How virtual school is straining the mental health of WA students (Seattle: credit card, homes)

[homesinseattle]

We’ve had a brutal year with our 16 year old daughter. I’ll spare you the details but don’t hesitate to get help if you need it. Hope this article is helpful to some of you out there, here is the link: https://crosscut.com/news/2021/03/ho...th-wa-students

“When Liz’s 17-year-old son started sleeping in until noon on the weekends and getting lost on YouTube for hours, she didn’t think much of it. She assumed it was something all teenagers did and — after all — her son didn’t act like the “typical solemn teenager,” avoiding eye contact and responding with one-word answers.

My son always presents as very outgoing and chats a lot and has a very sunny disposition,” says Liz, who chose to withhold her last name to protect the identity of her son, a junior in a Bellevue School District high school. As a parent, I thought, ‘Oh, he's not depressed. He chats and tells me how things are going.

But when her son was screened through Bellevue School District’s Mental Health Assistance Team during the fall of 2019 she learned he wasn’t doing well. He scored high for depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation. Bellevue’s MHAT program is used to screen all 10th graders, who are then referred by teachers and counselors if they score a certain level for the three conditions. I’m so thankful he had that screening and that resource was available. I just can’t imagine if that hadn’t happened, Liz says.

Schools in Washington state were among the first in the country to pivot to virtual learning at the beginning of the pandemic last March. Alongside that disruption also came widespread economic uncertainty and major social isolation, as well as the coronavirus’ rising death toll. School counselors say the shift into pandemic life created an immediate call to arms, both because of the stress of virtual school and everything else young people are dealing with right now, at home and out in the world.
Few studies and surveys have thoroughly analyzed the mental health impacts of the pandemic on children and youth, but early available research reveals a crisis. A survey conducted by YoungMinds, a U.K.-based mental health charity, found that 83% of the 2,111 youth participants with previous mental health challenges said the pandemic had made their conditions worse. An Active Minds survey of 3,239 high school and college students found that 74% of students are struggling to keep a routine and that eight in 10 students are struggling with focus and avoiding distractions.

Multiple bills introduced during Washington state's current legislative session address mental health in schools and aim to bolster school counseling programs further.

After Liz’s son’s screening in fall 2019, a counselor reached out to her, and her son was promptly connected with services that are integrated into his school. When the pandemic began, his check-ins went virtual. Liz says because he had gotten help before the school went virtual, her son had no trouble staying in touch with his counselors.

“I’m really glad he had that going into COVID, I haven’t even thought about what COVID would have been like without that support,” Liz says, choking up over the phone.
Some of the challenges that come with online education — a lack of engagement and participation — are similar to the issues counselors see when they try to provide students with mental health help. School mental health specialists have found the virtual pivot to be at least as difficult for teachers as for students, especially because depression in and of itself pushes people to withdraw.

“Because [the switch to remote school] happened so quickly, there were a lot of adjustments … trying to figure out how we are going to do counseling with kids online; Are they going to show up? How authentic is it going to be?” says Kerince Bowen, Bellevue School District’s director of counseling. “Initially that was the big concern: how to get the kids to participate?”
So far, Bowen and other counselors have noticed, specifically with their MHAT program, that there are indeed far fewer tenth graders screening than in years past. Since students aren't answering the questions, MHAT counselors are struggling to identify which students need help. To some extent, she says, chuckling, counselors are borderline harassing students in order to check in on their mental well-being.

[flyingsaucermom]

Wow. Things must be bad for you to post a non-pollyanna post.

In my household I'm the one suffering. The kids are each doing okay, but I did get one in tears last night as I was getting out my credit card to pay for the application fee for a nearby private school. I stopped before hitting send....

I looked at him directly and said, "It's all on you kiddo. I'm willing to pay $30k each year if it means your destiny is no longer in the hands of these f-ing self-interested unions/teachers, but if it's SO. DAMN. IMPORTANT. for you to stay with your friends and you just end up taking remedial courses in community college... fine ... we'll do it your way".

We had a small victory in Issaquah last week. A Facebook-led parent group finally moved the needle and got the school board to commit to reopening dates for all grades, this month. But of course, now the union has to organize "focus groups" over 4 days with teachers. This is after two days of bargaining. One parent, a pilot, is in utter disbelief, stating, "do you know how long it took our union in the beginning of the pandemic?... 1.5 days!"

I really resent your mental health advice. You know what the real problem here is and it's not your daughter or you as parents. It's the schools. You get these too-cozy teachers back into the classroom and your daughter's mental health issues go away.

