STEP UP Westmoreland to connect students to mental health resources
A new initiative to connect mental health resources and Westmoreland County students kicks off Thursday.
STEP UP Westmoreland is a partnership designed to improve school safety while eliminating barriers to mental health treatment for students.
“This initiative has been created to help build confidence, optimism and resilience in students,” said Jason Conway, director of the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit.
More than 130 students, therapists, educators and parents from around the county will gather Thursday to learn more about the collaborative initiative that has been in the works for about six months. The initiative will open up a resource network among schools and mental health professionals to provide help to districts, students and their families in the form of early intervention, increased access and a supportive environment.
A new website — stepupwestmoreland.org — has information for students, therapists, educators and parents, such as toolkits for how to help students cope with anxiety or depression. The Westmoreland County Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services already partners with the county’s 17 school districts and intermediate unit.
“The initiative is the result of a relationship between the school districts, the IU and county services,” Conway said. “All three of us have the responsibility of getting this into the hands of those who need it.”
Organizers hope to improve school safety and decrease stigma by addressing the mental well-being of students through training and collaboration. Research from the National Institute on Mental Health indicates that 8 percent of teenagers between 13 and 18 have an anxiety disorder, but only 18 percent of them received mental health treatment.
Locally, more than half of student assistance referrals received by the county annually are ended when a parent decides not to participate in a student assistance plan. An average of 1,163 referrals are received from school districts, the majority of which are a result of behavioral concerns such as bullying, according to an executive summary of the STEP UP Westmoreland initiative.
“This level of effort in a county is unprecedented in its focus of providing a network of mental health services to its residents,” Conway said. “Mental health is as important as physical health.”
Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta at 724-837-5374, rsignorini@tribweb.com or via Twitter @byrenatta.
