The data is clear: Our students are in the midst of a mental health crisis. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey found that one in three – one in three high school students experienced mental health problems during the pandemic, with nearly half of all students feeling persistently hopeless.
We are now seeing the ripple effect of three years of educational disruptions and seismic shifts in learning structures, underscoring the vital importance of caring for the whole student. Our students’ difficulties reflect the increasing anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation experienced by adolescents across the country. For the past two years, the Tempe Union High School District has focused on prioritizing the mental health of students. This is how we did it and what we learned.
Harnessing the power of student voices
When we returned to in-person learning, we found our students needed even more support than we imagined. We didn’t hesitate to provide them with the resources they needed, because time is of the essence with mental health issues.
We asked our student representatives what social-emotional support they and their peers needed. That conversation became a comprehensive district-wide mental health policy adopted by the Tempe Union board of trustees in 2021. Embedding a resolution on social-emotional wellness in our policies signaled to our students and community that holistic health is a priority. important to Tempe Union.