[usernametaken]

I though homes would be supportive of even a 2-year lockdown if "science" and Inslee said so! Maybe the three southern governors are rubbing of positively on all.

[flyingsaucermom]

Originally Posted by usernametaken

I though homes would be supportive of even a 2-year lockdown if "science" and Inslee said so! Maybe the three southern governors are rubbing of positively on all.

The facts that we are now 47th in school reopening and with many other liberal states operating in-person learning HAVE to be causing some serious cognitive dissonance in our liberals...

[Diana Holbrook]

Kids don't need more well meaning counselors, they need normal life. Now, before we forget what it is.

We need schools, and bands, and concerts, and teams, and the county fairs! And whatever else kids normally do. They need friends with faces... not masks and fears.

Can't come soon enough for me!

[87112]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/differenc...005727298.html



Its going to be quite the event when the owner of WA State Mr. Inslee lets us have a bit of freedom like CA. For example letting us see a movie at 25 percent capacity. We enjoyed that months ago but apparently that frightened him.

[homesinseattle]

Originally Posted by flyingsaucermom

Wow. Things must be bad for you to post a non-pollyanna post.

In my household I'm the one suffering. The kids are each doing okay, but I did get one in tears last night as I was getting out my credit card to pay for the application fee for a nearby private school. I stopped before hitting send....

I looked at him directly and said, "It's all on you kiddo. I'm willing to pay $30k each year if it means your destiny is no longer in the hands of these f-ing self-interested unions/teachers, but if it's SO. DAMN. IMPORTANT. for you to stay with your friends and you just end up taking remedial courses in community college... fine ... we'll do it your way".

We had a small victory in Issaquah last week. A Facebook-led parent group finally moved the needle and got the school board to commit to reopening dates for all grades, this month. But of course, now the union has to organize "focus groups" over 4 days with teachers. This is after two days of bargaining. One parent, a pilot, is in utter disbelief, stating, "do you know how long it took our union in the beginning of the pandemic?... 1.5 days!"

I really resent your mental health advice. You know what the real problem here is and it's not your daughter or you as parents. It's the schools. You get these too-cozy teachers back into the classroom and your daughter's mental health issues go away.

Weird comment, you know nothing about our particular situation/challenges and the last thing I'm doing is giving you advice. We are all finding our way right now in unprecedented times. Our daughter was born completely deaf in her left ear and has never had an easy go of it. The point of my post wasn't to argue for or against in person school, just for people to know that there are behavioral health resources if needed. We are making really good progress and are grateful for the resources we have been able to access during this time.

For the record, my last few posts included continued West Seattle commute problems and cougar attacks, I'm really trying to go "dark" saucer mom, fighting my inner optimist .

[Transmition]

Originally Posted by flyingsaucermom

One parent, a pilot, is in utter disbelief, stating, "do you know how long it took our union in the beginning of the pandemic?... 1.5 days!"

It's almost as if the group of workers who are literally locked away from contact with the large numbers of public and have the ability to kick off rulebreakers, have a much simpler set of priorities than workers who are stuck in the same room as the dozens of nosepickers that they are trying to maintain in a chain of learning so that they aren't already failing next year as a result of any missteps this year.



At least with teachers in the priority lines for the vaccines, things might start getting back to normal. Seems like it is already a bit pointless to go back so late this year, but kids will benefit greatly from more socialization even if it won't really change the education they receive.

[Sockeye66]

As a single, childless, and employment-safe individual I really feel for those with young families.
4 colleagues I work closely with had kids graduating last year and starting college. The most exciting and eventful periods of their lives got hit with the "Mute" button. My assistant has a special needs child and distance learning DOES NOT WORK for her at all.

I'm thankful I don't have to deal with their burdens, but you know what? It still sucks.
Home's message wasn't about support of a political party, Union, or Lock-down. It was about the shatty situation we all are living in, taking its toll on mental health, and resources to help with that.

If your reading glasses only have political lenses maybe its time to take them off.

[flyingsaucermom]

Originally Posted by Transmition

It's almost as if the group of workers who are literally locked away from contact with the large numbers of public and have the ability to kick off rulebreakers, have a much simpler set of priorities than workers who are stuck in the same room as the dozens of nosepickers that they are trying to maintain in a chain of learning so that they aren't already failing next year as a result of any missteps this year.

Exclude the two pilots up front and you've got three or four attendants that are literally locked in with large numbers of public. With a different set each time. From various geographical locations.

I'd rather take my chances with same group of 7 year olds day in, day out.