SALEM, Ore. — For many, mental health has been a struggle during the pandemic, and kids as well as teens can be particularly at risk. Some Salem-Keizer Public Schools students are doing their part to help.
Live to Tell is group at Salem-Keizer Public Schools that is aimed at suicide prevention. It’s led by students for students who are struggling, are in a dark place or know someone who is.
Arnav Mohindra. a senior at South Salem High School and current president of Live to Tell, said a fellow student started the nonprofit during his freshman year after several students died by suicide in 2018.
“A lot of students were not having those conversations about mental health,” said Mohindra.
Mohindra got involved as the treasurer when it began and now, in his role as president, the hope is to continue fighting the stigma associated with mental health issues and provide resources.
“[We] recently put together a suicide prevention resource guide,” Mohindra said.
The Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Guide, which was widely released around the beginning of the school year on the district’s social media and websites, has a mix of resources for students in the district and even those outside of it.
“There's so many resources that students don't really know which way to turn and it's not really clear how to access those resources. So our goal was just put those together in a very legible, very organized and made for students, by students manner,” he said.
Mohindra said schools also have their own suicide prevention groups. At South Salem High School, he said the group is called “Saxon Strong.”
“We've been trying to have these conversations about mental health, just to kind of make sure that students know that they're supported,” said Mohindra.
“You can see students suffering internally. That kind of thing.”
“They're stepping up in their own ways, in some pretty incredible and impactful ways,” said Ryan Marshall, a school counselor at South Salem High School. He’s also the Oregon State School Counselor of the Year.
Marshall said anecdotally, educators have seen a rise in mental health concerns.
“Everyone's ability to tolerate even the little things right now is pretty minimal,” said Marshall.
Marshall said that’s why what the students are doing is so important. He said South Salem High School now has a calm room, a place for students to decompress if they’re feeling stress or anxious, because students advocated for one.
“There are things that our students are doing, not only using their voice but putting action into what they need. That, again, is helping inform what we do as educators on a pretty great level,” said Marshall.
Mohindra said he and other students who are in the Saxon Strong group, continue to try to help students take care of their mental health.
“Recently, we just had our De-stress Fest at our school during finals week,” said Mohindra. “The no drama llama was there for animal therapy [and] we put out a mental health survey to see how students are doing with mental health.”
Mohindra said the biggest message to their fellow students is that they’re not alone.
“There is hope, even if it doesn't feel like that in that moment,” Mohindra said.
If you or someone you know needs help, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255.