In the past year, the need for mental health support has skyrocketed. Mental Health America states that 59.6% of youth in the United States suffer from major depression and have not received any mental health treatments.
This is a national issue, an issue the district has taken action on.
“Doctor Korpak, the superintendent of Northview, has always put a big emphasis on the whole child,” Northview’s current high school social worker Stephine Hoekwater said. “Not just their academic needs but also their social, emotional and mental wellbeing needs.”
Northview Public Schools has openly put an effort to help students struggling with mental health and continues to develop resources for students, including the access of Arbor Circle and a social worker in each building.
“Yes, we are a school building and yes, we do need to make sure that our biology homework is getting done, we are graduating and passing our classes, but it doesn’t stop there,” Hoekwater said. “Northview has really made it a priority that the entire child, their social wellbeing, mental wellbeing, physical wellbeing is being taken care of and has made the steps to implement whatever services they need to ensure that’s happening.”
Arbor Circle is a program that provides mental health counseling, substance use treatment and family services located throughout West Michigan.
“I think it’s fantastic that Northview is doing that, not all districts have that,” Hoekwater said. “I’m sure any district that you go to is going to be appreciative and encourage therapy but Northview having this program and [providing] this in-house, is just a benefit for families all over, because they don’t have to do the navigating.”
Hoekwater also expresses more of the benefits of having Arbor Circle in the building.
“The goal is for them to miss [as] little education as possible, but it’s just an added benefit that it’s here in the building, so you’re not having to go out of the community and you’re able to go here in school,” Hoekwater said.
Hoekwater continues to connect the past COVID-19 pandemic effects on students’ mental health and the action the district has taken to support their students.
“I think everybody, especially within the past 18 months, in the pandemic have [not only] seen the need for social and emotional support in schools but also worldwide,” Hoekwater said. “Northview is already ahead of the game in saying [that] it’s important to us that there is at least one social worker in each building.”
By having at least one social worker in each building, this provides a more narrow focus on students’ needs and helps create a more genuine connection between staff and students.
“I’ve seen districts in the past that don’t have social workers in every building. To be able to be in one building, really makes me feel like I’m getting the support I need but also that I’m able to give that support that’s needed because I am here everyday,” Hoekwater said.
For clarification, Hoekwater also describes the difference between her position as a social worker and the behavioral health liaison.
“We tend to work with a lot of students with social needs in the building. We are trying to help students learn how to become adults, independent skills and how it relates in a school building, how to interact with your peers, how to deal with the stress and anxiety of school but we all know that it goes beyond that,” Hoekwater said. “There are stresses we feel at home, there are stresses we feel in our community. So by being able to have that social worker, through the behavioral health liaison, we’re able to reach the entire child.”
Many students may need social, emotional or mental help but don’t know where to access the resources they need. The district has implemented a process of which you can get a hold of a social worker or mental health resources.
“Any of the guidance counselors are trained and able to assist with mental and emotional needs but also, if the students feel more comfortable talking to me, then I’m trained and able to help,” Hoekwater said. “-as vague as this sounds, find any staff in the building. That staff member will be able to know how to direct traffic but if you want to jump all of that and come straight to me, here’s my office.”
Northview pushes for all students to know that, if in need of services or support, they are more than willing to be right by their side. As much as the school pushes academics, they shine a huge spotlight on supporting students in need of mental health support.
“Just being able to normalize if you’re having anxiety or depression, we need to treat that the same way we would our physical health,” Hoekwater said. “We need to get the help we would be getting, the same way that if you had a broken leg you would go to the doctor and do what we need to do to fix it and that’s the same thing here. If you’re having mental or emotional needs, we want to be able to connect you with somebody that can help you.”
