By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Twenty-seven Hays High School sophomores and seniors and 10 Hays Middle School students surveyed this year said at some point in their lives they have tried to kill themselves.
Lyndsey Crisenbery, behavioral health liaison at Hays High School, and Jamie Malone, behavioral health liaison at Hays Middle School, both of the Mental Health Intervention Teams, reported the findings of student surveys at a school board meeting on Monday.
"This is sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students at Hays Middle School right now, this year. Ten students have attempted suicide at some time in their lives. I'm asking you what is this community going to do if these 10 students are successful," Malone said as she began to cry.
"How would we respond as a community to 10 middle school students? How would the school board be able to respond to parents who might want more information about how this was allowed to happen?" she said.
At HHS, 273 sophomores and seniors received the suicide prevention training last semester. More students will go through the program this semester. The survey students complete is anonymous and administered after the training.
Of the HHS students surveyed, 6 percent possibly had depression and 45 percent likely had depression, Crisenbery said.
Seventeen USD 489 students have been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment since the beginning of the school year.
According to the survey, 10 to 11 percent of HMS students are possibly suffering from depression. Another 11 to 14 percent are likely suffering from depression. Malone said she believes the data is unreported by students.
In the same survey, 24 HMS students said they had thought seriously about killing themselves in the last 30 days.
The intervention teams program seeks to help improve access for students to mental health services. It is funded through a state grant and is part of a partnership with High Plains Mental Health Center.
Students attend in-person or Zoom individual or group therapy sessions while at school. Family members can also join sessions via Zoom. Students attend therapy during electives. Which classes they miss are rotated in an attempt to minimize the amount of time students miss in any one class.
This school year, the program is serving 190 students between HHS and HMS, Crisenbery said.
Malone said parents often had problems getting students to appointments at the mental health center and had to take off from work to do so.
Students also often did not return to school after appointments, which was an issue for academic success, Malone said.
High Plains Mental Health provides 24/7 crisis care and offers appointments for students when school is not in session.
Malone said the program has decreased absenteeism and increased academic performance. Students served by the program have shown fewer outward behaviors, such as trips to the office or nurse, and expressed more positive feelings, such as improved self-esteem.
The cost of the therapy sessions is billed to health insurance, Medicaid or families can apply for High Plains Mental Health Center's sliding-fee scale.
The program was initiated by Gov. Laura Kelly before the pandemic as a response to a lack of mental health and social workers available to work in schools as well as a shortage of funds for mental health programs.
"We knew the mental health needs of students in our schools were not being met and were continuing to grow," Malone said.
The funds for Mental Health Intervention Teams have to be approved each year by the Kansas Legislature. Malone said there are efforts in the Legislature to codify the program so it would be a part of the budget annually.
Board member Ruth Ruder said she appreciated Malone's passion.
"Unfortunately, we are not dealing with how you were educated and I was educated," she said. "You have technology in front of you 24 hours a day/seven days a week. The bullying isn't just at school. It's there all of the time. ... As a parent, it's hard to monitor it."
"To have those counselors at High Plains Mental Health 24/7/365 days a year, I think we are so fortunate in our community to have that, and I support this program 100 percent for students so they never have to feel that way ever," Ruder said.
Although the elementary schools do not have a liaison, both Crisenbery and Malone work with the elementary schools when needed and refer families to services.