Welcome to the simulation titled At-Risk for High School Educators. This is a transcript of the simulation designed for screen readers.
JACKIE: Hi, I’m Jackie Torres and I’ve worked in school mental health for over 15 years. During that time, I’ve spoken to so many teachers and school staff who are concerned about students who may be struggling with psychological distress but aren’t sure how to help.
I know you're an educator, not a counselor or a psychologist. I don't expect you to diagnose students or address these issues on your own. However, you, and teachers like you, know our students better than almost any other adult in their lives. You’re in a great position to connect with students and to connect students who need help to people trained to help them. This can make a lifetime of difference, not only for students, but for their families and communities, as well. Our hope is that you’ll also see some improvements in academic performance, attendance, and school climate and safety.
Now, what do I mean by “psychological distress?”
Well, it could just mean a student is going through a rough time, that things at home or in their social life are causing them pain. Or it could mean the student is starting to show signs of a mental disorder, like anxiety, depression, disruptive disorders, or substance abuse.
According to the Centers for Disease Control in 2016, 13-20% of children living in the U.S. experience a mental disorder in a given year; that’s as many as one out of five.
CDC, 2016
Furthermore, a national survey of high school students found that 16% had seriously considered suicide in the past year. Thirteen percent had made a plan for suicide. And 8% had tried to take their own lives. Think what this means for your students. If you teach 150 students, over 24 of them may have seriously considered suicide in the past year… and 12 may have attempted suicide in the past year.
So we do have many at-risk students in our school system, and these aren’t always the students who stand out as being troubled. In fact, any student could be at risk. Luckily, our school counselors and other mental health professionals are trained to help these students and connect them with resources in and outside of the school. By the way, when you hear me talk about school counselors, please know that, in your school, that person might have another title or role. It’s important that you know who is the right person in your school to go to for support.
So how can this program help you better connect with struggling students? This simulation features practice conversations with three virtual students -- each facing a different emotional challenge that’s affecting their academic performance, classroom behavior, and general wellbeing. You’ll play the role of a teacher and decide what to say to each of these students--bringing up what you’ve noticed, asking questions to better understand the student’s behavior, and if appropriate referring the student to mental health resources within the school.
Screen transitions to Mr. Lyons in his classroom.
JACKIE: The classroom we’re in today belongs to a teacher named Shawn Lyons. Shawn, tell us a little bit about yourself.
SHAWN: Well, I’ve been an English teacher for a little over 10 years. I teach all grade levels here, and I also co-sponsor the yearbook staff.
JACKIE: Great. And why did you ask me to come here today?
SHAWN: Well… I’ve spent a lot of years trying to become a better teacher. And sometimes I get frustrated because, no matter how well I do my job, there are always some students who are just blocked by things that are beyond my control—and beyond their own control. So, anything I can do to help, I want to do it. (pause) My only concern is that I just don’t have much time.
JACKIE: Of course. Well, the techniques I’ll show you today are all things you can integrate into your day. They won’t require any additional paperwork, just a little more observation and a few extra conversations. And the techniques you’ll learn should help you connect with students on topics other than mental health, as well.
SHAWN: Okay. So what do I need to do?
On screen appears the words: Identifying, approaching, referring.
JACKIE: Let’s start with identifying. This means noticing what’s going on with your students: noticing worrisome behavior and worrisome changes in behavior.
Once you identify, you need to approach. That means letting the student know you’re concerned and trying to better understand why they’re behaving the way they are.
Some teachers want to skip approach and go straight to the counselor to refer the student, and that’s fine. It’s much better to do that than to do nothing at all; and, in an emergency, it might even be the best thing to do. However, students are often more motivated about seeing the counselor when they’re personally referred by someone they know and trust. That’s why we’ll focus a lot today on how to approach students effectively.
Several things may happen when you approach a student.
In the case of these last two outcomes, you should refer the student.
Referral can mean referring the student to the counselor, referring the counselor to the student, or, better yet, both.
(To users:) Today, you’ll help Shawn identify, approach, and possibly refer three of his students.