OFFERING SUPPORT FOR THE LASALLIAN COMMUNITY

COUNSELING DEPARTMENT EXPANDS MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS

By: Carolyn Neuhausen ’04

In the last year, La Salle’s students have lived through a tumultuous time; one rife with a deadly worldwide pandemic, an economic crisis, a contentious political season and a summer of social unrest. Now, more than ever, the mental health and well-being of students and members of the Lasallian community are so critically important.

For the past 25 years, La Salle has recognized the importance of offering counseling and support to its students. The School has prioritized mental health and developed a robust counseling department as part of its mission to support students’ holistic growth - mentally, physically and spiritually.

As part of its ongoing dedication to supporting students’ mental health, La Salle’s counseling program has grown significantly, says Director of Counseling, Tam Ly. “Mental

health is integral to the well-being of the whole child, whether in COVID or not, we must deliver lessons and incorporate a social-emotional component for all of

our students. Adolescence is a time for students to gain independence, explore and form their identity, develop skills that will make them contributing members to the community, and grow as an individual. Mental health is the foundation for all of these aspects to be possible. It goes back to Maslow’s hierarchy needs, we need to make sure the students feel safe and are well prepared to support their on-campus and off-campus growth,” says Ly.

One of the newest focuses within the mental health program is managing the unique anxieties and stressors of the COVID era, where normal life has been disrupted and students are challenged to learn through screens instead of in-person instruction. “We’ve talked about COVID coping skills and how to explore loss. Peer connection is paramount at this age. Teens are more independent and build their identity through their extra curricular activities, performance at school, their friendship groups, so we talk about the loss they are feeling,” Ly said.

Students can also partake in the Healthy Choices Curriculum, where they learn about setting boundaries, negotiating conflict, and relationship building, among other life skills. The number of COVID specific mental health lessons has quadrupled over the last year and Ly believes that the Healthy Choices Curriculum is vital to La Salle’s students, pandemic or no pandemic. “ I think this program is relevant and important no matter what - part of developing teens as a whole. Post - COVID we’ll continue to adjust and adapt our support,” she said.

To keep students engaged, the counseling department brings in guest speakers who share different perspectives on mental health topics. To help students better understand and manage the grief and loss that has become a part of the COVID era, the department invited Dr. Justin Barker ’05 to share a presentation he called “Building Your Mental Health Toolkit During the Pandemic.” In this presentation, students were taught the benefits of journaling, meditation, mindfulness, and self compassion affirmations.

incoming freshmen from different schools in groups of 16. These small groups meet regularly with the same teacher which helps foster a smaller and more personal sense of community. Keeping the same teacher for all four years provides students with consistency and stability throughout their time at La Salle.

The counseling program’s benefactors go beyond the students themselves. The counseling department is invested in the health of LaSallian families, recognizing that the age of COVID has been particularly stressful on parents as well. Counselors share crisis and therapeutic resources with parents to help them manage the unique stressors of working and managing their childrens’ education from home. These resources are robust and available to teens and parents outside of the school day, offering 24/7 support. To build rapport with parents, counselors host a coffee session and meet with parents once a quarter to check in with the whole family. “Parents are key partners in wrapping around the child and ensuring their well-being. It is important for parents to listen to their child, keep an open dialogue, and stay connected with how their child is doing both in and out of the home. Parents know their child best and can offer them comfort, encouragement, and nurture their child’s development. “We have a wonderful team and an amazing relationship with teachers and parents. I don’t think the work we do would be possible without that collaboration,” says Ly.

COUNSELING DEPARTMENT SERVICES

• Healthy Choices Curriculum - Delivers lessons to all grade levels during the Mentor class on mental health, mindfulness, coping skills, relationship building, etc.

• Crisis Response Team - The team intervenes with high-risk students, conducts safety assessments, and makes referrals to connect the student with mental health providers as needed. The team also organizes and facilitates faculty and staff training.

• Counselors Check In - Check in with students at least twice a semester and review grades every three weeks. This is an effective screening method since a drop in grades can be a common symptom of poor mental health.

• Guest Speakers - Local mental health agencies speak at student events and parent nights. achieve positive changes during the transition to a “new normal.” The class covers zoom fatigue, increasing student motivation, establishing positive parental authority, identifying stress and anxiety warning signs, dealing with family dynamics, resiliency, and building positive communication.

• The Insight Teen Outpatient Program - Guest speakers and parent hotline support.

• Mentor Lessons - Pivoted to COVID specific topics such as reducing screen fatigue, stress reduction tools during the pandemic, coping with the loss of milestones, the impact of social media, and more.

• Student Support Group - The Learning Specialist leads a student support group that focuses on anxiety and coping skills.

• Resource Referral List - A curated list of mental health resources including therapists, psychiatrists, and treatment programs, crisis lines, warm lines, and community programs.