Online learning during the pandemic fueled the rise in mental illness. As behavioral health students in the Health Academy at Coachella Valley High School, we knew that we were negatively impacted by the pandemic and three out of the four of us felt that our abilities faltered through online learning. A survey conducted at Coachella Valley High School in September 2021 showed that we were not alone, and our peers did not know where to go for help:

• 43 percent of current freshman were unsure of the availability of mental health services on campus.
• Six percent believed there were no services offered by the school.
• Students expressed that they felt annoyed, frustrated, and lonely while learning online and felt that it was difficult to perform at their best. 

These survey results, along with other present struggles, and our own experiences inspired us to create a follow-up project on our campus. The purpose and goal of our project is to raise awareness regarding mental health and the mental health resources available to students. We are sharing reliable tools that can aid students in coping with three of the most common mental health challenges: stress, anxiety and depression. 

We plan to involve established clubs within our school to help spread the word about our project and reach a larger audience. We are asking our school counselors to help by distributing a Google Form survey asking students about their mental well-being that will be completed anonymously. 

Through the influence of social media, we will help spread awareness more swiftly and reach a larger audience. We also plan to host events during lunchtime to create awareness and boost positivity in our school regarding mental health. 

We want to make students feel as if they are being heard and confident about the fact that there are resources available to them at any time. Students will have the option to receive help on campus or outside, depending on what makes them feel most comfortable, as we will provide resources for both. We hope to decrease the number of students who remain unsure or believe that the school does not provide any services. Our project will be ongoing to eventually reach a larger audience beyond our campus, spreading awareness to other schools inside and outside of the Coachella Valley Unified School District. The OneFuture Coachella Valley Behavioral Heath Alignment Team is posting our resources on their website.

For more information, visit www.OneFutureCV.org or contact Kim McNulty at
[email protected] or call (760) 413.5990.

Read or write a comment