Mental Health Part Of The Plan When Students Return In Newark

Newark NJ

25 August, 2021

8:01 AM

Description

NEWARK, NJ — Let's face it: getting ready for a new school year was never stress-free for kids and teens. But the added pressures of the coronavirus pandemic are new and unwelcome twists in districts across New Jersey, including Newark. Many Garden State school districts have been running counseling and mental health programs to help their students cope with pandemic pressure. And that's also true in Newark, where terms like "social emotional learning" and "mindfulness" have become part of the school vernacular. Newark district administrators speak more about the issue in their Safe Return Plan for 2021-2022. "The district prioritizes social-emotional learning to support our students and to develop a positive school culture and climate within all of our schools," Newark school officials say. "To address the stress and anxiety caused by long-term school closure and social isolation, the district continues to implement a variety of strategies to support our school communities." They include: Meetings to facilitate opportunities for students to connect and reflectMeditation and mindfulness exercises, when possibleIntegrated social-emotional classroom lessonsDaily check-ins by school social workers and school counselorsIndividual and group counseling facilitated by social workers and school counselorsCounseling referrals and mental health resources provided to familiesFall and Spring student self-assessments to measure student strengths and challenges related to the five social and emotional competenciesSchool culture and climate surveys in all schoolsProfessional learning opportunities afforded to school-based staff on topics such as grief and loss, depression, anxiety, motivation techniques, social and emotional competencies, and mental wellnessPartnerships with mental health agenciesImplementation of age-appropriate social-emotional learning interventionsThe ongoing uncertainty around when things will return to "normal" — and what that will look like — can create raise anxiety levels for teens, an associate professor at the Rutgers School of Health Professions recently said. "For those whose family well-being has been negatively affected by COVID infection or death, unemployment and financial instability, there's a greater risk for adverse mental health outcomes," Ann Murphy said, adding that there is also an enhanced risk for youth who live in homes with abuse and neglect during the quarantine. See related article: Addressing Teen Mental Health During the Pandemic Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected] Sign up for Patch email newsletters. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don't forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page.