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Schools Struggle to Provide Mental Health Resources During Shutdown

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The current quarantine has left many students around Virginia with no access to mental health care previously provided at schools — at the very time when their needs are often most acute.

Virginia school administrators say they are struggling to provide mental health services during the coronavirus pandemic, even as vulnerable students continue with online studies away from regular counseling and support.

As school systems move to virtual learning, school counseling resources, deemed critical to student wellness by the U.S. Department of Education, are unable to provide in-person therapy for high-risk students. The alternative treatments — online sessions or new therapists from community services boards — could fall short in continuing care and supporting students during the pandemic, mental health professionals say.

The global crisis has brought added stress and anxiety to students and their families. More than 100,000 children and teens suffer from mental illness in Virginia, according to the state chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

The pandemic “is going to exacerbate some of those kids’ symptoms — even the kids that have outside providers,” said Nicolo Porto, a high school social worker in Northern Virginia. “The biggest thing that we’re still working through is we can’t provide mental health services to kids.”

Art by Julie Elman, Capital News Service – University of Richmond Bureau

For many students, access to trusted adults and mental health resources were suddenly cut off on March 23, when Gov. Ralph Northam officially closed schools throughout Virginia for the rest of the academic year. Several other local school boards had made the decision weeks earlier.

“I was genuinely devastated,” said one student from Chesterfield who had been regularly meeting with her school’s resource officer and relied on support from three teachers. The 18-year-old student, who wished to remain anonymous, said her resources at school were like family to her.

“Those four people were my rock. They were the sole reason why I would get out of bed in the morning,” the Chesterfield teen said. “I never got to say a goodbye or anything. One day they were three feet away from me and next they were gone — like someone just turned the light off. I still get emotional thinking about it.”

 Universal efforts are being made across school divisions to help children transition, Maribel Saimre, director of student services at the Virginia Department of Education, wrote in an email. Although schools are providing students and their parents with coping strategies during virtual learning, consistency of care is not guaranteed, she said. 

“Resources vary by community,” Saimre said. “Crisis intervention is available across all community service boards, but other services are going to vary depending on the locality and providers.”

While some school districts are embracing telehealth, others are hesitant to use it as a replacement for in-person treatment. 

Virtual counseling poses privacy concerns, and can produce lower quality care, Porto said.

Porto, who specializes in crisis intervention and trauma, said his role as a school social worker abruptly shifted to an administrative role when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Virginia. Porto had been working regularly with several students when his school district suddenly closed schools. Since his school closed, he has had no contact or time to make contingency plans with any of his students due to legal and ethical concerns.

Art by Julie Elman, Capital News Service – University of Richmond Bureau

Each school district has its own guidelines for how or if counselors can contact their students. For example, some districts allow counselors to send emails to students to check in, but others require specific signed permission for outside-of-school contact related to privacy practices and counseling confidentiality.

School social workers and psychologists in Virginia are not required to complete telehealth training, as it isn’t necessary in typical school environments. Even with training, Porto said the quality of virtual healthcare is diminished because counselors cannot analyze body language.

Mental health professionals also cannot guarantee a confidential environment over a virtual platform. “There’s no way to be sure that their parent isn’t sitting off-camera,” Porto said.

Porto also said that because some families do not believe in mental health treatment, their children lose all of their mental health resources when schools close. Other students who don’t typically seek resources may find themselves in need during social distancing and continued isolation.

School psychologists and social workers are left to focus on providing online resources and communicating with parents, who frequently must initiate contact.

To cope with concerns over treatment gaps, administrators are also referring students to providers outside of the school system. Saimre said some Virginia localities are using an out-of-office voicemail system to refer students to community resources.

“The double-edged sword is that there are actually a lot of places for mental health, but very few of them actually take insurance, and even then, it can still be expensive,” Porto said.

Even if students want to have online therapy sessions, many cannot. In 17 Virginia counties, less than half of the population has access to broadband internet, according to Broadband Now, an advocacy group.

“The well-off kids have access to that, but many, many kids don’t have access to it, so they are caught in a situation where they are deprived,” said Bob Trestman, chair of psychiatry and behavioral health at the Carilion Clinic in Roanoke. “I have no doubt that there are many children who previously were receiving care who now, either no longer have access or, because of the nature of their problems, no longer have the support to continue their care.”

Some districts throughout the state have tried to combat digital inequity by providing computers, tablets or internet hotspots. However, some districts can’t afford it.

“It could have an outsized impact on kids who are not able to connect in person or to connect electronically,” said Lloyd English, a school psychologist for Norfolk Public Schools, where hotspots have been distributed to those in need. He expected the extended period of isolation to be difficult for everyone.

Art by Julie Elman, Capital News Service – University of Richmond Bureau

The economic collapse caused by the pandemic has left many families in financial distress. Over 410,000 Virginians applied for unemployment benefits during the first four weeks of the crisis. A parent’s stress is often felt by their children. 

“As parents, we transmit all of those anxieties to our kids, no matter how hard we try not to,” English said. “Our students definitely feel that pressure, even for the younger ones.”

With mounting financial concerns, children might find it harder to ask for help.

“We’re already starting to see some of our families that may not ordinarily need to access the meal services, coming to the meal service line to get food,” Porto said. “If your basic needs aren’t even met, you can’t begin to think about your health or your mental health. They’re not going to be in an environment that they can do self-care, because they’re just trying to survive.”

 Most school-provided mental health resources will likely remain limited until students are back in classrooms and able to return to in-person counseling. 

Porto said he believes there will be an uptick in students needing mental health services in the fall due to COVID-19, whether the student was personally affected by the disease or other stresses related to the pandemic.

Porto has turned to providing online resources for students and families. He created the Mental Health, Wellness, and Community Resources for Families, which lists places students and families can turn to in order to cope with COVID-19.

“When we come back, it’s going to hit me like a freight train, how little I was able to do,” Porto said. “I [will] have to put on my work hat and deal with that in the moment because that’s what these kids need from us.”

Emergency Mental Health Resources:

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Text “NAMI” to 741741 if you are having suicidal thoughts or urges.

Written By Alexis Angelus and Stacey Dec, Capital News Service – University of Richmond Bureau. Top Photo by Sam Balye on Unsplash

Symbolic, But Important Nonetheless: Richmond City Council Bans Conversion Therapy

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Due to Virginia law, the ban can’t be enforced. But by passing it, Richmond City Council still sends a powerful message.

On Monday, Richmond’s City Council passed a resolution enacting a ban on conversion therapy within the city. The resolution, which is non-binding, was proposed by Mayor Levar Stoney, and received unanimous support from the nine members of City Council.

Conversion therapy, as many of us in Virginia’s LGBTQ community know all too well, is the practice of attempting to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity through therapeutic processes that are unscientific and often religiously based. A 2018 study published in the Journal Of Homosexuality found that participants in the study who’d undergone conversion therapy were five times more likely to have attempted suicide than those who hadn’t.

Over the past year, three different state boards regulating mental health caregivers have banned the practice by refusing approval for those who engage in conversion therapy. However, multiple attempts at passing bills in the General Assembly to ban conversion therapy in Virginia outright have failed in the House Of Delegates. Most recently in 2019’s General Assembly, a Senate bill introduced by 23rd District Virginia Senator Stephen D. Newman passed the Senate, but failed to make it out of committee in the House Of Delegates.

In a statement, Mayor Stoney praised the City Council’s decision, saying, “I am proud that members of Richmond’s City Council joined me in opposing the inhumane and regressive practice of conversion therapy and affirming the sexual orientation and identities of all Richmonders.”

The vote is, unfortunately, non-binding and symbolic. As a Dillon Rule state, Virginia requires any law passed by localities within the Commonwealth to align exactly with the laws passed by the state government. Therefore, without the passage of a state law banning conversion therapy, the City of Richmond has no legal ability to enforce a ban within city limits.

Nonetheless, activists were pleased by the verdict. Speaking to WTVR, Equality Virginia Deputy Director Vee Lamneck pointed out that this decision was a first in Virginia, and remains important despite its symbolic nature.

Conversion therapy survivor Adam Trimmer, who runs the conversion therapy survivors support group Love Actually Won RVA and is the Virginia ambassador for national anti-conversion therapy campaign Born Perfect, spoke of his experience during the public comment period for City Council’s resolution, and was thankful that they went on to pass the resolution.

“We are finally being heard and hopefully this can stop happening to our community,” he told WTVR. “I hope that the members of the General Assembly see this, and I hope they see [that] Mayor Stoney and City of Richmond support our efforts to protect the LGBTQ+ youth.”

Photo: GayRVA archives

Erasing The Stigma

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With his Men To Heal movement, James Harris works to make therapy accessible and mental health a priority for working-class men of color.

As a child in the foster care system, James Harris grew up attending mandated counseling sessions provided by the state. Now, Harris has started his own movement to end the stigma of men’s mental health: Men to Heal.

During Harris’ childhood, counseling was seen as taboo — and he says it still often is seen that way now. In spite of the fact that it was discouraged in his community, Harris was required to attend sessions as a ward of the state after he had been separated from his family.

These counseling sessions were not something that Harris always took seriously. They lacked the genuine connection he so desired. “It was hard for me to want to engage with somebody who doesn’t look like me,” he said.

However, while he didn’t always find that connection he yearned for when he was growing up, he felt it was important to create that connection for the generations of men that came after him — to not only change the stigma, but encourage others to pursue help when needed.

“I definitely wish I had gotten more out of it and took it more seriously,” Harris said of his childhood counseling. “That’s the whole purpose behind my movement, and the whole purpose of why I went back to school.”

After his first year of college and two years overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan with the U.S. Army, Harris decided to finish his education and earn a masters in clinical mental health counseling. As a resident in counseling, Harris currently hosts community-based services, volunteers, and offers outpatient counseling services to male clients.

For Harris, the way that therapy is portrayed adds to the stigma that deters people from trying it.

“I want people to understand that Hollywood therapy is different than actual therapy,” Harris said. “I want to be engaging and create a cohesive relationship with the people that I serve and serve people that I look like.”

As a black male counselor, Harris is a rarity in the world of clinical counseling. He sees his work as filling an important need for an often-underserved community who don’t get the kind of help they need in order to really connect and make improvements in their lives.

“Think about the 13 year old African American who’s living in low socioeconomic areas,” he continued. “They’re not comfortable with talking to this white man who probably can’t relate.”

With that understanding, Harris began his Men To Heal movement with hoodies and t-shirts, as well as a variety of programs focused on changing the idea that men and cannot and do not experience depression and other mental health concerns.

Andre Ingram

One of Harris’ most involved and supportive followers of the movement has been his cousin Andre Ingram. Ingram, who played for the NBA minor leagues for years and recently joined the NBA G League’s South Bay Lakers, struggled with mental health while playing abroad in Australia two and a half years ago.

“Men, athletes, and men of color are the three types of people that don’t want to ask for help,” Ingram said. “That was me wrapped in one.”

After hearing about Harris’ movement to address mental health for men, Ingram knew he wanted to be involved in any way he could. What Ingram most related to was the stigma that surrounds men’s mental health today, leading men to try getting a handle on their lives themselves instead of seeking help.

“I directly relate mostly to every time he posts about the stigmas,” Ingram said. “We’ve got to end it all.”

Not only does Harris frequently post about his movement on social media, he also hosts programs to educate those who are interested in finding the mental health-related answers they’re looking for.

As an active member in the Richmond community as co-owner of Brewers Waffles and The Well art gallery, Harris has been approached by local organizations seeking seminars and other programs related to the movement. Harris has also hosted sessions with national and international organizations, spanning from right here in the U.S. to Afghanistan, Germany, and Spain.

Through his programs, Harris shares statistics about the ways men and women differ in seeking services, addresses different mental health symptoms, and diagnoses. He educates about healthy coping habits, and how women can best support the men in their lives. Participation in the movement has been diverse, reaching African American, Asian, and Caucasian men since its inception.

“People want services from people who look like them,” Harris said. “So, it’s been received well.”

Despite having reached over 1,000 people between the seminars, programs, and apparel, Harris has yet to market the movement; all growth has been produced organically. Those who have come across the Men to Heal apparel have contacted Harris directly to order their own through Instagram, he said.

James Harris with Mayor Levar Stoney

Ingram attested to the genuine manner in which Men to Heal has grown, citing the ways his teammates have responded to his involvement in the movement.

“It’s just putting an end to so much of that macho feel,” Ingram said. “People are coming directly for the help they need.”

“It’s a wonderful thing to see a man not be afraid to say ‘Hey man, I’m struggling. I need some help. How do I get that?’” Ingram said. “We all go through it.”

In the future, Harris said he hoped to expand the movement into a possible non-profit organization, which he hopes will be able to assist more people.

“Right now I just want to continue to grow and to bring awareness to it, and continue to help people,” Harris said. “As it comes, I’ll figure out where it needs to go.”

As a participant in the movement, Ingram said that he had seen the stigma change for people, and even in his own understanding of self-worth.

“You want to see people well,” Ingram said. “Your health is the true wealth.”

Find James Harris and Men to Heal on Instagram at @men_to_heal.

Photos via James Harris/Facebook

Mac Miller’s Open Struggle With Depression and Addiction Made Him the Most Real

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On Halloween night, thousands gathered at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles for a tribute concert dedicated to the life of artist Mac Miller, who passed away in September from a rumored overdose. Miller’s closest musician friends hit the stage to perform his favorite songs and the songs they’d made together. John Mayer, Chance the Rapper, Miguel, and many others spoke highly of Miller, sharing the memories they had of him with his grieving fans. This concert was the much-needed closure for family, friends, and fans of Mac Miller.

Miller’s death hit my generation hard. For us, rushing home off the bus in middle school to check out the latest music videos on YouTube and watch Wiz Khalifa’s DayToDay vlogs was the thing to do. Wiz Khalifa, Big Sean, Wale, Curren$y, Dom Kennedy, and Mac Miller were all in one class of artist. In another, you had A$AP Mob, Black Hippy (TDE), Flatbush Zombies, and The Underachievers. Yeats later, every single one of them still holds weight in the music industry.

While each of these artists were great, there was something different about Mac Miller. What was it that made his music so captivating? Besides the fact that he was a scrawny, witty, funny looking white kid, it was an undeniable fact that he had bars. He introduced us to “frat rap” and showed us how to “kick incredibly dope shit,” all while staying true to who he was. In the industry, a lot of artists get caught up in everything but the music and move away from their sound, chasing whatever is trending. Mac Miller never did.

Photo by Jules Muir

This is why his death at 26 hit us so hard. At a concert in Chicago the night after Miller’s death was reported, Childish Gambino said, “This Mac Miller shit got me fucked up… we were both internet music kids, and a lot of critics were like, ‘This corny-ass white dude, this corny-ass black dude,’ and we used to talk. And this kid, he just loved music.”

Although the sounds Miller created from his classic 2010 mixtape, KIDS to his recently-released final album, Swimming, are extremely different, his music always felt like him. He perfected every sound he experimented with, which showcased his true artistry. Mac Miller made music that everyone could relate to, no matter where you were from. If you wanted to party, there was a song. If you wanted to cry, there was a song. If you were in love, there was a song. If you were heartbroken, there was a song.

