HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County Public Schools is now implementing two new mental health initiatives for its students.
The district announced a two-pronged approach to offer kids better access to resources, after an uptick in the number of students needing help.
"Last year, we saw and we treated approximately 200 students who had serious feelings [about] self-harm, which is an increased number," Superintendent Addison Davis said.
The plan is called Hillsborough Assist, a one-stop shop for mental health resources, both on paper and online.
"We want this to be visible to all students when they're walking around their schools. We're talking about mental wellness. We're here for you," said Maggie Dean, who's part of the mental health team in the student services department.
10 Tampa Bay spoke with students like Idania Rodriguez, a junior at Sumner High School, who says she's seen the stress and anxiety high school can cause amongst her peers firsthand.
"A lot of the time my friends will come up to me and they'll be like, oh, I'm stressed about this quiz, but other times it's not education-wise. It's also about bullying," she said.
Rodriguez was a key voice in Hillsborough County's increased focus on mental health.
"When our mental health thrives, our academics thrive, our grades will prosper, and this will mean everything for every student," said Rodriguez.
Brochures are now available in every middle and high school in Hillsborough County, with a list of mental health resources, there’s also a QR code you can scan to see an electronic list of resources as well.
"They're on their phones, they're on the computers, they're electronic. So that's why we've pivoted," Superintendent Dean said.
The project was funded in part by Hailey's Voice of Hope, a non-profit started by the parents of a 17-year-old girl that committed suicide in 2017.
“When I see Hailey again, I want her to say, good job mom. If we save one life, I'll feel like everything that we did was worth it," Lisa Acierno said.
Students and staff at Hillsborough county schools are hoping this plan will encourage more people to get the help they so desperately need.
"Don't be afraid to get help. School may seem scary, school may seem like it's the end of the world. You shouldn't be afraid to ask for help," Rodriguez said.