Empowering Students: Mental Health Supportive Programs in Williamston With Caitlin Wilcox

Welcome back to our latest edition of the Hornet Hive, where we delve into critical topics revolving around education, community, and student well-being. This week, we are excited to take a closer look at important initiatives spearheaded by Williamston High School to promote mental health among students. Our guest, Caitlin Wilcox, a school social worker at Williamston High School, provides intriguing insights into their mental health programs, such as the "Be Nice" initiative and the newly established Calm Room.

The "Be Nice" Program: Promoting Mental Health Awareness

Williamston High School has been a beacon of support for mental health through its innovative "Be Nice" program, which focuses on mental health, suicide prevention, and bullying prevention. This program aims to foster an environment where everyone—students, staff, and community members—feels comfortable discussing mental health.

In Caitlin's words, "The main goal is reducing the stigma around talking about mental health and knowing how to respond to changes, whether in oneself or in others." Empowered with knowledge and an action plan, participants can connect those in need with the appropriate support.

Over six years, the student-led Be Nice program has grown from a modest group of five students to nearly 40 active participants. These student leaders, along with Caitlin’s guidance, organize various activities to integrate the program into the school's culture, showcasing its increasing momentum and impact.

Becoming Visible: Engaging Students with the "Be Nice" Program

Engaging students is crucial for the success of any initiative. Caitlin attributes the success of Be Nice to its visibility and the positive example set by its members. Regular twice-a-month leadership meetings are complemented by community-wide and school-wide activities.

“We sponsor different speakers, all-school assemblies, and organize events such as the Be Nice football, basketball, and soccer games," Caitlin explains. These events not only promote the action plan but also provide a platform for sharing resources.

Visibility and community engagement are further enhanced with participation in parades and seasonal events, such as writing kind messages on cups and distributing cider and donuts during Halloween. All these efforts contribute to making the Be Nice program a widely recognized and embraced part of the school environment.

Addressing Student Anxiety: Challenges and Coping Mechanisms

While the school has made significant strides in mental health awareness, challenges remain. “High levels of anxiety are common among our young people for various reasons," observes Caitlin. Students often struggle with managing anxiety symptoms and need guidance on coping strategies.

The school provides a safe space where students feel comfortable discussing their stressors and learning healthy problem-solving methods. These conversations are crucial for helping students understand that it’s okay to seek support and discuss mental health openly.

The Calm Room: A Sanctuary for Students

The creation of the Calm Room stands out as one of the school's latest mental health initiatives, spearheaded by both Caitlin Wilcox and Heather Lewis. This serene space is designed to offer students a home-like comfort within the school environment.

Complete with snacks, beverages, comfortable seating, and optimal lighting, the Calm Room provides a consistent place for students to regroup. "Students sometimes just need space to take a break and regroup, just like we all do," Caitlin explains. This room offers a sanctuary where students can unwind, perhaps by spending a few minutes between classes or during passing time.

A unique feature of this room is its massage chair, which has become quite popular among student-athletes looking for a break between their rigorous schedules. The Calm Room has proven to be a positive addition, offering students a much-needed reprieve from their educational and social pressures.

Future Directions: Building on Success

As Williamston High School looks ahead, the focus remains on building momentum and sustaining the initiatives already in place. “We have a lot of really great things happening,” Caitlin reflects, highlighting that continued support and enrichment of existing programs will be key to addressing student mental health.

With knowledgeable and compassionate staff members, various supportive spaces for students, and initiatives like Be Nice and the Calm Room, Williamston High School exemplifies a committed approach to fostering a positive and supportive environment for its students.

Mental health support and awareness are integral to creating a nurturing educational environment. The initiatives at Williamston High School—championed by committed individuals like Caitlin Wilcox—are making a significant difference in the lives of students. Through programs like Be Nice and the establishment of spaces like the Calm Room, the school continues to promote mental well-being, ensuring that students have the resources and support they need to thrive.

