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In the New York City school system, which has more than one million students, a day off for mental or behavioral health reasons “would be treated like any other sick day,” said Nathaniel Styer, spokesperson for the New York City Department of Education.
The phrase “mental health day” can make some children and parents uncomfortable. With that in mind, the Montgomery County School Board in Maryland has decided to apologize for absences taken for “the illness and well-being of the students” starting in the new school year.
“We didn’t want to call it a mental health day because we know there is still stigma around it,” Karla Silvestre, school board vice president, told Education Week. in June.
Schools are also experimenting with other methods beyond mental health days to help students cope with their daily stressors. The Jordan School District in southern Jordan, Utah, uses “wellness rooms,” where students can decompress for 10 minutes if they’re feeling overwhelmed. And some Colorado schools have created “oasis rooms,” a student lounge with peer counselors, and other resources.
Melanie Zhou, 19, who attended high school in Highlands Ranch, Colo., Worked with other students to create the oasis rooms after a friend committed suicide.
“When my friend passed away, I didn’t know how to grieve properly,” she said.
Much like Ben, Melanie felt academics were the priority in her school, not personal care. And at home, “we didn’t talk very clearly or openly about mental health,” she added.
One of the benefits of declaring a ‘mental health day’ and recognizing its importance at the state level is that, ideally, using this type of language can help families start having more conversations. open on topics related to mental health, and potentially reduce some of the mental health problems. the stigma associated with personal care, said Ms. Rothman.
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