Mac Miller brought my generation through all of these emotions as we faced middle school, high school, college, and finally adult life. We didn’t grow up on him, we grew up with him, and there are many people who thank him for being that long-lost friend they never even knew they needed.

And yet it was Mac Miller’s fight with depression and drug addiction, which was no secret, that made him the most real. Like millions of people, this was something he dealt with from the beginning. On his last album, Swimming, he dove deeper than ever before. Songs like “Self Care,” “Wings,” “Come Back to Earth,” and “Hurt Feelings” showed everyone just how in tune he was with these feelings. Music was his therapy, but so were the drugs which ultimately killed him.

Mac Miller, like many people, fell into unhealthy habits when going through something. And like many people, he had a very ugly break-up this past May. He turned to weed, pills, and other hard drugs in an attempt to erase the problem, but looking for that distraction killed him. The National Study on Drug Use and Health, conducted in 2016, found that “28.6 million Americans age 12 and over used illicit drugs during the month prior to the study.” This also means that one in ten people struggle with some form of substance abuse – including prescription drugs.

We have become content with drugs given their prevalence in our communities. Only when a situation like this happens do we realize how it could have been prevented if we just spoke up, instead of enabling. Mac Miller’s house was apparently “cleaned” by someone after his death, someone who enabled him. TMZ reported that a source close to Mac Miller even said it made no sense that someone who’d already taken a fatal overdose would then scrub the house clean of all drugs and paraphernalia in case they happened to die.

Drug addiction and mental health struggles are becoming all too common, in the entertainment industry as well as in everyday life. Recent celebrity deaths including Robin Williams, Anthony Bourdain, and Kate Spade prove that a better conversation about these taboo subjects needs to be had.

J. Cole said it best in his song “Friends,” “drug addiction and depression don’t blend.” And they never will. We have to speak up to our friends who we feel are coping with life the wrong way, before it is too late. Mac Miller waited until it was too late, and he will be added to the list of great influential artists who were taken away from us far too soon. Even as we mourn his loss, though, we thank him for everything he did while he was here. It will never be forgotten.

*Cover photo by Christian Weber

If You Could See Me: Shifting the Conversation Around Mental Health

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Tell your story. That’s what Erin Mahone wants hundreds of young people to do through her movement, #IfYouCouldSeeMe.

From live performances and storytelling workshops to blogs and podcasts, #IfYouCouldSeeMe provides a safe space for people suffering from mental health issues to tell their stories.

“The goal is to normalize conversations around mental health,” Mahone said. “And to acknowledge that every person can be impacted by a mental health diagnosis or by a disability.”

Mahone’s movement throws the current stigma surrounding mental health out the window, embracing ideas of acceptance and self-compassion instead. What she wants most is for participants and spectators to feel a sense of community and support.

“It’s an incredibly therapeutic process without necessarily intending to be,” Mahone said. “We want to create art and openness and it ends up being a healing process, too.”

The 40-year-old artist and author created the platform after discovering how to use her creative passion towards helping others. Starting out as a performing artist, Mahone focused her expressive skills in an unconventional way. Right out of college, she lived in New York City, exploring her options – she did some theater tours, sang in bands, and wrote songs, but it wasn’t what she was looking for.

“[I] quickly realized I didn’t want to have a traditional artist experience,” Mahone said. “From a pretty early age, I wanted to use art and creativity to be able to help people and to be able to nurture acceptance and compassion. But to be totally honest with you, I didn’t know how to do that.”

Mahone took a creative break, settling down and going back to school to study social and behavioral sciences and eventually getting a job in mental health. As Mahone worked in the mental health field helping meet the needs of people with disabilities and mental health diagnoses, she realized she wanted to merge her creative senses with her passion for aiding the mental health crisis.

Mahone

She started collecting stories about her own experiences with mental illness, eventually putting together a cabaret show called “It Runs in the Family.” After realizing how beneficial the process was for her, Mahone wanted to do more for people who had gone through similar experiences to her. And one day, the idea for her movement sparked. 

