Students organize mental health fair, promote awareness and acceptance at Riverside

It’s okay not to be okay.

That was the message Wednesday at Riverside Junior-Senior School in Taylor as more than two dozen agencies and nonprofits gathered for a student-run mental health fair.

It’s okay to talk about your feelings. It’s okay to ask for help, senior Matthew Alfieri said. You know, everyone needs it once in a while. And we want kids to know that at all times.

Several grants have allowed the district to add extensive counseling services since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with traditional school counselors, students have access to licensed professional counselors and outpatient services supervised by a psychiatrist.

Crisis counselor JT Yarem, head of the district’s counseling department, said that during the pandemic, people realized the importance of mental health.

It’s not a socio-economic thing. It is not a gender issue. It’s not a racial thing, Yarem said. And we needed to find ways to make people more comfortable with seeking help and how to actually find help.

As any stigma surrounding mental health began to disappear at Riverside, the number of students seeking help increased. In the last year, nearly 20% of students sought help for their mental health.

Recent surveys have shown that cases of anxiety, depression and suicidal behavior are down since more supports have been added, Yarem said.

We’re seeing really, really great results across the board in our district, Yarem said. I think it’s just a testament to all the counselors that are here and the great work they all do and the support we get from the district and the community.

The Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency visited Riverside last week to highlight the districts’ work with mental health and the impact of grant funding.

A growing number of schools have started Aevidum programs. Derived from the Latin phrase I’ve got your back, Aevidum is a national youth-led movement that aims to foster a culture of empathy, acceptance and support within schools.

Riverside started its Aevidum program last year, and this is the second year students have organized the mental health fair for Mental Health Awareness Month.

It’s something that teaches not only us kids, but young kids to always have each other’s side with bullying, anything, Starlette Cabral said. So hopefully kids like this get a chance to see it today.

Students in grades one and two and grades seven through 12 visited the fair, receiving brochures, pens and other information.

Kathy Wallace represented the Northeast Suicide Prevention Initiative and presented the students with butterflies as a sign of hope.

During her more than a decade involved with the organization, Wallace has seen conversations around mental health change.

The stigma isn’t as strong as it once was, Wallace said. It’s still hard to ask for help. And so what we say is, Please, if you see someone struggling, help them. Don’t wait until they ask for help. But I think it has changed tremendously.