A local student traveled to Washington DC to testify before Congress on mental health on Wednesday. Brooklyn Williams is a senior at Baldwin High School. She was one of the speakers who testified at the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families hearing, where the importance of helping teens transition from high school to college was discussed. Two years ago, Williams said she started a mental health club at Baldwin High School experiences loss and depression. With the help of her principal, she started the Chill Club. It is an extension of the Chill Project that helps students deal with stress and other challenges. “I have been blessed to be able to share my story and come to terms with the loss of my mother and the hardships that resulted, but I feel there is a long way to go. Embedding mental health topics from an early age would be the first stepping stone I would take to meet people’s needs,” Williams said. first iteration of the Chill program at the secondary level. “Allegheny Health Network created the program, and it quickly became a helpful resource for students in area school districts. Baldwin has a chill room that students use as an escape.” drop by to come to the Chill Room if they need a few minutes to calm down, relax,” Tomaszewski said. About 200 students use the Chill Room each month. When they enter the space, they are assessed for needs them, level one through five.” First, I’m fine, ‘I just needed a quiet space to take a break from anything for five, ten minutes,’ or maybe a child is having a panic attack and obviously it’s a five out of five,” said AHN behavioral health educator Taylor Kyle. Once in the chill room, there are different spaces and activities for each student. remember… write reflective notes to themselves, write reflective notes to other people in their life who they might be in conflict with, who might be sources of their anxiety,” Tomaszewski said. Kyle says the ultimate goal is to teach lessons that go beyond space. “The room itself is about coping, but really, the room is about teaching them to do it on their own,” Kyle said.
A local student traveled to Washington DC to testify before Congress on mental health on Wednesday.
Brooklyn Williams is a senior at Baldwin High School. She was one of the speakers who testified at the Senate Subcommittee on Children and Families hearing, where the importance of helping teens make the transition from high school to college was discussed.
Two years ago, Williams said she started a mental health club at Baldwin High School after her own experiences with loss and depression.
With the help of her manager, she launched the Chill Club. It is an extension of the Chill Project that helps students deal with stress and other challenges.
“I have been blessed with many opportunities that have helped me share my story and deal with the loss of my mother and the hardships that resulted, but I feel there is still a there’s a long way to go. Integrating mental health topics from an early age would be the first stepping stone I would take to meet people’s needs,” Williams said.
Principal Shaun Tomaszewski says Project Chill was launched in 2019, just months before the pandemic, “Baldwin High School was the first iteration of the Chill program at the high school level.”
Allegheny Health Network created the program, and it quickly became a helpful resource for students in area school districts.
Baldwin has a chill room which the students use as an escape.
“Kids can write themselves passes to come to the Chill Room if they need a few minutes to calm down, de-stress,” Tomaszewski said.
About 200 students use the Chill Room every month. When they enter the space, they are assessed on their needs, from level one through five.
“One being that I’m fine, ‘I just needed a quiet space to take a break from anything for five, ten minutes,’ or maybe a kid is having a panic attack and obviously it’s five out of five,” AHN Behavioral Health Educator Taylor Kyle said.
Once in the Chill Room, there are different spaces and activities for each student.
“Whether it’s some kind of meditative activity where they draw shapes and lines in the sand to refresh themselves, to remember…write reflective notes for themselves, write reflective notes to d other people in their life that they might be in conflict with, that might be sources of their anxiety,” Tomaszewski said.
Kyle says the ultimate goal is to teach lessons that go beyond space.
“The room itself is about coping, but really, the room is about teaching them to do it on their own,” Kyle said.
#Baldwin #High #School #Chill #Room #helps #students #cope #mental #health #issues