Students in the Sealy Independent School District encountering mental-health issues do not have to face these challenges alone, according to SISD officials.

There are plenty of resources to call upon for pupils and their concerned parents, added Mary Gajewski, director of SISD Special Programs.

“Some of the very best resources we have available to our students and families are our SISD staff,” Gajewski said.

Estimates indicate only half the people with mental illness receive treatment, according to the National Institute for Mental Health’s website, www.nimh.nih. gov/health/statistics.

This includes teens. Suicide was the second most common cause of death in people ages 15-24 in 2019, according to the NIMH Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide. The website is www.stpsusa.org.

At SISD, a helping hand is available for those learners in need, Gajewski said.

“Students who have a trusted relationship with at least one adult, have a greater ability to cope and transition through difficult times in their lives,” she added. “Often this trusted adult is a teacher, paraprofessional, coach, counselor, administrator, cafeteria worker or bus driver.”

Additional mental health resources for parents and teens listed by Gajewski include:

TCHATT, or Texas Child Health Access Through Telemedicine, is a school-based telemedicine service providing free access to behavioral health care for students. This program is provided through a partnership with the University of Texas Medical Branch and SISD. To access this service, parents need to contact their child’s school counselor for additional information.

SISD also partners with the Texana Center to provide a 24-hour crisis hotline. If any student or parent needs assistance, call 1-800-633-5686. Individuals can also visit www.texanacenter.com.

Additional crisis hotline numbers include: the Crisis Intervention of Houston at 832-416-1177 (which also provides a dedicated teen telephone number at 832-416-1199 and Teen Text line at 281-201-4430), the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK, and the Crisis Text Line, which can be accessed by texting HOME to 741741.

Gajewski added, “SISD has a ‘See Something, Say Something’ policy. If a student is being bullied or has information regarding any type of threat, he or she is encouraged to let an adult know. To do this, students may report a concern to any adult on campus or directly to their campus office. They may also call our bullying hotline at 979-987-3318 or report a concern through the SISD website at https://asp.schoolmessenger.com/sealyisd/quicktip/.”

Stephanie Duer, a licensed professional counselor who aids SISD counselors as the Region 6 mental health outreach specialist, said “warning signs” for parents their student may be experiencing mental-health issues or bullying include isolation, a significant change in school performance, physical symptoms (stomachaches, headaches, problems sleeping), physical appearance and anxiety.

“Anytime you see a significant change in your child’s behavior, it is worth asking questions. For example, if they have always preferred to play alone, then isolation might not be a huge concern,” Duer said. “However, if they have normally enjoyed playing with friends and now are spending all of their time alone and don’t mention friendships, there may be something going on. If they have always cared greatly about their appearance and, suddenly, they don’t care, this could indicate a problem.”

Parents and guardians should talk to their children and keep track of their social-media habits, the counselor added.

“Hopefully, the lines of communication are already open and parents are already checking in pretty regularly,” Duer said. ” Parents should follow their student’s socialmedia accounts to watch for any cyber bullying that might occur. If a parent sees these signs, they should make it a point to talk to their student about the changes.”

Duer gave these tips on how to approach bullying or mentalhealth issues with a teen:

Try talking to them while you are participating in another activity (a game, a car ride, doing the dishes). It is less intimidating or awkward when you aren’t sitting and staring at each other.

Make observations, not judgments. For example, instead of, “I can’t believe your math grade is a C!” you might say, “I notice that you used to love math, and here lately it’s a struggle. What do you think is causing that?”

Ask open-ended questions. Instead of, “Is everything ok?” — which easily can be answered with “yes” — try instead, “What happened at school today?” or “What friends did you sit with at lunch today?” This requires more than a “yes” or “no” and opens up the exchange for more discussion.

Report it. If you determine your child is struggling with something at school, call your school counselor or principal. You can also email the principal or counselor, so all supportive adults are aware and able to address the issue.

Give support. Let your child know you are there to listen. Don’t always jump straight to problemsolving. Ask how he or she would like to solve the problem. Bullying can be tricky and the last thing you want to do is jump to a solution and make things worse.

Continue checking in. Even after you have reported the situation and talked with your student, continue to ask open-ended questions.

Strengthen coping skills. Work with your student on ways to appropriately respond to bullying and how to report it at school. Help them identify trusted adults.

Get them connected. Get them involved in after-school activities, mentor programs, church groups and school clubs. This will decrease their feelings of isolation, let them make some new friends and keep them from feeling like they are alone.

Normalize mental health. Make sure to avoid words and phrases such as “going crazy.” Make sure they know anxiety and depression are very common and very real. Sometimes it is difficult because it is not a pain that others can see. Everyone understands that a broken arm hurts, but no one can see emotional pain and empathize. As parents, it’s extremely important to listen to your student and take him or her seriously.

Give support. Let the child know there are people trained to help and, just like with a broken arm, there are ways to treat the pain and make things better. Let them know you are willing to help them get the assistance they need.

“Anytime you see a significant change in your child’s behavior, it is worth asking questions.”

– STEPHANIE DUER, LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR