After a long, rainy, and wet summer, the sun is beginning to set earlier each day. The cornstalks and sunflowers stand tall, full of ripe ears of corn and big colorful blooms. It feels like fall in the cool mornings and evenings and like summer for a few warmer hours at midday. Change is in the air and all around us. Across the district, students and teachers are returning to school. Over the past eight months, my colleagues and I worked hard to help Maine teachers and students succeed this school year. We maintained our commitment to fund public education at 55 percent, and we continued funding for free school meals for all. We extended free community college for another two years, and we expanded opportunities for STEM learning experiences in rural schools. Through these initiatives – and the resources below – I believe that Maine teachers and students will have a great year.
Going back to school can be a fun and exciting experience. Many of your children feel the fluttering butterflies in their stomachs as they prepare to see their friends, meet their new teachers, study for exams, and join clubs and teams. Yet, today we know that school is more than this. These days, students are increasingly exposed to many social conditions that can negatively impact their performance. That’s why good mental health services are critical to a child’s success inside and outside the classroom. In Maine, school counselors, school psychologists, licensed professional counselors, and school social workers provide the vast majority of school-based mental health services. These hardworking, dedicated professionals are specially trained in a wide range of topics: education law, curriculum and instruction, classroom and behavior management, individual and group counseling, learning disabilities, school safety and crisis response, effective discipline, cultural competence, and consultation with educators, families and community providers. To learn more about the role of school counselors, I hope that you will take some time to review this information from the American School Counselor Association. It can help you more fully understand how these professionals can ensure your child’s success.
Outside the walls of the school, there are additional resources that can support students’ mental health needs. Locally, Sweetser offers community-based services, crisis services, outpatient services, and residential and education services for children and families. I’d like to note that Sweetser provides services for children and students who are experiencing eating disorders, as well. These are serious, life-threatening mental illnesses that can affect anyone regardless of their age, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, or background. To seek any of these services, call Sweetser’s PromiseLine at 1-800-434-3000 or go to sweetser.org. The confidential Eating Disorder Line is (207) 294-4522. In addition to Sweetser, there are Children’s Behavioral Health Programs and Services, the Maine Behavioral Healthcare Youth Peer Support Statewide Network, the Maine Early Childhood Consultation Partnership, and the Teen Text Line. If your child has already been seeking mental health services and support, then I am proud of you. If your child has not sought services and support yet, then I hope you can help them learn about these resources. Just like many people get an annual physical health checkup, it is normal and essential that people get regular mental health checkups.
Finally, I want to make a special mention of the resources for LGBTQ+ youth and students. Compared to their heterosexual peers, these students experience bullying and other forms of aggression at higher rates. If you are the parent of an LGBTQ+ child, then you have tremendous power and potential to be their biggest advocate and ally. You can find a comprehensive list of resources for parents, guardians, and family members at cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth-resources.htm. These resources can help guide you and your child, whether you want to learn more about the process of “coming out,” LGBTQ+ health care, or definitions and terms that describe members of the LGBTQ+ community.
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