TRANSCRIPT

Christopher Lewis [00:00:19]:
Welcome back to the Hornet Hive. I'm your host, doctor Christopher Lewis, one of the members of the Williamston Community Schools Board of Education. Really excited to have you back again this week. Every week, I love being able to sit down, talk to you, and be able to have an opportunity to be able to talk about the amazing things that are happening within our schools because it's important. It's important for you to be aware of all of the great things that are happening, not only within our schools, but with our staff, with the opportunities that our kids have to be able to support them in the educational journey that they're on. All of this are going to help them to be stronger students in the end and allow for them to take the most out of that educational journey that they're on. This week, I'm really excited to have Caitlin Wilcox back. You may remember Caitlin joined us a little while back, and you got to know her a little bit better.

Christopher Lewis [00:01:11]:
She is a school social worker at Williamson High School. And today, we're gonna be talking about something a little bit different. We're gonna be talking about mental health and talk about some of the things that we've been doing at the high school to work with our students to support their mental health as we work with them throughout the year. So I'm really excited to have Caitlin back and to be talking about this important topic. Caitlin, thanks so much for being here.

Caitlin Wilcox [00:01:35]:
Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me.

Christopher Lewis [00:01:37]:
Well, I am really excited to be able to talk to you about some of the things that have been happening at the high school in regards to mental health. And I know that over the last few years, we've been doing some initiatives through the Be Nice program, and I know you're really involved with that. And I'd love to be able to talk a little bit about that program because I know not everybody knows exactly what that program is and what it does for students. So can you bring me on that journey and talk to me about the program itself and what the high school is doing to engage students in this

Caitlin Wilcox [00:02:09]:
program? Sure. So be nice is our mental health suicide prevention and bullying prevention program. This is our 6th school year, with having be nice in our schools. And it's really, I mean, the the goal is really to have all students, all staff, as many community members as possible really just feel comfortable being able to talk about their mental health. Right? And so it's really the main goal, the meat of it is just reducing the stigma that surrounds talking about mental health and then knowing how to respond. If there's any changes in mental health, if you notice changes in how you yourself are feeling, acting, or thinking, or if you notice changes in someone else. Really feeling empowered to be able to know, okay, I I know what to do here. I know how to connect this person to the support that they need, and it's okay.

Caitlin Wilcox [00:02:59]:
It's okay to talk about our mental health, and it's okay to get support when you need it. Right? So in our building, in the high school as well as in the middle school, we also have B Nice. It's really a student led program. So I help facilitate some things that go on with B Nice, but really it's our student leaders who help kinda keep this going. And it's really built momentum over the years. So when I first started, I think I had a group of maybe 5 or so students in B Nice. And this year, we have almost 40 students in B Nice. So, just at the high school alone.

Caitlin Wilcox [00:03:30]:
So it's definitely taken off and very much is just a part of the school culture.

Christopher Lewis [00:03:35]:
So talk to me about how do you engage those students in that program and get other students to want to be a part of that?

Caitlin Wilcox [00:03:43]:
Yeah. I I I really think it's just about, you know, being visible and and having students see that it's a fun group to be a part of. So our student leadership group meets twice a month. But we're always doing different community wide or building wide activities. So we sponsor different speakers coming and talking to our students at all school assemblies. We have 3 different sporting events throughout the school year that we sponsor and promote. So we have a Be Nice football game that we do annually, a Be Nice basketball game, and then a Be Nice soccer game in the spring. So we try to just be visible in the community and make that a really fun event where we can promote, you know, the action plan and and share some resources there.

Caitlin Wilcox [00:04:24]:
We also are are in the parade throughout the school year and try to host different fun events throughout the year for our students too. So, this upcoming holiday event for Halloween, our students, write kind messages on cups, and we give out cider and donuts to students in the morning just for a fun fall activity. So we're just always trying to be visible and to make ourselves well known so other students can ask, you know, hey, what is this be nice? And really just get people talking about it.

