Emphasis on mental health is the ‘new frontier’ for local schools

Editor’s note: This is the first installment in the Minding Mental Health series, in which Forum journalists are investigating how mental illness affects different parts of the community.

WEST FARGO As teenagers navigate the world around them, angst and drama or worse often ensues, and the students at Liberty Middle School are no exception to these experiences.

Seventh grader Elizabeth Mbaireyo said she hears comments daily about the color of her skin.

Because I’m a little darker, they make racist jokes, he said.

Sofia Lopez, also in seventh grade, said teenagers tend to care more about someone’s looks than their personality.

They want to be a different person so they can look better in front of someone (else), she said.

Sixth-grader Abi Payne said she is angered by rumors circulating on social media.

You worry if people will judge you, because you want everyone to like you, she said.

Experiences like these, amplified through social media, can weigh heavily on a developing young person’s psyche.

In fact, those middle schoolers, including sixth-grader Mae Johnson, all said they would probably be better off without cell phones and social media.

It would help a lot, said Johnson, who also noted a downside of losing touch with friends.

The COVID-19 pandemic added another level of difficulty, leaving children isolated and out of their normal routines.

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy published a report in 2022 that said rates of psychological distress among young people have increased since the pandemic.

The most severe effects were felt by those who are already vulnerable, including youth with disabilities, racial and ethnic minorities, LBGTQ+ youth and other marginalized communities, the report found.

Annie Richards, director of behavioral health and wellness for West Fargo Public Schools, said schools recognize that more support is needed for youth mental health crises.

This is kind of a new frontier, he said.

In Fargo Public Schools, they’re also putting more emphasis on mental health.

Jen Sahr, assistant director of educational justice, said good mental health is vital for students to learn.

They need to be in a place where they feel safe, feel good emotionally and mentally, he said.

Before social media and the pandemic, there wasn’t necessarily a reason to focus on mental health in schools.

Our priorities have to change because our students have changed, Sahr said.

At Liberty, counselors are trying something new to give students more tools.

There are more than 30 girls enrolled in Ruling Our eXperiences, or ROX, a program born out of a research study at Ohio State University.

While mental health isn’t specifically called for, everything the program covers helps ensure participants are mentally well, district spokeswoman Heather Leas said.

Counselor Shaina Winning said students meet weekly for a five-month period during the school year, learning to build self-confidence, navigate difficult friendships, manage conflict and prevent sexual violence.

If we can instill these very healthy behaviors and traits in our girls now, I think we’ll see healthier adults in the future as well, Winning said.

Local school districts collect and compile data related to student health and well-being in a variety of ways.

Sahr said the climate and culture surveys were taken last fall in Fargo Public Schools and are in the works again for spring 2024.

This year, the students’ goal has been a sense of belonging.

When they feel they belong and have a strong relationship among their peers, as well as adults in the buildings, they are much more likely to succeed, Sahr said.

Middle and high school students were asked to respond to the statement I feel like I belong at this school.

More than 80 percent of respondents said they agreed or strongly agreed, while less than 20 percent said they disagreed or strongly disagreed, the survey found.

One area for improvement that emerged was listening to student voices, Sahr said.

Sometimes, we think we know better or we think we know how students feel, but it’s our job to stop and really ask those questions, she said.

At West Fargo, Richards said they use a student well-being survey to assess social-emotional functioning, the most recent in spring 2023.

A school climate question was about positive or negative energy in schools and whether the rules for students were fair.

Among grades 6-12, 46 percent of responding students gave a favorable rating, the data show.

According to the report, the incidence of bullying decreased at all West Fargo high schools; however, the data is from 2021. Data from 2023 is expected to be available for a new report this August.

In Moorhead Area Public Schools, data related to mental health is reported on the Minnesota Report Card under Student Safety and Engagement.

District spokeswoman Brenda Richman said the most recent survey was done in the spring of 2022.

Students at Moorhead High School were asked to react to the statement I feel safe at school.

More than 84% of respondents said they agreed or strongly agreed with this statement, while nearly 16% said they disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Regarding the statement Adults at my school listen to students, more than 73% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed, while more than 26% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Both the Fargo and West Fargo school districts use a multi-tiered support system for different levels of need.

Level 1 is what all students receive in terms of social, emotional and life lessons. Tier 2 includes students who need extra help in these areas, and Tier 3 includes those who need extensive support.

With at least 3 percent of students typically needing Level 3 services, about 400 of the 13,000 students enrolled in West Fargos require the most intensive help, Richards said.

There are 40 counselors, 14 social workers and eight social-emotional behavioral interventionists who work with children in the district, as well as school psychologists.

The district also established an in-house mental health therapy team this year, Richards said.

The team consists of six master’s degree social workers and clinical counselors, three at the elementary level and three at the secondary level.

Parents are involved in the intake process and must give consent before their child is seen.

The district is seeing benefits in those children whose mental health issues have been a barrier to learning.

That has felt very transformative this year, Richards said.

In Fargo Public Schools, there are 43 counselors and 14 social workers, most of whom are student and family wellness facilitators, Sahr said.

They work with families who have unstable housing or lack of food, obvious barriers to learning. They also meet with small groups of students based on topics that go out in friendship groups.

The district employs seven in-person school psychologists.

Fargo Public Schools will open a therapeutic mental health school this fall at Explorer Academy, the district’s K-8 special education school.

While the primary purpose of Explorer Academy will not change, part of the building will be used for the non-public day treatment center.

Last month, the Fargo School Board approved a proposal from Nexus-PATH Family Healing to provide that care at a cost of $13,788.96 per month for 20 students.

In Moorhead, mental health will be the centerpiece of an eighth-grade band concert this month.

Horizon Middle School students will perform the unBroken project, a musical initiative focused on mental health.

Band director Tim Pipinich said the school-wide effort includes an open art project, where students can convey thoughts, emotions and interpretations of the piece.

“This project speaks to my heart and soul,” Pipinich said.

The free concert will take place on Wednesday, May 22 at 8 pm at the Horizon Performing Arts Center in Moorhead.

At Liberty in West Fargo, Principal Dan Holder said the school will seek a community partner to provide ongoing support for the ROX program.

Counselors would like the program to one day be offered to all sixth-grade girls at the school.

“Maybe I’m being a dreamer, but I think we’re going to see really big impacts on mental health,” Winning said.