Before a crisis, help kids form connections
In Santa Fe, our public schools are quick to react when a child has a crisis at school. As the community has learned after recent troubling incidents, school personnel mobilize at the first sign of trouble — not just for the child who is struggling but for all children at a particular school.
In February, a 14-year-old at Mandela International Magnet School died by suicide. In the same week, two students, 15 and 17, at Santa Fe High School threatened to harm themselves on campus.
After both instances, practical and compassionate plans were set in place. It’s something Santa Fe Public Schools leaders prepare for, bringing in community partners and keeping families informed so students are cared for during a stressful period.
Three days of grief response efforts occurred at Mandela to help students and staff deal with their emotions. At the high school, police and emergency medical personnel responded — teachers intervened in both cases — and each student went to a local hospital to be treated. Parents were notified and, again, counseling support was available to students who might have been affected. The key in a crisis is to look out for students who might be on edge so they can be pulled back into safety.
Administrators at Santa Fe Public Schools understand that crisis response is only one part of helping students cope. The better answer is to intervene well before a crisis — and that means more behavioral health support for young people, whether at school, at home or wherever else adolescents are gathering.
A good portion of this will happen at school because that’s where students spend so much of their time.
Already, the school district has partnered with Care Solace, a national organization to help students and families obtain mental health and substance abuse services. Gerard’s House and The Sky Center conduct weekly skills-building sessions in schools. One initiative from The Sky Center is the Natural Helpers program, which trains students in middle schools to assist peers who need help. School interventions, though, are not enough.
Even before the coronavirus pandemic’s isolation, young people in the United States were in trouble. Over the 10 years before the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that feelings of persistent sadness and hopelessness — including suicidal thoughts and behaviors — had increased by about 40% among young people. The CDC came to this assessment through its Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System.
New Mexico students participate in that survey, and in 2021, nearly 1 in 10 Santa Fe County youths who took part reported they had attempted suicide. That’s higher than the national average, which is 7.4%. A number of risk factors account for New Mexico’s numbers — everything from poverty, family dysfunction, substance abuse and access to lethal means. Watching for the signs that a young person is troubled can prevent tragedy.
But even children who aren’t considering self-harm need and deserve greater community support. Efforts both in and out of school to help young people form likeminded communities can make a difference; kids need friends.
U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has acknowledged the nation is facing an epidemic of loneliness. That’s true both for adults and for children, and the trends that have led to isolation only became worse during the pandemic and ever-present political tensions. In describing the problem, Murthy called on Americans to create more social connections.
Schools are a wonderful setting to do just that, whether through sports teams, clubs, musical groups or simply chatting every day over lunch. At Atalaya Elementary School, a 6-year-old lobbied for the placement of “buddy” benches. Alyssa Kesler saw a schoolmate playing alone and decided to ask her school to install the benches. The idea is simple: When a child wants companionship, he or she stops by the bench and a new friend will sit down. Simple, but genius, emphasizing the need all humans have for connection.
Create enough connections — along with establishing a robust mental health infrastructure — and schools will have less need for crisis intervention. Because, finally, the kids truly will be all right.