Community Conversation Presentation to the Deer Valley (AZ) School District on how schools and communities can support student mental health and wellness.

1. Community Conversation
Deer Valley Unified School District
February 5, 2020
From Distress to Success:
Supporting Student Mental
Health and Well-Being

2. Tonight is all about our
helping our kids
1. Understand why DVUSD students (and so many
others) are experiencing increasing levels of anxiety,
depression, disengagement, and self-harm.
2. How to spot and combat key causes and symptoms of
adverse mental health issues including social media,
excessive academic pressures, substance abuse, and
peer relationships.
1

3. 3. Proven practices for home, school, and in the
community that support kids' mental health
and well-being.
4. What we can do to prepare and support
students to succeed in college and beyond.
5. Answer any and all of your questions
2

4. Attending to Social Emotional Health
makes a big difference in many ways
Students who are mentally healthy and social-emotionally
sound are:
1. More likely to succeed academically
2. Have the self-confidence, resilience, grit, and coping
skills to persist in the face of difficult challenges
3. More friendly and skilled in managing positive
relationships
4. More engaged in and be connected to school
5. More likely to make wise decisions and thus less likely
to have discipline problems 3

5. 4
“Experts agree that anxiety is reaching
near-epidemic levels among young people,
with as many as one in eight children —
and 25 percent of teens — contending with
diagnosable anxiety disorders.”
<https://t.co/irGmPMjDOC>

7. “Outcomes” of anxiety,
depression, mental health
struggles. …
• Disengagement
• Truancy
• “School
Refusal”
• Substance
abuse
• Cutting
• Hospitalization
• Credible Threats
• and worse …
https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/health-of-women-and-
children/measure/teen_suicide/state/AZ
Arizona
Trend
U.S. Trend
2016-18

8. School Safety and
Student
Mental Health Are
Closely Linked
7
Like Parkland, Downingtown, Pa., faced a teen
suicide cluster. Here’s what schools can do.

9. 8
https://afsp.org/about-suicide/state-fact-sheets/#Arizona

10. Nearly half of suicides
in AZ occur in Maricopa County
• In 2016, there were 1310 deaths. Maricopa County had
the highest rate of suicide with 683 deaths. The youngest
suicide was age 9; the oldest was age 96.
• The majority of suicides were completed with a gun.
• Suicide is not just a behavioral health concern… Suicide
touches every family and community in Arizona,
regardless of diagnoses, zip codes, ethnicities, or faith.
9
http://www.sprc.org/sites/default/files/2018AZSuicidePreventionPlan.pdf

11. Lack of sleep, perceived
pressures, and setback trigger
mental health problems
• Sleep Deprivation
• Performance Arms Race
• Social Media
• Adverse peer and partner events
• Social, emotional, physical, academic setbacks
• Significant life transitions
10

12. CDC Warning Signs of Mental
Health Crisis Event
According to the Center for Disease Control and
Prevention common warning signs are:
• Feeling like a burden and expressing hopelessness
• Being isolated
• Increased anxiety (extended or in cycles)
• Feeling trapped or in unbearable pain
• Increased substance use
• Increased anger or rage
• Sleeping too little
• Talking or posting about wanting to harm self or
others
• Abandoning prized possessions 11

13. PREVENTION: WHAT can we do?
• Be hyper vigilant of social-emotional health
(change in habits, impulsivity, outbursts …)
• Obtain access to wellness supports
• Eliminate access to lethal means
• Demonstrate caring and create connections
• Scale back performance arms race
12

14. PREVENTION: WHAT can we do?
• Manage/monitor social media (obsession
with the phone and social media)
• Create conditions for sleeping 8 hours
• Hydration and nutrition
• Connect and relate (break ups,
set backs, transitions …)
13

15. Barriers preventing
access
to wellness supports
• Stigma of counseling
• Not recognizing needed emotional
support or professional help
• Not knowing how to find help
• Cultural/family traditions that value
individual independence or frown upon
seeking help outside of the family
• The mistaken belief that your problems
cannot be resolved, even with
assistance
• Lack of access to care, due to lack of
providers and/or financial issues 14

