Principal Heather McKillop, Director of Student Services Cari Christian Coates, and Director of Student Counseling Tim Cotreau met with ConVal High School students to address mental health issues.
Mental health conditions like depression and anxiety have been either triggered or made worse by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, particularly for those who had existing psychiatric conditions.
In early July, two ConVal rising seniors had launched a letter-writing campaign urging the ConVal School Board to enact better mental health policies.
The letter called upon the administration to budget for more available mental health professionals, to welcome established Title IX reporting processes, and to focus on providing resources for struggling students.
This first meeting marked the beginning of a long-term dialogue that will include student voices in developing effective strategies as ConVal makes mental health and well-being a district priority.