OAK HILL, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Students from Oak Hill High School’s (OHHS) Oakheal Outreach Team hosted a Student Mental Health Conference today to help other schools and counties establish student-led mental health supports. The daylong event provided an opportunity for counselors, therapists, administrators, and students to have an open discussion about the mental health needs of students around the state and the success of peer-involved efforts at OHHS.
Currently, in its second year, the Oakheal Outreach Team consists of 25 students from OHHS who are committed to ensuring the school provides a safe and nurturing environment for all students. The conference theme, Heroes Among Us, highlighted the importance of student-led mental health efforts at schools to reduce the stigma and isolation students often feel when dealing with mental health challenges.
The conference was a part of Fayette County’s Project Aware, a federal grant program administered through the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE). General sessions were paired with breakout sessions that delved into how OHHS planted the seed and grew the team to its current level.
When students are experiencing challenges and difficulties, they often hide these issues from adults. However, these students are more likely to talk to their peers who can be a lifeline connecting them to the help they need. The Oakheal Outreach Team serves that important role while also making everyone feel valued and a part of the school community.
“We make sure everyone is represented in our organization,” said Outreach Team President Lily Zukowski who is a senior. “We have student council members, athletes, theater and band students, cheerleaders and others. So, when someone is sitting alone at lunch, we sit by them and let them know they are a part of the community. Everyone belongs.”
Social and emotional mental health continues to be a challenge for adults and children alike post Covid-19. “Social skills were stifled, and everyone was isolated. So, we didn’t have a connected community,” said OHHS Project Aware Therapist Tiffany Gray. “What we are finding, along with the rest of the country, is some children continue to struggle to manage their emotions. We are helping them by retraining students with coping skills that validate what they are feeling, and then building a strong structure around them to assist them through the tough patches we all experience.”
The Oakheal Team’s mission to unlock the potential of students by lifting one another up with the appropriate mental health tools is one they hope will resonate across the state starting with the conference. Students and counselors believe implementing and sustaining student mental health teams is key to sending positive ripple effects through the student body to reach those in need who may be suffering in silence.
“My freshman year I was isolated because I was completely virtual,” Zukowski said. “I’ve always been a social person and the isolation was very hard. Being a part of this team has helped me. It makes me feel excited that my family and friends are growing up in a world where mental health is prioritized. You can’t be physically healthy if you are not in a good place mentally.”
Students, counselors, educators and administrators from 17 counties attended the conference. They will continue to network with the Fayette County team and other peers to develop and implement plans.