16. Scale Back Performance Arms Race
15

17. Origin of the Performance
Arms Race: Early
Admissions or Lose Out
Alliteratively, Bates, Bowdoin, Brown, and Bucknell have early acceptance rates more than double their
regular admissions rates as do “Wash U” and Williams. Holy Cross, Conn, and George Washington
University have early admissions rates in the 70% range. Here are some other comparables from College
Transitions for 2015-16:
Early % Regular %
Columbia 19 5
Northwestern 38 11
Princeton 20 5
Stanford 10 4
Amherst 36 12
Notre Dame 39 15
Oberlin 54 27
UNC/Chapel Hill 39 19
Wesleyan 42 22
16
https://www.collegetransitions.com/early-actiondecision-vs-regular-decision-admission-rates/

18. Institution % Accepted Brigade Numbers
Left on the
Battlefield
Stanford 4.69 43,997 41,934
Harvard 5.2 39,044 37,014
Princeton 6.46 29,313 27,429
Brown 9 32,390 29,475
Columbia 6.04 36,292 33,970
Yale 6.27 31,455 29,483
MIT 7.81 19,020 17,535
Penn 9.4 38,918 35,260
17
Willard Dix provides a body count of what he calls “cannon fodder,” the unsuccessful applicants: “Let's
look at a few numbers from the current admission season (College class of 2020) to see how many
students fell during "The Charge of the Bright Brigade":
https://www.forbes.com/sites/willarddix/2016/05/24/rethinking-the-meaning-of-colleges-low-acceptance-rates/#13d9f4801dd0
41,934
35,260
29,475

19. From a student …
“Our school is comprised largely of perfectionist students who are
terrified by the idea of failure. The race for a higher Grade Point
Average (GPA) dominates in our community. Our worth and value in
the eyes of our friends, family, and, worst of all, ourselves, is dictated
by this number. Being ranked by GPA only worsens the crisis through
constant comparison to each other. Mistakes, whether during lectures
or on tests, become viewed by students, and even many teachers, as
signs of weakness and stupidity.”
18
http://www.challengesuccess.org/blog/overriding-gamea-students-
perspective-creating-school-policy-change-improve-engagement-well/

20. From a parent …
The student who took his own life had a full schedule of
Advanced Placement classes—as a high school freshman.
Why? Because he knew the reality of his high school's
antiquated ranking and weighting system. The school only
gives special weight (added points onto the GPA thus
improving the class rank) if a student takes APs.
19
http://community.today.com/parentingteam/post/perfect-kids-need-not-apply

21. From a principal …
“Our teachers and District have simply created and maintained a system
that our community/country has demanded from us over the past 20
years since college admissions mania went into hyper drive, since
vocational training programs were dismantled, and since earning “A’s” in
AP classes became the norm.
Our teachers feel the pressure, administration and counseling feel the
pressure, and now parents/students are really feeling the pressures.
When we grew up nobody asked us what our GPA was, and it was “cool”
to work on the roof of a house.
This competitive culture has significantly impacted our young adults. We
endlessly discuss test scores, National Merit Scholarships, reading
scores, AP scholars, comparisons to other school Districts and this is
when we start losing our collective souls--and our children.”
20
https://theswordmovie.com/2018/02/01/a-letter-from-our-community/

22. Scale Back Performance Arms Race
• Discourage students from overloading with APs and
Honors classes and from packing resumes with too
many activities
• Understand the realities of college admissions practices
• Keep the quantity of homework reasonable and quality
of homework high
• Provide flexibility for due dates of
major projects and tests
• Eliminate (or at least reduce) stigma
and barriers to help seeking 21

23. FREE
Resources
22
• Regarding this presentation, contact Max McGee
maxmcgee@hyasearch.com
224.234.6129
www.glennmaxmcgee.com
• Suicide Prevention Resource Center: http://www.sprc.org
• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: https://afsp.org/wp-
content/uploads/2016/01/recommendations.pdf
• PAUSD Toolkit for Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention
http://www.heardalliance.org/help-toolkit/
• Sources of Strength: https://sourcesofstrength.org/

24. References
• Anglemyer, A., Horvath, T., & Rutherford, G. (2014). The
accessibility of firearms and risk for suicide and homicide
victimization among household members: A systematic review
and meta-analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine, 160(2), 101-110.
• Miller, M., Azrael, D., & Barber, C. (2012). Suicide mortality in the
United States: The importance of attending to method in
understanding population-level disparities in the burden of
suicide. The Annual Review of Public Health, 33(1), 393-408
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2017. National
Centers for Injury Prevention and Control, Web-based Injury
Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisquars/index.html
23

