After recent suicides, Habersham schools detail mental health support

CLARKESVILLE, Ga. — As Habersham County continues to grapple with the loss of young people to suicide, Habersham County Schools is detailing the mental health resources available to students and considering how to make sure families know those resources exist.

The discussion came during the Board of Education’s Sept. 10 work session, held during September’s National Suicide Prevention Month.

The presentation followed a difficult stretch for the local school community. Three young people died by suicide over the last year, including 15-year-old Habersham Central High School student Yaretzi Romero, whose family, friends, teammates and community members gathered at Raider Stadium in August to remember her life.

The circumstances have left students, parents and others in the community grieving while raising questions about how schools and families can better identify students who may be struggling.

District mental health specialists told board members Thursday that Habersham County Schools has built a network of support designed to reach students before, during and after a mental health crisis.

“Our department, along with school counselors and other staff, is working across the district to provide support to over 7,000 students,” Mental Health Counselor Angie Kerr said.

Kerr said school mental health encompasses much more than one-on-one counseling. Depending on a student’s needs, support can include prevention and education, trusted adults, check-ins, mentoring, small groups, crisis response, threat assessments, suicide risk assessments, parent meetings and referrals to community providers.

“Mental health support in our schools is not one program,” Kerr said. “It is a network of supports designed to reach students at different levels and different needs.”

Suicide prevention starts before a crisis

Mental Health Counselor Kelsey Ondriezek said universal mental health supports are available to all students, not only those already identified as having a mental health concern.

Students in grades 6-12 receive some form of suicide prevention education, she said. Depending on the school, that can include classroom presentations, assemblies or schoolwide wellness initiatives.

The presentations generally last about an hour and cover recognizing signs of depression and other mental health challenges, knowing how to respond when students are concerned about themselves or a friend, and developing healthy coping skills.

Students are taught how to approach a trusted adult when they or a friend need help.

“You don’t necessarily solve your friend’s problem, but get them to a trusted adult,” Ondrieziek said.

The district also trains teachers, administrators, school counselors and other staff members to recognize potential mental health concerns and connect students with appropriate support.

“The goal with that is not necessarily to turn those teachers into mental health professionals,” Ondrieziek said. “But we want to help the adults who are already in our students’ lives recognize when a student might need additional support and what is the next step for them to take.”

Mental health information is also shared with parents and caregivers through meetings, newsletters, educational materials and direct communication.

Ondrieziek said high schools provide mental health information through newsletters weekly, while the frequency of classroom presentations and other programming varies by school level. Elementary students receive classroom guidance lessons more frequently.

Counselors play a central role

Daphne Penick, who retired as principal of South Habersham Middle School in May and now works with the district’s mental health specialists, said school counselors are balancing traditional counseling responsibilities with an expanding role in student safety and mental health.

Elementary counselors are implementing the Monique Burr Child Safety Matters curriculum, conducting at-risk student check-ins and responding to safety concerns.

They also meet with students referred by school staff, work to intervene before concerns escalate, build relationships with students and families and connect families with outside agencies.

Counselors coordinate teletherapy and face-to-face counseling provided in schools, Penick said.
She emphasized the importance of relationships between students and adults in schools.

“Don’t let a child hide,” Penick said.

Simple interactions, such as speaking to a student, smiling at them and letting them know they are seen, can make a difference, she said.

Board member calls for greater awareness

Board member Doug Westmoreland said he was surprised by the breadth of services presented and urged the district to do more to tell parents and the community what is available.

“I know now how much we’re doing, but I don’t think our community knows,” Westmoreland said.

Westmoreland said he has received calls from concerned parents and referenced three or four student suicides over the past two years.

He also questioned how frequently suicide prevention education is provided, particularly for students who may be reluctant to come forward themselves.

Ondrieziek said there is no single frequency across the district because programming varies by school level. She said the district uses multiple approaches, including newsletters, assemblies, classroom presentations and individual meetings.

“We can definitely examine ways that we can increase those for sure,” she said.

Students have multiple ways to seek help

The district is expanding peer-led support this school year, with clubs beginning in middle school and continuing through high school, Mental Health Counselor Miriam Duncan said.

The district already had peer-led programming at Habersham Central High School and Success Academy.

Mental health specialists are also working to make students aware of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline through bulletin boards and other informational materials.

Duncan said 988 is available for students who may be struggling even if they are not experiencing an immediate suicidal crisis. Penick noted that the service can be accessed by phone, text or online chat.

When Westmoreland asked whether students have a way to report concerns about a friend, Superintendent Patrick Franklin said the district has multiple avenues.

Franklin said the district is implementing the Sandy Hook Promise program, which allows students to make anonymous reports. Students can also contact 988 or reach out to a trusted adult.

“Every child needs a trusted adult,” Franklin said.

Targeted support and crisis response

Duncan said students who need more individualized support can receive check-in/check-out services, small skill-building groups and mentoring.

When counseling beyond what can appropriately be provided in a school is needed, district staff help connect students and families with school-based and community providers.

“Our role is not to replace community-based mental health providers or function as a student’s outside counselor,” Duncan said.

The district’s specialists also respond to significant events and crises through suicide risk assessments, threat assessments, crisis response, reintegration following significant concerns, parent meetings and coordination with outside providers.

The district provides grief and bereavement support and can connect families with organizations including Northeast Georgia Hospice and Kate’s Club.

Parent asks for more coping skills

Jennifer Deform, a Habersham County Schools parent and former 911 employee, was invited by Westmoreland to speak to the board.

Deform said she appreciated the work being done but urged the district to continue strengthening connections among students and provide practical coping skills that young people can use themselves.

“Community matters the most, and having these kids make connections not just with their teachers but with one another is probably one of the most viable things that can happen,” Deform said.

She suggested incorporating more coping-skills instruction into schools, including approaches based on dialectical behavior therapy, or DBT.

Ondrieziek said the district already offers a school-based dialectical skills group incorporating components of DBT. The group is generally used at the secondary level but has been modified for elementary students when appropriate.

The program addresses skills including distress tolerance, emotion regulation and healthy relationships.

Ondrieziek acknowledged that one message coming from the discussion was that families may not know what resources are already available.

“I think it’s like the feedback that I’m hearing is a lot of people don’t know that these resources exist and are available to them,” she said.

Duncan said the district’s goal is to connect each student with the appropriate support, whether that means a trusted adult, counselor, teacher, family member, community provider or a team responding to a crisis.

“The level of support changes, but the goal stays the same,” Duncan said. “Connect the student with the right support at the right time.”