“One day I was in the shower, and I had this sort of synesthetic moment where I saw “#IfYouCouldSeeMe” fly across my eyes,” Mahone said. “And that’s just where it started.”

Earlier this year, she published the book, “If You Could See Me: Life, Motherhood, and the Pursuit of Sanity,” an inspiring biography/ self-help read that delves into her struggles growing up in a family with mental illness.

Not only was Mahone’s grandfather diagnosed with schizophrenia, but the writer also faces severe anxiety and depression herself, which has led not only to her movement benefiting others, but helping herself as well. 

“It was incredibly therapeutic for me to have gone through that [story-telling] process,” Mahone said. “To have learned to tell the stories of my life and my family in a way that made me feel proud of us. And then I realized I wasn’t the only one who needed to learn how to tell their story in a healthy way. So it sort of began there.”

In a day and age with a strong stigma around mental health, #IfYouCouldSeeMe provides people dealing with mental health diagnoses the safe, loving arena to share their stories in a healthy manner. The movement simultaneously incorporates individuals who do not suffer from mental health issues. Anyone is able to attend events and listen to others tell their stories.

“Our message is that mental health is health,” Mahone said. “Mental health is relevant to everyone. And being a person with a mental health diagnosis doesn’t mean you are without value, or without worth.”

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, nearly 20 percent of Americans — or 1 out of every 5 adults — experiences mental illness in a given year. Mental health diagnoses are also closely linked to suicide, especially in children. NAMI found more than 90 percent of children who commit suicide suffered from a mental health condition.

In Virginia, the provision of mental health services is lacking. The National Association of State Mental Health Providers ranked Virginia 9th in the U.S. for hospital-based care spending; but Virginia ranked 39th in the U.S. for spending on community-based, mental health services.

“Our service-delivery systems are so broken, in Virginia in particular, but across the country, too,” Mahone said. “I believe we only get to a point where we fix these systems when we normalize these conversations and we say, ‘This is important. It impacts more people than you can imagine. And we must meet people’s needs in a reasonable and productive way.’”

#IfYouCouldSeeMe creates a safe, community space for conversations about mental health that young people need to have, according to Mahone. She wants to see the shame and negativity surrounding mental health reduced, and eventually eliminated.

“Stigma is another word for discrimination,” Mahone said. “In our society, [we] have always wanted to create boxes to put people in. And people simply don’t understand mental illness. So that stigma remains.”

A move closer to destigmatizing mental illness for Mahone is Virginia’s recently passed laws to require mental health education in secondary schooling.

“Virginia is one of the worst states in the country for meeting the needs of people with long-term care needs. Across the board, we don’t do enough,” Mahone said. “But this is a step in the right direction.”

And by providing a stage for people to tell their stories about mental illness, Mahone is making it easier for people to navigate mental health.

“Our mental health is as important as our physical health,” Mahone said. “Mental health is going to be the biggest issue we face for our younger generation. Our world is very very complicated, more so than it has ever been. If we don’t start paying attention to this more solidly then we’re going to see the ill effects of that lack of attention down the road.”

 

Virginia Among First to Require Mental Health Education in Schools

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In the wake of heightened suicide rates, school shootings and rising teen depression, Virginia, along with New York, has taken a huge step in becoming the first to require mental health education in schools.

SB 953 mandates mental health education be incorporated into ninth and 10th-grade classes to “recognize the multiple dimensions of mental health.”

The current Health Standards of Learning include mental health in grades seven through 10. However, the learning standards for ninth and 10th grade simply require the identification of mental health resources, both within the school and within the community. Now, classrooms will incorporate mental health awareness, training and more multifaceted education of mental health into health curriculum.

“It’s important that young people know some fundamentals about mental health,” said Virginia Senator Creigh Deeds, who proposed the bill. “It’s important to let mental health issues be given the same dignity as physical health issues.”