25. Creating a
Community of Care
24
Creating a Culture
of Dignity

26. K a t e y M c P h e r s o n
Creating A Culture Of Dignity
Sandra Day
O’Connor HS

28. O N ’ T R E M E M B E R L I F E W I T H O U T I N T E R N E T
I F F E R E N T T H A N A N Y O T H E R G E N E R A T I O N
Dr. Jean Twenge, 2014
Academic Pressue starting in Pre-K
“ The Performance Arms Race”
Removal of rough and tumble play/sedentary lifestyles
Neurotoxin enriched foods
We have told students EVERYTHING is bullying
Constant Media Stream 24/7

29. LOCUS OF CONTROL OVER TIME
C O P I N G & R E S I L I E N C Y S K I
1970 1980 1990 2000

30. Feel liked
Don’t feel
put down
Will stop if
asked
Doesn’t know
how you feel
“I was just
joking.”
“Relax!”
Teased for
insecurities
“Uptight”
threatened
to end
friendship
Relentless
and public
Bonding
MALICIOUS
ANNOYING
TEASING

32. Growth Mindset
T H E I C E B E R G I L L U S I O N
W H A T P E O P L E S E E W H A T P E O P L E S E E
P E R S I S T E N C E
F A I L U R E
S A C R I F I C E
D I S A P P O I N T M E N T
D E D I C A T I O N
H A R D W O R K
G O O D H A B I T S
r e m s o l . c o . u k / w p - c o n t e n t / u p l o a d s / 2 0 1 5 / 1 1 / i m a g e . j p e g
ETHOS OF COMPARISON

33. TRANSFORM
H U M A N S
T R A N S F O R M P A I N O R
T R A N S M I T P A I N
VS.
TRANSMIT
Copyright 2018, Jen Hatmaker

37. DIGNITY
MEDIA/TECH LITERACY SOCIAL COMPETENCE
SOCIAL JUSTICE CHAMPIONS
PRACTICE HOW TO NAVIGATE
FLUIDLY AMONGST GROUPS
LIKE THE REAL WORLD
Rosalind Wiseman, 2010

38. dignity vs.
respect
R E S P E C T U S - M U T U A L A D M I R A T I O N
F O R A N O T H E R
D I G N I T A S – I N H E R E N T W O R T H
BULLYING - A POWER DIFFERENTIAL AND THE SILENCING OF ONE’S
VOICE
Rosalind Wiseman,2010

39. Public Health Model
“Put the friend before the friendship”

45. NATURE
HEALTHY
3 THINGS WE ALL NEED
MOVEMENT
CONNECTION

46. CREATING A
COMMUNITY OF CARE
Aaron Krasnow, Ph.D.
Associate Vice President
ASU Counseling and Health Services

47. THE CONTEXT
Collegiate mental health is a specific and growing area of research
and practice:
• Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH)
• Association of University and College Counseling Center
Directors (AUCCCD)
• American College Health Association (ACHA)
• National Research Consortium of Counseling Centers in Higher
Education (The Research Consortium)

48. CCMH 2009-2018
The growth in the number of students
seeking counseling was more than 5x the
rate of enrollment growth.
Lifetime prevalence rates for prior mental
health services remain largely unchanged:
• Prior counseling (1 in 2)
• Prior psychiatric medication (1 in 3)
• Prior hospitalizations (1 in 10)

49. CCMH 2009-2018
• Depression, Anxiety, and Social Anxiety show
increasing prevalence in counseling center
clients.
• Lifetime prevalence rate for non-suicidal self-
injury (NSSI) has dramatically increased from
21.8% to 27.0%
• Lifetime prevalence rate for serious suicidal
ideation has dramatically increased from 23.8%
to 34.2%
• Lifetime prevalence rate for “attempted
suicide” slowly rising from 8% to 10%.

