March 1, 2023 |
A group called Project Aware is teaming up with school councilors to hold a series of meetings focused on teen mental health.
In response to the ever-growing number of mental health problems among young people, Rawlins High School Social Worker, Diane MacPherson, is offering parents classes on how to keep teens safe. MacPherson described the purpose of the teen safety meetings.
MacPherson said March 8th’s safe driving meeting will be the first of many. Other sessions will follow, covering a variety of teen safety topics. MacPherson said a representative from the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office will be on hand to answer questions.
The meetings are a collaboration between MacPherson and Project Aware. Chandra Buchholz is the Project Aware Community Project Manager for Carbon County School District #1. Buchholz described the group’s goals.
After Covid and the economic turmoil that followed, the country is seeing a lot of mental health issues crop up, with teenagers being especially vulnerable because of social media platforms. According to a Centers for Disease Control study published earlier in February, 57% of teen girls said they were depressed. An additional 30% of them said they had seriously considered suicide. Both depression and suicide numbers are up 60% from ten years ago. Depression in teen boys experienced a smaller growth, showing an 8% increase from the previous decade. Buchholz said, in her experience, teens are under a variety of new types of stress.
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Since February of 2021, Project Aware has offered teens in Carbon County School District #1 access to mental health providers. Buchholz said in-school counseling is Project Aware’s most important function.
MacPherson said social media is a major factor in the mental health pressures teens face daily. The upcoming teen safety meetings are a way for parents to learn how to curb unhealthy behaviors that social media often promotes and tries to normalize.
Buchholz said she has seen many kids growing up without mom and dad in the house. She said the breakdown of the traditional family unit may also be blamed for the increase in mental health problems.
Drug use is a major symptom, and cause, of mental health issues. As much as we like to think we are isolated here in Carbon County, drugs are a reality. In the past two months, three county residents have died from illegal drug use. Drugs are in our schools too. MacPherson said education is one way to help teens avoid the trap of drug abuse.
MacPherson said the first teen safety meeting will focus on safe driving, but parents will decide what issues they want to tackle in the next session. She said Project Aware attracted more attention to the meetings.
Besides helping with MacPherson’s teen safety meetings, Project Aware is also hosting regular parenting workshops, called Conscious Discipline, every Tuesday until March 14th. The free meetings are held at the Carbon County Public Library from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Buchholz said Conscious Discipline is aimed at parents with younger children.
MacPherson’s free teen safety meeting is March 8th at six pm in the Rawlins High School Library. A free dinner, in the form of tacos, is included. Childcare will also be provided, with activities to keep the young ones occupied. Go to the Project Aware website at www.carboncountyaware.com for more information and additional community resources.