Christopher Lewis [00:04:53]:
Now you talk to a lot of students. And through the be nice program, you're talking about mental health issues and trying to encourage students to be open and to talk about these issues. As you're talking to students, as your leadership team in Be Nice is talking to students, what are some of the biggest challenges that students are facing right now at the high school?

Caitlin Wilcox [00:05:12]:
You know, I would say it definitely shifts and changes year to year. This year, it's, it's still, we see really high levels of anxiety. And I think that that's just become more and more common for our young people for a variety of different reasons. But a lot of students really struggle with managing symptoms of anxiety and how to cope in healthy ways and how to be okay just talking about what's causing some of their stress and, and discussing healthy ways to problem solve and cope.

Christopher Lewis [00:05:41]:
Well, speaking of coping, one of the other new initiatives that I know that you had a part of but also Heather Lewis had a part of was the creation of what is now called the calm room. But I know that that missus Lewis has some ideas of trying to get some people to name it and and give, people the opportunity to have some more opportunity to have a say in the actual name of the room. But talk to me about what this comm room is all about and why it was important for the high school to be able to have this type of room available for students.

Caitlin Wilcox [00:06:16]:
Yeah. So essentially, it's kind of giving the idea of having a little bit of home at school. So it's it's very comfortable space. It's always stocked with, you know, snacks and waters. There's comfortable seating, comfortable lighting. And really the idea is to just give students a consistent space where if they need to take a break, regroup, they have a variety of space that they can do that. Right? So students sometimes will come and see me or or they'll stop in and see a counselor. But really there's times when they don't necessarily need to talk with anyone or check-in with anyone.

Caitlin Wilcox [00:06:51]:
They just need that space to kind of regroup. Right? Just like we all do. Right? So we all have have our our moments where we need to step away. Maybe it's just a few minutes during class or even during passing time. Right? But students just have a consistent kind of go to place where if they needed to take time to regroup, maybe step out of a situation that was causing them some stress or higher levels and anxiety, they have this go to space within our building.

Christopher Lewis [00:07:17]:
And what are you seeing in regards to students using it and how they're using it? And what's been some of the outcomes of having that space available?

Caitlin Wilcox [00:07:26]:
Yeah. So I I've seen really positive outcomes. I've seen many students utilize the space. One feature that we do have in that room is a massage chair. So I see a lot of our student athletes stop down and take a break in the massage chair in between classes and then go back to class. But I do see a number of students, for different reasons, really enjoying and utilizing that space throughout the day. So I I think it's been a really, really positive addition to our building.

Christopher Lewis [00:07:54]:
Now you talked about some of the things that you're seeing in regards to anxiety and other aspects of what students are struggling with. As you look at the future, the Be Nice program, the comm room, and other initiatives that you and others at the high school are doing to support our students, what are some of the things that you're hoping to be able to incorporate or to be able to start in the future to be able to support our students.

Caitlin Wilcox [00:08:18]:
I really think, honestly, just building momentum on on what we already have in place. You know, I've worked in other districts, and I I talk with a lot of other school social workers. And, whenever I talk about the amount of support that we have in our building, others are kind of blown away. Right? So we have a lot of really great things happening in our building. Whether it's having staff that are really just knowledgeable and comfortable with supporting students in general, Teachers, specialists, right? Different spaces for students. It's really just a really positive environment for our students to be in. And so I think just continuing with the supports that we have. I really can't think of like, oh, I feel like we're missing this and we need more of this right now.

Caitlin Wilcox [00:09:02]:
I really think just continuing with the support and the track that we're on with supporting students with their mental health will be key.

Christopher Lewis [00:09:08]:
Well, Caitlin, this is really exciting. And it's, I'm really glad that we have so many great supports available for our students to be able to support them in this journey that they're on. I thank you for all the work that you do to support our students, but also the rest of the staff that are working day in and day out to support the students no matter what needs that they may have. So I truly appreciate you being here for sharing with us what's happening in these areas, and I wish you the best.

Caitlin Wilcox [00:09:35]:
Thank you so much. You as well.