Supporting Student Mental Health I EP.49

Schools are the hub of a community. In our present era, understanding the holistic well-being of students, from academic to personal struggles, becomes paramount. However, the disconnect between parents, students, and schools is a widespread issue that impedes this whole-child growth. This disconnection often arises from a lack of understanding about the challenges students face, particularly regarding family issues and mental health concerns.

To address this disconnection, we must adopt a whole-child approach that goes beyond academic achievements, believes that education should focus on the social, emotional, and psychological aspects of students' lives, and recognizes that a student's overall well-being is intertwined with their academic success. Hence, as we navigate the complexities of the educational landscape, the whole-child approach serves as a guiding principle, urging educators, parents, and schools to embrace a more comprehensive perspective. By acknowledging the needs of students, we pave the way for an educational experience that not only imparts knowledge but also nurtures emotional intelligence, resilience, and a profound sense of connection among parents, students, and schools.

In this episode, we want to help listeners gain a deeper understanding of the challenges students face when dealing with family issues and mental health concerns and also to explore ways on how we can bridge the gap between parents, students, and schools. To equip our audience with practical strategies in supporting students facing adversity at home, we empower educators and parents through a role-play scenario on how effective communication helps students overcome challenges. Join us in this episode as we navigate the complexities of student well-being, learn the importance of validating students' experiences, fostering open communication, and the significance of maintaining a balance between home and school dynamics. Tune in today as we embark on this enlightening exploration, providing valuable insights and empowering knowledge.

Today, we're joined by Kate Estefan, a current school counselor with 20 years of experience in public education. Mission-driven and whole-child-centered, Kate is committed to building a positive school climate and culture for students to achieve academically, socially, and emotionally. Through her tenure in this profession, Kate has provided individual and small group counseling, developed a counseling curriculum, led crisis management teams, advised student leadership groups, and has been involved in the implementation of MTSS and SEL content delivery. In addition to NH Educator Certification, Kate is a National Certified Counselor and National Certified School Counselor. 

"Mental health is whole health, it's part of our daily health. It's all in the same boat and I don't think you can have one without the other." – Kate Estefan

Show Highlights:

(00:00:00) Episode disclaimer, highlight, and introduction

(00:02:21) Welcoming today's guest, Kate Estefan.

(00:03:34) The passionate School Counselor: Who is Kate Estefan?

(00:07:04) Backstory: How Kate became a school counselor

(00:11:55) The whole-child approach

(00:13:45) Considering various aspects in addressing student’s challenges

(00:16:59) Educators are in a tough role.

(00:18:24) The Counseling Role Play

(00:26:13) Curiosity

(00:27:00) Offer a safe place

(00:29:36) This episode is powered by Speaks to Inspire, the mental health solution for young adults suffering in silence. Speaks 2 Inspire works with colleges and universities to create and implement safe, comprehensive programs for campuses nationwide.

(00:30:23) The disconnection between parents, students, and schools

(00:33:12) How can we eradicate mental health stigma?

(00:33:54) What is mental health to Kate Estefan?

(00:35:08) Where to connect with Kate?

(00:35:50) Free Guide: https://speaks2inspire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Speaks-2-Inspire-guide_14-ways-to-support-your-students-mental-health.pdf

(00:36:38) If you need that support for your mental health, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 9-8-8 now. For local and national resources, go to http://www.speaks2inspire.com/resources. Join the Unlearn the Lies About Mental Health Facebook group: https://bit.ly/UTLcommunity. 

Key Takeaways:

"Having that figure of an individual in our lives where we see them as a superhuman as they inspire the trajectory of our lives and the direction that we choose to take." – Abraham Sculley

"My plan was all laid out as a college student until life happened and the plan completely changed, but it changed for the better." – Abraham Sculley

"Children are not just their academics, they're not just kind of their peer relations, they're not just their environment at home, they are the entire piece and everything impacts them." – Kate Estefan

"A lot of challenges I hear from educators is that they're afraid to even have the conversation because they don't know what may come up." – Abraham Sculley

"Educators are in a tough role, especially in the classroom to meet the needs of all of their students and it's hard to know how far to go, and where to go." – Kate Estefan

"You have to come from a standpoint of not being judgmental and just being open and listening and meeting the person where they're at." – Kate Estefan

"A lot of times people aren't looking for us to fix things, they're just looking to be heard." – Kate Estefan

"It is the school's responsibility to increase that communication with the community and with home." – Kate Estefan

Connect with Kate via the following:

· Website: https://maitricounselingcenter.com/

· Email: kgestefan@gmail.com

. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kgestefan/

. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-greene-estefan-ms-ncc-ncsc-a0611893/

Unlearn the Lies About Mental Health is Hosted by Abraham Sculley.

· Contact Speaks 2 Inspire to learn about S2I programs: https://speaks2inspire.com/services/.

· Mental health resources for students: https://speaks2inspire.com/resources/.

· Connect with Abraham on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abrahamsculley/.

· Order a copy of Unlearn the Lies at https://amzn.to/32B2jRh.

· Join the Unlearn the Lies About Mental Health Facebook group: https://bit.ly/UTLcommunity.

• 14 Ways to Support Your Students' Mental Health [free guide] - https://bit.ly/mentalhealthguide4

This episode is powered by Speaks 2 Inspire, the mental health solution for young adults suffering in silence. Speaks 2 Inspire works with colleges and universities to create and implement safe, comprehensive programs for campuses across the nation. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, don't hesitate to get in touch with the Crisis Text Line by texting "Home" to 741741 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling 1-800-273-8255.