The Round Table is an article series by reporters at The Eagle’s Scream crafted from conversations about Eagle Rock High School’s most pressing issues between different members of our school community. This series aims to highlight our strengths and areas of improvement and use it as a guide to create change at our school.
This is the second installment of The Round Table. This session discussed mental health on campus, be it from the programs we have offered here to the emotional state of ERHS’ whole student body. This article contains comprehensive summaries of each general topic under the main issue.
This session included:
Rebekah Grace de Guzman (11th), Claire Duarte (10th), Simone Modina (9th), and Cas Villanueva (11th): Students and Reporters at The Eagle’s Scream
Ms. Cassandra: PSW Worker
Dr. Gendrano Adao: Restorative Justice Coordinator and English Teacher
Miss Dina: Campus Aide
Mental health programs on campus
written by Simone Modina
On our ERHS campus, you’ll be able to find a range of programs our school can provide. More specifically, you’ll be able to find many programs that focus on students’ mental health and promote the importance of it.
For example, we have Ms. Cassandra and Ms. Colin who work as psychiatric social workers (or PSW for short) who are found in the library. Accessing these services allows students to meet with these workers throughout the school week for counseling if they have any problems they would like to deal with. Our PSW also works with group and crisis counseling to determine if a student needs a higher level of care via assessment.
Along with the PSW, we have Dr. Gendrano Adao, who is our restorative justice worker. She can be found in our Eagle Center along with our four climate advocates. As coordinator, Dr. G promotes social-emotional learning. Our climate advocates support Dr. G by promoting SEL with fun projects. In the Eagle Center, you can also find the new peer counseling program, which is made up of seniors who have completed counseling and mental health certification.
There are also many other programs students have access to. These include the DIS/ERICS Counselor who focuses on school-based therapy for students with IEPs, the School Psychologist who completes these IEP tests, and the SSS Counselor who supports students and their families in unhousing and foster care issues.
Suffice to say, ERHS has so many programs that are used regularly by students. But, not every student who needs help reaches out.
How to access ERHS’ mental health programs
written by Rebekah Grace de Guzman
Where mental health programs are located on campus are, admittedly, hidden in plain sight. Ms. Cassandra recounted that on the last day of school in June, a graduating senior walked into her space in the library and exclaimed, “I didn’t know this place was here the whole time!”
But, Dr. G emphasized that they try to publicize as much as they can. There are posters around campus with QR codes to request a visit with a PSW or a Peer Counselor. You are always welcome to walk into the PSW office– their services are free for all LAUSD students, parents, and staff– and into the Eagle Center.
As stated earlier the SSS counselor serves unhoused students and families, DCFS cases, and students in the foster care system. The school psychologist completes testing for IEPs: students can request testing by going through the necessary paperwork with their parents/guardians. The DIS/ERICS counselor serves students with qualifying IEPs.
But, if you don’t necessarily feel comfortable going to these people, teachers have their doors open too. The adults in the Round Table stressed that teachers and staff are here for students and will always be willing to hear you out about anything.
Perception of effectiveness
written by Cas Villanueva
Although there are many resources available to reach out for help, the question still stands: are these methods truly effective on our student body at hand? Well, there is no clear-cut answer to this question. Mental health itself is extensive, stemming from many situations and applications. It’s hard to put a pinpoint into something already so broad. When this topic was originally brought up to the table by Rebekah, we were able to get a better understanding of how the school takes action to combat this issue.
From the perspective of others, it may seem that our school’s mental health programs aren’t having a significant effect on our student body. Abuse of these services is unavoidable, due to the fact that these services are so widespread and cover many aspects of mental health. ERHS staff are constantly working to address this issue in the places where it may start, such as with people skipping class. As mentioned by one of our amazing campus aides, Ms. Dina, students are repeatedly asked to return to class when found lurking.
The reality is that mental health cannot be taken so lightly. Taking many forms, you can never really judge a situation without knowing what exactly is happening. It is also required that these situations be confidential, making it quite difficult to measure effectiveness through specific cases. And, what effectiveness looks like varies because every student is different and has their own specific needs.
Despite the fact that we may never truly know if these methods are truly effective on students, we should keep faith in those who are equipped to help us. ERHS provides a plethora of opportunities to approach in regards to helping students with their well-being. Instead of judging what we see on a superficial level, we should allow ourselves to also consider what is going on behind the scenes before making our own assumptions on the matter.
The future of mental health on campus
written by Claire Duarte
The future of our school's mental health systems on campus is looking bright. The initiatives that the school is taking have benefited many students and will continue to do so throughout their time at ERHS.
Sadly, our other PSW Ms. Roman retired, leaving us with only Ms. Cassandra, and our part-time counselor, Ms. Colin. But within the next year or so, ERHS will have at least two full-time PSWs to support kids struggling with their mental health. Due to LAUSD’s policy, schools with 650 or more students get one full-time PSW and for every additional 650 students, they will get another PSW. This is only funded by the district: Ms. Cassandra informed us she was formerly funded by COVID support money and was only moved to district funding last year.
ERHS has incorporated wellness into our community in many ways. When we came back from the COVID-19 lockdown, they installed the Eagle Center. It was staffed with our climate advocates, who have been helping the atmosphere of ERHS and its students. Additionally, the new peer counseling program, which was created to help kids feel more open about talking about their issues, has worked so far.
All-in-all, these initiatives are helping ERHS students grow and thrive in a happier and healthier environment.
If you’re a student struggling with mental health, you’re not alone.
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