50. ACHA-NCHA II – Spring
National research survey
Undergraduates and graduate students
Random non-clinical sample
92 institutions
63,497 students surveyed

51. Academic Interference
Factor NRG Rate
Stress 30.6%
Anxiety 24.2%
Sleep 19.7%
Cold/Flu/Sore Throat 14.6%
Depression 15.9%
Work 13.0%
Concern for a troubled friend or family member 10.3%
Internet Use/Gaming 9.6%
Finances 6.1%

52. Depression and Anxiety
symptoms
Factor NRG
12 months
Overwhelmed 87.0%
Exhausted (not from activity) 84.0%
Sad 67.3%
Lonely 62.2%
Overwhelming anxiety 60.8%
Felt things were hopeless 51.1%
Depressed can’t function 39.1%

53. Suicidality and self-harm
Factor NRG 12 months
Seriously considered suicide 10.3%
Intentionally harmed (NSSI) 7.0%
Attempted suicide 1.5%

54. The media is paying attention!
Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?
- The Atlantic – September, 2017
Feeling invisible
- WAMU – Radio, May 23, 2016
Suicide on Campus and the Pressure of Perfection
- New York Times, July 27, 2015
When Mentally Ill Students Feel Alone
- The Atlantic, March 2, 2015
To Prevent Suicides in College Make Mental Health
Screenings Mandatory (Opinion)
- Washington Post, December 21, 2015

55. What colleges are doing
Each year between 2011 and 2014 nearly 60% of colleges reported
increasing budgets for professional counselor/psychologists. This
has largely flattened since.
Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act – SAMHSA grants.
Jed Foundation Campus Programs.
Training advising, faculty, staff, housing, gate-keepers.
Behavioral Intervention Teams.

56. What to look for in a college
Comprehensive services:
• Counseling and Health Services staffed by professionals
• Physical activity/fitness
• Nutrition is valued
• Volunteering/service culture
Developmentally appropriate services:
• Can they articulate a focus on college health?
• Outsourced health models are rarely developmentally
appropriate.
Valuing diversity:
• Universities that value diversity are likely to affirm and
support students who feel “different” than others. This
predicts good outcomes in mental health.
Wellness as a value/culture
• How do they articulate it

58. What to ask a college…
“What types of services are available for students who are
experiencing emotional distress or other health concerns?”
Listen/look for:
• Comprehensive
• Counseling
• Health
• Physical Activity
• Spiritual
• Holistic
• Integrated
• Low barriers
• Professional
• Experts
• Credentialed
• Peer-programs

59. What to ask a college…
“What is your approach to mental health concerns?”
Listen/look for:
• It’s normal
• They treat it as an educational risk factor
• Diversity is honored
“How do you help students adopt and maintain a health lifestyle?”
Listen/look for:
• Prevention programs
• Involvement opportunities
• Academic
• Vocational
• Avocational/Special interest

60. What our high schools
can do to further
prepare students
We can treat mental health issues as a diversity issue:
• Focus on inclusivity
• In policy
• In practice
• In school/campus culture
• Recognize that a history of marginalization still effects
individuals and groups
• Fear
• Incarceration
• Isolation
• Stigma
• Access
• Tolerance vs Acceptance vs Celebration of Strengths
• They are not the same thing

61. We can do more of the things that
ameliorate mental health issues…
Community building
• Social Norming
• Student organizations
• Leader modeling
Community-based responses
• Support teams
• Parental involvement
• Student involvement
Language
• Emphasize certain words (spirited, sensitive)
• Eliminate certain words (crazy, insane)

62. We can do more of the things that
ameliorate mental health issues…
Strengths-based support
• What is the student good at…maybe even better than
others?
• What is their idea of the perfect treatment/plan/solution?
• What necessarily needs to be different?
Learn and teach micro-skills
• In the moment
• Staff-to-student, student-to-student, parent-to-student
Adopt a public health model of interventions
• All
• Some
• Few

63. Public health model…
All Some Few
Students
Faculty
Staff
Families
Community
Alumni
Students
Faculty
Staff
Families
Community
Alumni
Students
Faculty
Staff
Families
Community
Alumni
Good for all
Relevant for all
All can do it
All can help
Relevant for some
Some can do it
Some need help
Some can help
Relevant for few
Few need it
Few can do it
Few can help

64. Public health model…
All Some Few
Students
Faculty
Staff
Families
Community
Alumni
Students
Faculty
Staff
Families
Community
Alumni
Students
Faculty
Staff
Families
Community
Alumni
Awareness campaigns
Anti-stigma campaigns
Social norming
Skill building
Peer training
Para-professional training
Targeted communities
Leaders/influencers
Specialized services
Highly trained people
Professional training
Research

65. Thank you. Please feel free to
contact any of us at any time
Aaron Krasnow drkrasnow@gmail.com
Max McGee maxmcgeephd@gmail.com
Katey McPherson kateymcpherson@yahoo.com