School counselors and clinicians present survey showing declines in some indicators but ongoing youth mental‑health concerns
Loading...
Summary
District clinicians presented the annual student substance‑use and mental‑health survey on June 5, reporting some downward trends in anxiety and depression but continued concerns about early substance use, self‑harm thoughts and psychotic‑type experiences among students.
District clinicians and a school social worker presented the results of the annual student substance‑use and mental‑health survey during the June 5 School Committee meeting, reporting some positive trends alongside ongoing concerns.
June Hart, a clinical social worker at the high school, said the district achieved an 84.5% response rate and that anxiety and depression indicators have trended downwards in recent years (presenter‑reported figures). Hart and other student‑services staff noted particular concerns about self‑injury and suicidal thoughts, and they flagged that roughly 8% of responding students reported psychotic‑type experiences (seeing or hearing things not there) on the instrument used — a level that prompted discussion about early detection and treatment.
Presenters also said many students are using alcohol, nicotine and cannabis at ages younger than recommended; the report noted early first‑use ages and recommended prevention work for younger grades. Panelists described protective factors including extracurricular engagement and family support and asked the committee to make student mental health a higher district priority, including adding school social workers to provide a tier of support between counselors and clinicians.
District staff outlined programs already in use (Wayfinder SEL curriculum, tiers of intervention, screening and referral work) and said the data informs targeted programming such as social‑media education and student focus groups. Committee members praised the district’s data collection and asked staff to share grade‑level breakdowns and more raw data; staff agreed to provide further detail and to return with recommendations for staffing and community partnerships.
No formal committee action was taken at the meeting; presenters asked the committee to prioritize mental‑health staffing and to collaborate with neighboring districts and state advocates to secure resources.
Staff said they will continue to use the annual survey to track trends and guide interventions for vulnerable student groups.
