NP3 High Counselors Assist With Student’s Mental Health During COVID-19

By Jack Fedor
Co-Editor | The Pacific Times

During the COVID-19 pandemic, NP3 High School counselors have tried harder than ever to help students and families address concerns about mental health.

Counselors this school year have listened to student struggles, assisted with individual mental health needs as well as provided mental health assessments and referrals. This year less students went to meet with the counselors in-person and there were more students who did not show up for a meeting with a counselor compared to other years.

“When we created open office hours and shared calendars to make appointments with us it seemed to increase the student level of comfort making that connection to talk and get help,” said NP3 High School counselor Kelly Clancey.

The counselors also posted in all Google Classrooms their contact information and counseling forms. Whenever a student or parent reached out, someone on the school counseling team would respond quickly, according to Clancey.

“Through the use of Zoom, it was much easier to provide help with academic guidance issues because we could share screens and meet at length with no interruptions,” said Clancey.

Counselors performed home visits when students did not attend the first few weeks of classes at the beginning of the school year.

A program that the counselors began to train NP3 with was Living Works Start meant to address suicide prevention. Assembly bill 1808 provides all students in California with Living Works Start. The Living Works Start training helps students and staff recognize suicidal signs and offers ways in which help can be given to the suicidal students.

In the past, some NP3 school staff participated in the Living Works Start training,, but this year all school staff completed the training. The training was introduced to students as part of a senior project, but later shared with all seniors and then the rest of the high school students.

The counselors sent out a survey this week to the whole high school google classrooms to see how many students completed the training. NP3 counselors said all staff at NP3 Middle School and a majority of students over 13 years old have completed the Living Works Start training.

Mind Out Loud was a three-day event held May 4-6 for students statewide by the California Department of Education to provide practical tools for wellness.

Counselors also hosted academic advising nights, college workshops, assisted with Chromebook distribution as well as with supervision of in-person cohorts.