Papillion-La Vista elementary school principals present how they're addressing mental health needs
A strategic plan group for mental health with Papillion-La Vista Community Schools formed right before the pandemic. With mental health issues showing up more and more since then, elementary principals say they're working hard to respond the right way.
They presented these efforts at Monday night's PLVS board of education meeting.
Parkview Heights Elementary recently implemented a national program, Junior Hope Squad, to address just some of the many mental health needs students have.
"The grade school level focuses a lot on bullying, making friendships, things like that and working with kids who are depressed, so they know they have somebody they can talk to," said school counselor Christine Bowlby.
Bowlby said that somebody is another student, chosen by peers.
"That's a program I think that's been very successful so far at our school," she said.
PLVS said this is just one way they're taking action when it comes to mental health.
Golden Hills Elementary Principal Mikaela Vobejda said the school brought in a mental health liaison from Project Harmony in 2022.
"And she brought with her a vast amount of knowledge, trainings and resources that we just weren't aware of at the time," Vobejda said.
She and other principals say the end goal is to make sure they meet all of a student's needs.
"Students can't learn if they don't come to school ready to learn. And to be ready to learn, you need to have those basic needs met and one of those basic needs is to be healthy in body and in your mental health," Vobejda said.