“I wouldn’t be where I am today and I think every student should be able to have access to resources like that,” Waterbury Arts Magnet School student Nadina Bhadrasain said.
High school junior Nadina Bhadrasain describes the impact a counselor had on her life while she was struggling with mental health and school work.
“I was working hours a day on homework, and I didn’t take any time for myself and I needed my guidance counselors to step in and tell me I needed to take a step back from everything,” Bhadrasain said. “They sat down with me and made a game plan on how to get back on track.”
Bhadrasain applauds new federal bipartisan legislation that would expand mental health resources within schools. The bill was proposed by Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro and Congresswoman Johanna Hayes.
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“What it means is that there will be grants available to schools to be able to hire the mental health professionals to be able to look at what else they need in terms of creating an environment which creates stability for youngsters," DeLauro said.
Hayes, who was a former teacher, knows first-hand how important it is for students to have access to trained professionals within the school building.
“One of the darkest days for me as a teacher was having to call an ambulance to have my student placed on a 72-hour medical hold but equally as disappointing was when he came back, three days later and his mother said I don't know what to do, I don’t know where else to send him,” Hayes said.
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Waterbury Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Verna Ruffin said having additional counselors would help current staff with their workload and allow for more one-on-one meetings with students.
“Someone that can be more accessible, reducing the caseload of our current staff to be able to provide more in-person responses and interaction with students, I think those are the critical needs,” Ruffin said.
The federal funds would be distributed on a need basis for school districts.
“So districts if they have a higher need, they would get more funding,” Hayes said.
