Pottsgrove High School has many resources for the mental health of the students that go here today. I interviewed Mrs. Childs and Mr. Kincaid and this dynamic duo gave me great answers to what mental health resources are available to students at Pottsgrove. I will go over what they said are available for students and why they should always get help. The first question I asked these two was what resources the guidance office offers for the students that go here. Mr.Kincaid stated that if a student is in a complete emergency that involves self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicidal acts they would call Montgomery County’s mobile crisis. This would most likely involve a check-in impatient to outside agencies. They also offer the choice of interventions if the parents or children are struggling with alcohol and or drug abuse. Also offered for students in Pottsgrove is SAP-Student Assistant, in partnership with outside agencies(outpatient). Also, a MTSS team. This team helps with many issues a teenager may be going through like academic and emotional support. Mr. Kincaid also mentioned that Pottsgrove has a crisis counselor, a social worker, and two special education counselors for our students. I then proceeded to ask Mr.Kincaid and Mrs.Childs if a student at the high school seemed to be struggling drastically, and if there would be any alternative school options for a student if not able to go to school. They both answered that this student would need to get the outpatient level of care and that it is very rare that this would happen. But if this did happen, the student’s physical and emotional help would be prioritized one percent of the time. The third question I asked this duo was if there was any way for a student to report things anonymously, which in some cases is very important for a student’s peace of mind. The most used in our high school is Safe2Say, which is recommended the most, and in most cases the student, if named, will be called down to the guidance office. This can be frightening for most students, but if the student is only talking about emotions, then the counselors have to keep that information confidential. However, if this student then says something about harming themselves or others, or has committed or been a victim of a crime these things need to be reported. All and all, most of the time things stay confidential. The last question I asked was why students here at Pottsgrove High School use all of these resources given to them. Mrs. Childs answered this question for me and had a lot of reasons why. She states that coming to the guidance office is immediate help, and confidential, and counselors have good advice direction. She also stated if not able to talk to family or friends, counselors are always willing to sit and listen to try to help. She lastly stated that when being hurt or not knowing what is going on inside of your head, releasing and talking about what you feel or what has been going on in your head, can do nothing but benefit your mental health. Here at Pottsgrove mental health of our students is prioritized over anything else, and students should never be afraid to speak up for themselves or others who need help or just someone to talk to.
