It’s not just educators and parents advocating for more mental health professionals in schools—students see the need most of all.
“If I had something come up that was immediate, frankly, I don’t know what I would do,” says Danbury High School student Will Sweeney, explaining that the mental health professionals at his school are usually booked solid for appointments.
When they don’t have anyone to turn to, Sweeney says that high school students will often just bottle up their emotions, causing their problems to worsen.
Will’s mother, Christina, says that she’s pleased her son knows how to advocate for himself, but she knows many other students who have trouble speaking up. “As an educator, I worry about the kids we don’t hear from.”
“Some kids in my school are having a really tough time right now,” says Danbury middle school student Cassidy Hammel. “I think it’s very, very important that we have school counselors.”
“It’s very important that our kids are supported and have a school counselor they can access any time that they need,” says her mother, Vanessa.
Watch videos of the students and their parents below and share your own experiences about the need for more mental health supports in schools. Tell legislators what they don’t see.
