Communities In Schools of North Texas is proud to celebrate World Mental Health Day on October 10th, a day dedicated to raising awareness and support for mental health!
Mental health support remains a critical need across North Texas. According to Children’s Health, approximately 600,000 children across North Texas have pressing mental health needs. In Texas, 1 in 3 children experience a mental health disorder in a given year (Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute).
CISNT believes that every student needs and deserves a healthy start and a healthy future, and is committed to supporting the mental health and well-being of the students we serve. At CISNT, we’re proud to have a dedicated team that provides critical mental health support for students! Our three Mental Health Coordinators (MHCs), Casey Drinnen, Samantha Lott, and Samantha Nava, work hand-in-hand with Site Coordinators to provide students with the tools and resources to manage stress, build healthy relationships, regulate emotions, and more. One Site Coordinator shares that the MHCs are “absolutely amazing with the kids they see, and successfully make a lasting impact on their health.”
CISNT Site Coordinators also lead mental health initiatives on their campuses. At a Denton ISD elementary school, students created positive affirmation heart chains during lunch groups to remind themselves of their unique gifts. “I noticed it helped normalize and encourage positive self-talk, which is highly important at a young age when they are forming their self-esteem,” the Site Coordinator shared.
At a Lewisville ISD high school, a CISNT Site Coordinator led a “Kindness ROCKS” activity, where students and staff painted positive and uplifting messages on rocks. These rocks were compiled and placed in the new Kindness Garden located on campus! The Site Coordinator stated, “Some students felt stuck at first because art and expression can be tough, but their friends encouraged them with ideas and helped them finish their creations, so everyone got to leave their mark in the garden. Now the garden is filled with bright colors and kind words for our whole campus to enjoy!”
CISNT’s Senior Director of Mental Health, Amber Case, shares, “On World Mental Health Day, I would like to celebrate our mobile Mental Health Coordinators and Site Coordinators for the incredible work they do across all of our 62 campuses, ensuring students have access to the support they deserve. Their commitment to students’ well-being inspires me every day, and I am so grateful for them all!”
At CISNT, we know that mental health matters for every student. We are so proud to serve North Texas students and to celebrate World Mental Health Day!
