore how mental illness affects different parts of the community.
WEST FARGO — As teenagers travel the world, anxiety, drama, or more often surfaces, and the students at Liberty Middle School are no exception.
Seventh grade student Elizabeth Mbaileyo said she hears comments about her skin color every day.
“They make racist jokes because I’m a little dark,” she said.
Fellow seventh-grader Sophia Lopez said teens tend to care more about their partner’s appearance than their personality.
“They want to be a different person to look better in front of someone (other people),” she said.
Sixth grade student Abi Payne said she was upset about the rumors flying around on social media.
“I worry about people judging me because I want everyone to like me,” she says.
These experiences, amplified through social media, can weigh heavily on the developing psyche of young people.
In fact, these middle school students, including sixth-grader Mae Johnson, agreed that they would be better off without cell phones and social media.
“It will help a lot,” Johnson said, adding that the downside would be losing contact with friends.
The COVID-19 pandemic has added to the challenges, leaving children feeling isolated and removed from their normal routines.
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released a report in 2022 stating that rates of psychological distress among young people have increased since the pandemic.
The report said the most severe impacts were felt by already vulnerable populations, including youth with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, LBGTQ+ youth, and other marginalized communities.
Annie Richards, director of behavioral health and wellness for West Fargo Public Schools, said the school recognizes that more support is needed for the youth mental health crisis.
“This is kind of a new frontier,” she said.
Alyssa Goelzer/The Forum
Fargo public schools also place an emphasis on mental health.
Deputy Secretary for Educational Justice Jen Searle said good mental health is essential to student learning.
“They need to be in a place where they feel safe and feel good emotionally and mentally,” she says.
Before social media and the pandemic, there wasn’t necessarily a reason to focus on mental health in schools.
“As our students have changed, our priorities must change as well,” Searle said.
At Liberty, counselors are trying something new to give students more tools.
David Samson / The Forum
More than 30 girls are enrolled in Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX), a program born from research at Ohio State University.
Although mental health is not specifically required, everything covered in the program helps ensure the mental health of participants, district spokeswoman Heather Reese said.
Counselor Shaina Winning said students meet weekly for five months during the school year to learn how to build confidence, navigate difficult friendships, manage conflict and prevent sexual violence.
“If we can instill these very healthy behaviors and traits in girls now, I think we’ll have healthier adults in the future,” Winning said.
Measuring mental health and well-being
Local school districts collect and compile data about student health and well-being in a variety of ways.
Searle said the climate and culture survey was conducted in Fargo public schools last fall and is being surveyed again for spring 2024.
This year, students focused on belonging.
“If children feel like they belong and can build strong relationships not only among their peers but also among the adults in the building, they are much more likely to be successful,” Searle said. Ta.
Middle school and high school students were asked their reactions to the statement, “I feel like I belong at this school.”
According to the survey, more than 80% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed, while less than 20% disagreed or strongly disagreed.
Searle said it was through listening to students that the room for improvement emerged.
“Sometimes we think we know better or think we understand how our students feel, but it’s our job to stop and really ask those questions. ” she said.
West Fargo conducts student well-being surveys to assess social-emotional functioning, the most recent of which was conducted in spring 2023, Richards said.
Questions regarding school climate addressed whether there was positive or negative energy in the school and whether the rules were fair for students.
According to the data, among 6th to 12th graders, 46% of students who responded gave it a favorable rating.
The report says bullying rates have decreased at all West Fargo secondary schools. However, the data is from his 2021 year. Data for 2023 will be available in a new report this August.
For Moorhead Area Public Schools, mental health-related data is reported on the Minnesota Report Card under Student Safety and Engagement.
District spokeswoman Brenda Richman said the most recent survey was conducted in the spring of 2022.
Moorhead High School students were asked their reactions to the statement, “I feel safe at school.”
More than 84% of respondents said they agreed or strongly disagreed with this statement, while nearly 16% said they agreed or strongly disagreed.
For “Adults at my school listen to students,” more than 73% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed, and more than 26% disagreed or strongly disagreed.
What is the school district doing?
The Fargo and West Fargo School Districts use a multi-tiered support system that addresses different levels of need.
Level 1 is where all students receive social, emotional, and life lessons. Tier 2 includes students who require additional support in these areas, and Tier 3 includes students who require extensive support.
Richards said at least 3% of students typically need Tier 3 services, with about 400 of West Fargo’s 13,000 enrolled students in need of the most intensive assistance.
In addition to school psychologists, the district has 40 counselors, 14 social workers, and eight social-emotional behavioral interventionists working with children.
Richards said the district also established an in-house mental health treatment team this year.
The team consists of six master’s level social workers and six clinical counselors, three of whom are at the entry level and three at the secondary level.
Parents are involved in the intake process and must consent before their child is seen.
The district is seeing benefits for children whose mental health issues hinder their learning.
“This year has felt very different,” Richards said.
Fargo Public Schools has 43 counselors and 14 social workers, most of whom work with student health and family facilitators, Searle said.
They work with families who have clear barriers to learning, such as housing instability or food insecurity. You may also interact with students in small groups based on themes that emerge in your friendship group.
The district employs seven full-time school psychologists.
Fargo Public Schools plans to open a mental health treatment school this fall at Explorer Academy, the district’s K-12 special education school.
Explorer Academy’s primary purpose will remain the same, but a portion of the building will be used as a non-public day treatment center.
Last month, the Fargo City School Board approved a proposal from Nexus-PATH Family Healing to provide that care to 20 students at a cost of $13,788.96 per month.
In Moorhead, mental health will be the centerpiece of this month’s 8th grade band concert.
Horizon Middle School students will perform with The Unbroken Project, a musical initiative focused on mental health.
Band director Tim Pipinich said the school-wide initiative includes open-ended art projects that allow students to convey their thoughts, feelings and interpretations of their work.
“This project speaks to my heart and soul,” Pipinich said.
The free concert will be held at Horizon Performing Arts Center in Moorhead on Wednesday, May 22 at 8 p.m.
David Samson / The Forum
At Liberty School in West Fargo, Principal Dan Holder said the school will seek community partners to provide continued support for the ROX program.
Counselors hope to one day offer the program to all sixth-grade girls at the school.
“Maybe I’m a dreamer, but I think it’s going to have a really big impact on mental health,” Winning said.
