Georgetown ISD focusing on mental health this legislative session
Georgetown ISD mental health, drug use discussions
Georgetown Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Padavil says by inviting students on the Student Advisory Council to have open conversations, it allows him to know what's going on in the district from a student's perspective. FOX 7 Austin education reporter Jessica Rivera has the details.
GEORGETOWN, Texas - Mental health, among other topics, is on the list of priorities for Georgetown Independent School District this legislative session.
What they're saying:
"We know that increasing the social and emotional support for students and staff is going to be critical for us," says Georgetown ISD superintendent Dr. Devin Padavil.
The backstory:
Like many school districts across the state, Georgetown is facing significant funding shortfalls in critical service areas.
Superintendent Dr. Padavil says if the district was properly funded, they could increase the social and emotional support students need.
"I have this vision that we have all kinds of emotional supports for our students and mental health support for our kids, but also mental health supports for our staff as well," says Padavil.
Once a month, Dr. Padavil invites the student advisory council to discuss issues that matter the most to them.
Students were asked to have honest conversations around factors that impact student well-being and determine ways to tackle them.
Some topics discussed were:
- Addressing the intersection between mental health challenges and drug abuse
- Mental health education early in school
- Avenues for students to report mental health challenges and get connected with peer support
"The kids these days are really remarkable individuals that are going to grow up to be the leaders of our community. For them to identify that our students need that mental health support to thrive in this world, it just makes me so proud," says Padavil.
Dr. Padavil says talking about mental health at school helps students to connect with one another.
"One of our students in the student advisory council, she has this idea of wanting to help elementary students feel more comfortable with identifying their emotions and feeling comfortable finding someone to talk to when they're having a hard time regulating how they feel," says Padavil.
What you can do:
The school district has a team of mental health professionals that are available to staff and students.
You can get more details on that here.
The Source: Information from reporting by Jessica Rivera.