BY KARISSA MILLER

A week after Iredell-Statesville Schools Board of Education members raised questions about the value of a $17 million federal grant aimed at helping students dealing with mental health issues, I-SS employees and other stakeholders showed up at Monday’s board meeting to show their support for the initiative.

The district plans to use the federal grant to hire 22 school-based therapists to work directly with students.

During their February 6 meeting, many board members had questions about the grant, and board members Brian Sloan and Anita Kurn expressed their apprehension about the effort.

“Up until 10 years ago, I’ve never known a single person in therapy. Our country has torn our families apart. Our country has torn our churches apart. Is therapy helping or making it worse?” Sloan asked.

“A lot of therapy is about self-self-self. I know myself, and myself lets me down all the time. I need a higher power to look to. Y’all can’t recommend that,” he added.

Kelly Marcy, I-SS director of student services, explained that receiving treatment for mental health issues is no different than receiving treatment for physical ailments. If a parent prefers that their child meet with a Christian counselor, the district can provide a list of those, she said. 

Kurn shared her concerns about children being misdiagnosed when there is an underlying issue that needs to be resolved. She cautioned school administrators of this type of scenario.

I-SS Student Support Services Program Director Jessica Smith explained that having access to school-based counselors will benefit students whose families cannot afford therapy, those who have transportation issues and those who have historically not been able to participate in therapy.

Therapists will work with students experiencing anxiety, depression, suicide ideation, interpersonal conflict and peer/socialization struggles.

In recent years, the stigma associated with talking about and addressing mental health issues has diminished and more people are seeking out mental health professionals. As a result, therapists can be hard to find and often costly.

I-SS administrators believe providing mental health services will improve the “whole” health of a student.

School board members were not sold on the need to go down this road.

“Why do we have to provide the service?” board member Abby Trent asked. “Would it not be considered a deeper issue that would (require) a deeper level of care?”

As a result of the board’s questions, several parents, teachers and community members spoke out during Monday’s meeting in support of providing mental health services to students.

Celeste Henkel Principal Frank Saraco said that some of the elementary-age students he encounters are growing up with an alcoholic parent, mental abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, substance abuse, death of a parent from cancer, second-hand smoke from an illegal substance, depression, suicide and other challenges.

Many parents also call him on a regular basis and ask if the school has a counselor for their child because they have nowhere else to turn, Saraco said.

“We need to actively listen to our students and their needs because eventually they will find someone who will. Tragically, some groups seek out our hurting children. They often listen, but their intentions are evil,” Saraco said.

Connie Russell shared her concerns as a parent and a teacher.

“Students must feel safe and mentally sound in order for learning to take place,” Russell said. “Students who are dealing with anxiety, depression, the death of a loved one or other issues struggle to fulfill their academic potential.

“I know this because I see this in my classroom. This is a safety issue and success issue for our students. If we could do something to help our students be safe and successful, shouldn’t we?”

Russell said that her school has one counselor that serves more than 600 students. The national school counselor ratio is one counselor for every 250 students.

Suicide is the second most common form of death for young people, she said.

“We also know of other tragic events that have transpired in part because of unaddressed mental health needs.”

SAP counselor Paul Veach, who started working with I-SS in 2006, helps middle and high school students.

When he first started at Lake Norman High School, Veach said, he was told: “We don’t have those problems here.”

In a matter of days, he learned that a student at the school had been hospitalized because of a crisis situation.

Mental health problems affect everyone and the problem is increasing, he said.

“It’s our society as a whole,” he added.

Veach said that he’s grateful to Children’s Hope Alliance and the district staff for seeking out mental health grants to bring more resources into the schools.

The school board voted 7-0 to approve the grant.

Before the vote, the board expressed concerns about patient confidentiality and other concerns regarding services. According to Marcy, the district is required to have parent consent for a student to participate in therapy at school. Students who have needs that may be too intense for a school environment will be referred to professionals outside of school, she said.

Board chairman Bill Howell said he believes that there was a misunderstanding.

“I’m not sure how the word got out that we weren’t taking (the grant), but we have board members who are very conscious about spending taxpayer dollars,” Howell said.