Opening a dialogue
Mental health in LISD
April 25, 2017
LISD recently held a mental health presentation at Cedar Park High School with counselors from different organizations after the recent student suicides in the Leander/Cedar Park community. The session covered different issues such as stress, bullying, and suicide, as well as informed families about assistance offered by LISD.
Currently, the district offers counseling, a chemical abuse program (CAPP), family program (FST), and other services. In Superintendent Dan Troxell’s letter, he added that LISD staff is trained to recognize and aid students in need, use the Anonymous Alerts system, and that all campuses participate in the No Place for Hate initiative.
Students can also be referred to organizations outside of LISD. A representative from Bluebonnet Trails, an organization that offers mental health related services locally, attended the meeting and presented information on suicide risk factors and assistance. Amare Outreach, seniors Jared Bouloy and Dana Pierce’s nonprofit organization, presented as well.
In Troxell’s letter, he listed initiatives the district will take for continuous improvement. These efforts include student education for mental health, an invitation to Johns Hopkins Depression Awareness Program to train staff, and continuing community events.
The district will be holding a board meeting on May 4 at 6:15 PM in the Support Services Complex which is open to the public for comment. Amare Outreach will be participating in Leander ISD’s Speak Your Mind discussion on May 17 at 6:00 PM at Wiley Middle School.
