Mental health outreach program, Mending Matters, brings therapists to students on campus as one alternative to students seeking private support
A woman who co-founded a school therapy program recalled being inspired many years ago by a teen whose friends called her Twinkle.
Just as there is a school nurse to deal with physical illnesses, Izquierdo-Hemmen believes campuses need a trained therapist to deal with students’ stress, anxiety and a host of mental issues plaguing them today. One student describes it this way in a program video: “When I come to Mending Matters and talk to people about what is going on, telling them what I see from my standpoint, it just makes me feel better, and I think it would make anybody feel better.”
The top three areas of need are peer relationship conflicts, stress management and home and family challenges, he says. However, after the untimely death of a student, Mending Matters set up a center on campus and called in therapists to help students process their grief. Some students may just need a short break — personal private time in a safe place. Others need long-term support. For them, a Mending Matters therapist will attempt to reach their parents or guardian and involve them in the services.
The biggest barrier, she adds, is not the stigma of seeking mental health help, but the fear that therapy won’t work. Mending Matters therapists don’t prescribe medications but will coordinate with a child’s outside psychiatrist if needed. Parents, too, have informed her that students are better able to advocate for themselves at school and in social relationships with peers. Some parents reported that, due to Mending Matters’ support, their teens were able to continue attending school and more effectively navigate the stressors of daily life.
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