Photo courtesy of Homewood City Schools.
Katie Smith is the lead student assistance counselor for Homewood City Schools, working alongside two other student assistance counselors and counselors at the district’s five campuses to help support students.
With anxiety and depression increasing 25% worldwide since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the World Health Organization, Homewood City Schools are aware that the mental health of students is a priority.
As mental health issues have increased, so has the conversation around them.
“One of the things that has become really evident over the last few years is that the negative stigma toward mental health has really decreased among our young people,” said Katie Smith, Homewood City Schools’ lead student assistance counselor. “A lot of that seems to be because during the pandemic there was such a rise in online content addressing mental health, talking about it, that students just know more than we ever did at their age.”
Even with knowledge of mental health seemingly increasing among students, suicide is the third leading cause of death for people aged 10-24 in Alabama. To help combat the issue, Homewood has counselors in each of their five schools, as well as three student assistance counselors.
“Our school counselors are our professionals who have a master’s in counseling, and they are specially trained to work with students in the school setting,” Smith said. “They are really the front line for our students in terms of providing our comprehensive counseling that is very purposeful and strategic in supporting students.”
Student assistance counselors have a master’s degree in social work and are licensed mental health professionals. Aside from offering support to students, the counselors help educate students on mental health issues.
In elementary school, they address the topic by focusing on things like managing feelings, bouncing back from disappointment and reaching out to an adult when dealing with really big feelings.
“We keep it very developmentally appropriate in that way,” Smith said. “And then starting in middle school, counselors will talk to students more about managing stress, making those positive life choices but also recognizing the warning signs of depression and suicidal thoughts. So then, along with those conversations about recognizing warning signs, we also teach students how to reach out for help for themselves or for friends.”
They also speak to students about the language they use when talking about mental health or suicide, noting that it is never OK to joke about the subject and encouraging students to take these remarks seriously, even if they were meant as a joke.
“I’m really proud of our students. They seem to do a great job of sharing concerns because they understand how serious a situation can be, and they don’t want to take any chances that something bad might happen,” Smith said. “And they know that there are situations that they as young people aren’t equipped to handle.”
All teachers and staff are trained on mental health and protocol, according to Smith, so students can report concerns to any trusted adult. For more information on Homewood City Schools counseling services, visit homewood.k12.al.us/Domain/199.
This story is part of our September series for suicide prevention month. Read our stories on Suicide Prevention Month and suicide rates among senior citizens for more information.
