By Bethany BROWN

The month of May has been nationally recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month since 1949 and organizations like NAMI – National Alliance on Mental Illness – work tirelessly to fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for policies that support people with mental illnesses and their families. Many events are held throughout the month across the country to bring voices together to advocate for mental health and promote the appropriate care for those suffering.

As the month draws to an end, Glendale Unified School District remains committed to building awareness surrounding the prevalence of mental health struggles in area youth and providing resources for students so that they may live healthy, fulfilling lives.

GUSD on-site psychological services provider Tanya Loussinian said the GUSD Student Wellness Services Dept. has done and continues to do a lot to support students with mental health challenges. They offer a variety of services, such as school-based counseling services, an online counseling referral system for teachers and staff, intervention programs, suicide prevention training and wellness rooms both on campus and virtually for students, among others.

“Spreading awareness among our students, parents and community is important to reduce stigma,” Loussinian said. She distributed a Mental Health Awareness Month newsletter across all district campuses discussing signs of mental illness, resources offered and healthy coping strategies with the hope to build further awareness in staff, parents and students and encourage those who are struggling silently to speak up and seek help.

Ilin Magran, Ed.D., director of the GUSD Student Wellness Services Dept., emphasized how important the need for mental health professionals in schools is “now more than ever.” Since 2020, GUSD has quadrupled the number of therapists it has at its district office. The therapists serve students and families throughout the district at elementary, secondary and high school levels, and Dr. Magran said she is in the process of onboarding several more professionals to ensure each GUSD school has at least one psychological services provider on campus at all times.

“We understand that there was a lot of loss and isolation during COVID-19,” Dr. Magran said. “We’re doing a lot of group support for students that are grieving and adjusting so they know they are not alone, as well as promoting regular wellness checks.”

She said since the return to on-campus learning post-pandemic the number of student referrals for psychological services has skyrocketed to a level never seen before in the district. In the 2021-22 school year alone, one thousand referrals from concerned administrators, counselors and teachers have been submitted. Out of these thousand, nearly 200 parents declined services for their children but over 700 welcomed help and support.

“Our team is very active in assessing students,” Dr. Magran stressed. “We assess and determine whether it is a high, medium or low risk and, depending on where they are, we find solutions for them with our students’ wellbeing and safety remaining the top priority.”

Additionally, this year the Student Wellness Services Dept. introduced a social, emotional and wellness curriculum to all schools. This is either a five-week or eight-week course where professionals on the team visit classrooms per teachers’ request and discuss some of the norms that kids missed during the pandemic: mindfulness, emotional regulation, deep breathing, where to get help, and more. The curriculum has been presented on nine campuses so far, while others have opted out or have yet to decide on whether they will offer it or not.

“It’s a new thing so there’s some expected resistance in some of our schools but, overall, it has evoked a positive response, and many are choosing to implement this program,” Dr. Magran said. “It has been very effective from what we’ve seen already and we’re hearing from students [who say] they feel calmer and more confident in their ability to locate and access the tools and resources they need to cope in a healthy way.”

Dr. Magran highlighted her belief that there is a need to do more within the community to build awareness. She intends on continuing her efforts to do so by brainstorming promotional opportunities such as placing posters, flyers and banners in frequented areas within the city. She hopes that parents will place their trust in GUSD and reach out if they need a plan of support for their children as they navigate mental health struggles.

 “At the end of the day, we just need to be sure that parents know where to access resources and students know that it is okay to ask for help,” she said. “We are here, and now is the time to seek help. Don’t wait.”