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Galena Park ISD outlines student mental health supports, staff counseling benefit and upcoming mental health fair
Summary
District presenters and students described the scope of mental-health challenges in schools, explained the district's screening and referral process and promoted an employee assistance program and a May 7 mental-health fair at North Shore Senior High School.
Dr. Karen Haines, director for mental health and social services for Galena Park ISD, opened a district presentation on school mental-health supports and resources, saying, “We're about to take a deep dive into mental health in our schools. On this journey, you will experience a range of emotions.”
The presentation paired student testimony about bullying, family violence and loss with details on the district's response processes for students in crisis, tools for staff, and an upcoming community event. District presenters described the Columbia suicide-risk screening protocol used by school counselors and an employee assistance program (EAP) that covers staff and household members.
Students gave first-person accounts of anxiety, grief and bullying, saying those experiences affect attendance and learning. "I wish my teachers knew how much easier and how much better of a student I would be if my mama was still here," one student said. Several students described using staff offices as quiet or safe spaces and named campus adults they said helped them, including "Miss Garcia" and "Miss Kegler." Another student described ongoing threats and escalating bullying.
Dr. Haines and other presenters outlined the district's typical response when a student expresses suicidal ideation. A school counselor explained that counselors use a Columbia suicide, safety, risk assessment screener to categorize risk into protocols and determine whether a student is safe to return to class, needs to go home, or should be referred for a higher level of care. "If a student has expressed suicidal ideation, typically, the school counselor will get involved, and we do what's called a Columbia suicide, safety, risk assessment screener," a school counselor said.
Presenters emphasized that counselors contact parents after an assessment and provide counseling resources. They said that for the highest-risk category (referred to in the presentation as protocol 3), staff typically request that a parent take the student for an evaluation at a mental-health hospital.
The district also promoted supports for employees. A Galena Park ISD staff member said the district pays for an Employee Assistance Program through Comp Psych that offers six free counseling sessions per instance, per calendar year, for any employee and household family member. The staff member added that the EAP is available 24/7/365 by phone.
The presentation closed with a community-facing announcement: the district is hosting a Mental Health Awareness Fair on May 7, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m. at North Shore Senior High School.
The presentation mixed personal testimony with procedural details; there were no formal motions or votes recorded in the transcript.
