Texas A&M University-Kingsville institute helps rural school staff eye mental health

A professional development program from Texas A&M University-Kingsville's Institute for Rural Mental Health Initiatives aims to help rural school personnel respond when a child appears to be struggling.

The institute has received $50,000 from the King Ranch Family Trust and $18,000 from the Coastal Bend Community Foundation to offer "First Contact" training to rural schools.

The training is for non-academic school staff, such as bus drivers, custodians, food service workers and others who interact with children. These adults often have relationships with students, institute director Steve Bain said.

"Research shows that many times when kids have a mental health crisis, there's been signs there's been something happening days, weeks or months prior to that," Bain said.

Because children spend so much time at school, some of those signs might be seen by school staff outside the classroom.

"Someone could pick up that or sense that and report that long before this thing spirals into a full-blown crisis for the child and the people who are close to that child," Bain said.

A bus driver might notice that a child who typically greets them every morning and chats on the bus is suddenly quiet and withdrawn, Bain said. Or, a cafeteria worker might notice that a child isn't eating or that a child is hoarding food. A janitor might see a child crying in the bathroom.

"Sometimes your education support professionals aren't sure what to do with that information," Bain said. "They don't know how to report it. They don't know who they should report it to. They're not sure how or if they should engage with the students."

The First Training aims to ensure school staff know how the answers to those questions.

"One of the things we encourage is to follow the protocol in the school district — to know here's how to report — to talk about what you've seen and felt and heard and to share the things that are concerning to you and how this child is different now then they were before," Bain said.

The institute has already offered a half dozen trainings, and will offer more in Brooks, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg and Willacy counties.

Bain said the training includes a pre-presentation and post-presentation test.

"We're seeing a significant change in the person's knowledge base, but also they're being comfortable enough to talk about it," Bain said.

The university launched the institute in 2022, aiming to address critical issues related to mental health in rural South Texas.

"We're focused on rural school district because there's just not enough mental health resources to go around," Bain said.

The King Ranch Family Trust funding will allow for trainings through December. Bain said the program aims to apply for additional funding to expand trainings across the region.

"Our focus here at TAMUK's Institute for Rural Mental Health Initiatives is to reach rural communities and support them any way that we can," Bain said.

In most rural communities there are two major entities, Bain said, faith organizations and schools.

"If we can partner with and come alongside and support the school districts, we believe that we will be able to help kids," Bain said.

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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Texas A&M University-Kingsville institute helps rural school staff eye mental health