ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A recent review of the mental health policy and system for children in city schools highlights significant concerns. The report indicates a lack of testing to evaluate the effectiveness of mental health programs, inadequate consideration of teacher trauma, and warns that funding for these programs is either depleted or soon will be.
Sara Taylor, co-chair of the mental health report, addressed the school board in December. “We know what the suicide rate is right now among Black and brown youth ages 10 to 19. Risen faster than any other populations. So this is about lives,” she said.
Amidst various programs aimed at supporting children’s mental health, News10NBC’s Chief Investigative Reporter Berkeley Brean discovered one program that emphasizes the benefits of outdoor activities. This initiative takes thousands of school children into the woods, where outdoor fun helps reduce stress-inducing chemicals in the nervous system.
At Ellison Park, students recently participated in a winter survival theme, learning skills like fire-making and shelter-building. A student shared, “It’s important to be outside because it’s fun and you can use your imagination.” Another added, “You can take just a few walks, maybe a little bit every day so you can be used to being outside and exploring nature.”
Chris Widmaier, Executive Director of Rochester Ecology Partners and a former city school teacher, leads these eco-expeditions. “The best evidence we have that this is working is how much the students smile when they’re out here with us,” Widmaier said. He also noted, “Being outside and being in nature is our original way of being and so when we reconnect to that it just feels good for us.”
Scientific backing comes from the National Institutes for Health, which states that outdoor play reduces cortisol, a stress-causing chemical. Widmaier emphasized the importance of connecting students to nature, saying, “If you can imagine how beautiful a bird is you can imagine how beautiful your life can be.”
A recent county report on teenage risk behaviors revealed concerning statistics: 1 in 4 teenagers felt sad and helpless daily for at least two weeks and stopped doing things they enjoy, and 1 in 10 intentionally hurt themselves or considered suicide. Widmaier believes many of these issues stem from experiences outside school walls, reinforcing the value of nature exposure.
The report also highlights that children spend an average of seven hours a day on screens and only seven minutes outside. Recess time has significantly decreased from an hour or more to just 20 to 30 minutes or less.
At its December 9 meeting, the school board accepted the mental health policy report. Isaiah Santiago, Rochester school board Commissioner, asked about the superintendent’s commitment to this work. Dr. Eric Jay Rosser, Superintendent of Schools, responded, “Much of my career as an educational leader has really been based in student support. So everything we need to offer to make sure our students not only succeed academically but also have the supports in their acquisition of learning is important and remain important in the work that I do.”
The mental health review recommends consistent training, accountability for contractors, and funding for a mobile mental health team. The city school budget will be voted on in May.
