Dec. 2. 2022 - North Tech High School students were provided with wellness resources from agencies across the county as the school held its second annual Mental Health Self-Care Day in December.  

“Last year, students overwhelmingly said that they loved it and needed the services,” said Dee Russell, North Tech counselor. “We knew we had to host it again.”

Classrooms rotated through eight presentations, with 10 vendors participating in the resource fair. Students learned about bullying and suicide prevention from the Megan Meier Foundation, cuddled with therapy dogs, had their muscles relaxed during a yoga session, and learned more about the do’s and dont’s of traffic stops with School Resource Officer Neil French. Brittany Smith, a therapist and case manager at The SPOT, said this was her second year participating in the fair.

“We serve young adults ages 13 to 24, so this is our population,” said Smith. “Students are going through a lot - there have been school shootings, COVID, they could be trying to get their grades up for college, and things could be going on at home. With all of that, it’s hard to focus and concentrate, which is why it’s good for our youth to have someone to talk to and learn healthy coping skills to deal with stress.”

North Tech provides counseling and academic guidance. However, if it is determined that a student needs additional support, they are referred to support services from outside organizations. Students met directly with those outside organizations at the Self-Care Day, which is another reason why the event is held. 

“It helps a lot of students,” said Tyrece Snea, a high school junior. “I enjoyed the mindfulness session with Greg Hungerford.” Hungerford is an SSD behavioral effective practice specialist. “He helped me become more aware of what is going on in my mind as well as what is going on around me. We practiced deep breathing.” 

Cherrish Brownlee, also a high school junior, appreciated having a day that was slower paced than an average school day.

“It was nice to take my mind off of my school assignments and take a breather. It was just what I needed.” 

For more information about the Mental Health Self-Care Day, contact School Counselor Melissa Merry at mjmerry@ssdmo.org.