Deeds proposed the bill after a group of high school students from Albemarle County brought the legislation to him. Alexander Moreno, Lucas Johnson, and Choetsow Tenzin sought to break the stigma surrounding mental illness.

“[Moreno, Johnson, and Tenzin] are very young people who have seen some of their classmates struggle,” Deeds said. “They know the pressure that young people are under. They’ve seen bullying, they’ve seen depression…They’ve even known friends who’ve died by suicide.”

But Deeds has his connection to the legislation in more ways than one. His son, Austin “Gus” Deeds, was taken to a hospital in 2013 for a mental health evaluation, after stabbing his father, but had to be released because no psychiatric beds were available in the western part of Virginia. Gus took his life the next day. Deeds later said Virginia’s system failed his son.

“My son was a beautiful kid,” Deeds said. “He was one of the brightest, most capable people I’ve ever known, and I miss him like you wouldn’t believe. But that’s why I have to continue to work to ensure people have quality l{of} ife and ensure people get the help they need in every part of Virginia.”

Deeds’ bill plans to create a space to allow students to have open discussions about the fundamentals of mental health issues that may arise for ninth and 10th graders. The legislation will require the Virginia Board of Education to create a new curriculum including thorough, expansive mental health material.

Statistically, half of all chronic mental illnesses start by the time a person turns 14 and 75 percent of them have occurred by the time a person turns 24. Of the children between the ages of eight and 15 who suffer from a mental illness, only half received care in the last year. Mental health conditions affect a significant number of adults in the U.S., as well. Nearly 20 percent, or one in every five people, experience mental illness each year.

“This is a great opportunity to talk about human development and brain development, particularly in teenagers because they’re experiencing it,” said Bela Sood, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at VCU. “The curriculum needs to emphasize the notion of how emotions are governed by biology. We all have mental health, and when we talk about wellness it isn’t just physical.”

Sood said awareness and intervention are necessary for starting conversations about mental health.

“Mental health issues have a impact on physical health issues and vice versa,” Sood said. “The curriculum will need to put the two together in a way that gets that idea across.”

Legislation to better incorporate education, awareness, and resources on mental health into high school classrooms could not come at a better time, as the nation has seen spikes in mass shootings, suicide rates, and depression.

Currently, suicide sits as the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S., and for people between the ages of 15 and 24, it is the second leading cause, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicide rates have increased more than 30 percent in the last two decades, as the U.S. lost nearly 45,000 lives to suicide in 2016.

Cindy Anderson, Richmond resident, and mother of two said the legislation is a major step in the right direction, but not the entire solution. From what she’s seen at her children’s schools, she thinks bullying is the root of several problems, especially the heightened school shootings, and needs to be addressed through the new curriculum.

“Kids are at their most vulnerable age in middle school and high school,” Anderson said. “I don’t know if the schools handle it correctly…I’m not sure.”

Anderson said she recently saw a bullying incident dealt with at one of Richmond’s schools. The two children were brought into the office, one crying with scratches on his face and his glasses broken. She noticed administrators were paying more attention to the bully rather than the child who was bullied.

“They need to have some sort of setup or intervention to take care of what happened to the kid that’s bullied,” Anderson said. “Rather than just suspending or sending home the person that is the bully. I’ve seen [bullying] at my son’s school and it takes a toll on some kids.”

As of May 2018, there have been 23 school shootings where someone was either injured or killed. Anderson said for her, it isn’t just a gun control issue–it has to do with mental health and bullying. She advocates for more preventive measures.

“As long as [schools] teach kids to be inclusive, it can help avoid kids from getting to a point where they’re already depressed,” Anderson said. “Little kids are afraid. There’s so much pressure on them.”

The Virginia law mandates the Board of Education to update the current Health Standards of Learning to create a more comprehensive curriculum. Deeds said he hopes to see something in place by the start of this coming school year.

“I want the stigma surrounding mental health to dissolve. I hope this will encourage people who need help to seek help,” Deeds said. “There is no health without mental health.”