Excessive worry, loss of interest in activities, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and other symptoms can signal anxiety or depression in students — and they are not facing these challenges alone.

In Canyons School District, more than 200 students are receiving support at any given time, according to Nicole Svee Magann, district student wellness services assistant director.

“We’re seeing kids struggling with how to resolve conflict; they’re struggling with peer interaction,” she said. “We need to teach how we communicate and resolve problems in a kind and empathetic manner and how to navigate the world in a safe, kind way. We are deeply committed to helping these students succeed and ensuring they have the emotional support they need to thrive in healthy learning environments.”

All students receive some form of support, including the district’s own social-emotional curriculum, Thrive Time, which was introduced this year in kindergarten through eighth-grade classes, according to Brian McGill, district student wellness services director. 

“The curriculum is focused on helping kids create self-awareness and respecting themselves and respecting others through building self-esteem, building healthy relationships with other students, communicating and understanding their community,” he said. 

The curriculum also helps students set both academic and career goals, while teaching them healthy conflict resolution skills.

At the high school level, students involved in the quarterly High School Leadership Academy learn strategies related to adversity, resilience and collaboration. They also create action plans to implement these strategies in their schools, guided
by advisers.

“Plus, our wellness team has lessons on things like resilience, grit, motivation and those metacognitive lessons,” he said.

McGill suggests parents pay attention to their students’ mental health, considering not just their stress levels and peer influences but also their nutrition, sleep, physical activity and other factors which contribute to well-being. He emphasized the importance of discussing mental health in a safe space and offering patience and support.

While all students benefit from preventative supports, additional resources are available for students who need help addressing challenges or accelerating their success.

When mental health concerns arise, both McGill and Svee Magann recommend reaching out to the school counselor or social worker for guidance. After the initial visit, parents must sign a FERPA consent form, as required by law.

In elementary schools, there is typically one counselor or social worker; in middle schools, there are two to three counselors; and high schools employ six to eight counselors, along with social workers and a school psychologist.

“All schools have a school student support team when they see students struggling, to help build support for those students,” Svee Magann said. “We also have a district support team with psychologists and others to provide additional kinds of support. Then, we can reach out to the community to connect students with those who do actual therapy; what we do is more related with school skills.”

The district partners with several contracted agencies to help students, with Project Connections and Hopeful Beginnings being the most common.

“If we see a student with significant issues who needs ongoing support and therapy, then we can bring them to the table, if the students and parents are interested,” he said.

In addition, the district offers seven free mental health screenings each year. Students complete a Terrace Metric Survey, which assesses mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and stress.

In the 2023-24 school year, 125 students participated in these screenings, and the number is expected to remain the same this year, said Kelly Redican, the district’s prevention specialist. She added about 30% of those students screened required mental health assistance.

“We have a lot of behavioral issues in our schools at higher volumes than we’ve ever seen,” McGill said. “It’s a culmination of things. COVID certainly had an impact on all of us, but it’s a whole host of reasons — the challenges that come in some homes with economic disparity, split homes, kids being neglected, being abused, having difficult home lives, all of that, obviously can contribute to behaviors in school. And school is the end-all catch-all source to solve the child’s problems.”

He drew a comparison to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

“Schools and school districts are being more required to try to help support some of those fundamental needs so that we can get them to a place where they can prioritize their learning, because if they don’t have a lot of those basic needs met, then learning in school comes secondary. Because nine times out of 10, if kids are projecting behavior at school, there’s a need that’s either not being met outside of school, and then we need to provide an analysis and support for both the child the parents, and if needed, get them hooked up with resources to help,” McGill said.

Additionally, Canyons Family Center provides individual counseling, student support groups, and educational classes, including teen self-esteem, anger management, emotional intelligence, substance abuse prevention, a divorce class for kids and parenting strategies for students with ADHD. Additional support services are available for grief counseling, suicide prevention, physical aggression and other needs. The center also can connect families with community resources for mental health treatment.

In the 2023-24 school year, Canyons Family Center completed 30 intakes and 12 short-term counseling sessions and they are on track to surpass those numbers in 2024-25, with 40 intakes expected by mid-May, Redican said.

She also said two classes — Anger Management and Substance Abuse — serve more than 600 students and their parents or guardians each year.

A new initiative this year is the IHC telehealth pilot, offered at 17 schools. This allows students to get screened at school and arrange for prescriptions to be picked up by parents. The service helps students remain at school while receiving necessary medical attention, with equipment and services donated by IHC. It is expected to expand to more schools in the 2025-26 school year.

“We’ve had such success with it, in keeping kids in school and working with parents who are checking of the well-being of their children at school. It becomes a time savings for parents as they don’t have to take their children to a doctor and to a pharmacy as well as a cost savings as the service is being offered free,” he said, adding that it’s also available for all employees.

Canyons’ nursing team also is an integral part of the wellness team.

“The school nurses play a very vital role in the schools as it relates to the physical health and well-being and the welfare of the child, which oftentimes can reflect in mental health and vice versa,” McGill said. “We talk about mental health, but really, it’s part of this umbrella of health in general, of the student’s welfare and wellness. Our No. 1 focus and goal is to provide wellness supports to students in school so they can focus on their learning. We want them to be safe, be healthy and ready to learn.”λ

Need help?

Here are some options for students seeking support.

1. School counselor or social worker Reach out to get guidance and support navigating through challenges.

2. Canyons Family Center  Get information for individualized counseling, classes, screenings and resources — (www.canyonsdistrict.org/depts/student-wellness-services/canyons-family-center/) or Student Wellness Services (801) 826-5416 or (www.canyonsdistrict.org/depts/student-wellness-services/).

3. For immediate help in crisis situations download and use the SafeUT app for confidential chat and tips on mental health or reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988.