ELLSWORTH – Teen mental health issues are a growing concern in area school districts, which is why Ellsworth High School counselors Mitchell Smith and Jessica Wiskow want students to know they can turn to them for help.

The public is invited to attend speaker Cory Greenwood’s program addressing mental health called “Your Story Matters” from 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13 in the EHS Cafetorium. The program is geared toward adults looking for ways to support high school youth and their sense of self worth.

“We all know adolescents who struggle with mental health,” the program description reads. “There are things we can do, as adults, to foster healthy coping skills and empower students to grow their resilience.

Greenwood, who will speak to EHS students earlier that day, specializes in helping students with the following:

• Finding a mentor and engaging in healthy conversations
• Asking for help ad utilizing resources available to them
• Appreciating and respecting the differences of those around them
• Creating a positive school culture that others want to be a part of
• Focusing on solutions instead of dwelling on problems
• Making healthy decisions

Smith said Greenwood spoke at River Falls High School last year with glowing reviews. His program for students will be modified and geared toward adults in the evening. Some content may not be appropriate for young children.

“The program is open to the entire public,” said EHS Principal Oran Nehls. “It’s not only for parents and students. If a grandma or grandpa has teenage grandkids and is struggling to help their kids. Or if someone is a manager and works with kids. It’s not just for parents.”

Smith said Greenwood’s firsthand experiences help him connect with students.

“He had some things in his life that happened that made him want to help others,” Smith said.

Wiskow said Greenwood incorporates music in the program as a way to connect with students.

“When we talk to kids about their coping skills, music is always number one. It’s a strategy they use,” she said.

“It’s hard for kids to sit and be talked at for a hour,” Smith said. “His program is punctuated by music and personal stories. He’ll start up the whole thing with a song to get the kids engaged. The song ties into what he’s talking about.”

The bigger picture

Nehls said school district staff has significant concerns about students’ mental health needs.

“We have a larger number of students who are struggling,” Nehls said.

Wiskow said hosting Greenwood this time of year is intentional as counselors see an increase in mental health struggles in the winter and around the holidays, which can be challenging for people. Smith said the speaker is just another layer of how they offer support to kids, no matter where they’re at.

“Everybody gets this, small groups, the highest needs kids,” Smith said. “This will benefit all kids. We don’t know everyone who struggles because not everyone comes to see us.”

Wiskow said the district values developing meaningful relationships with all students above all else.

“We’ve seen that students having at least one or two supportive, meaningful connections at school (besides family) help student success,” Wiskow said.

There’s no one way to pinpoint why teen mental health struggles are increasing.

“It looks different and is presenting differently,” Wiskow said. “I see a lot more across the board anxiety and hesitancy to try things that are new or uncomfortable.”

Smith said people can point to the Covid pandemic as one reason for developmental differences and struggles in students, but there are many more reasons, such as changing family structures, current economic factors, the rising use of technology, etc.

“Anything that adults are dealing with, kids pick up on a lot more than adults give them credit for,” Smith said.

“Some kids feel angst and they don’t even really know why,” Wiskow added.

Nehls said they have no hard data showing the increase in teen mental health issues, just their daily anecdotal examples of working with students.

“There’s a sense that students seem to be struggling and it’s hard for them to put their finger on it and they don’t know why,” Nehls said. “They can’t clearly articulate that ‘this is causing me to feel like this.’ We’re trying to do something. They (Smith and Wiskow) do an outstanding job of meeting with students and trying to guide them. The teachers do a fantastic job of building relationships. The students do trust the adults in this building to come forward to talk about their issues. It’s not measurable in test scores.”

Smith feels fortunate to work in a building where kids seem to feel as comfortable going to their principal or English teacher as they do to a counselor. Nehls said it’s one of the things he loves about the district.

“Every adult in this building has connections with kids,” he said. “That’s one of the strong points about our school district.”

This past summer, many school district employees and community members received training, paid for by a grant, that addressed helping kids feel connected to their community. As an extension, students in grades 3-12 completed a survey this fall about how they feel about their school and community. Staff will use those answers to help students feel a sense of belonging and connectedness. There is no one size fits all solution.

As for what parents can do, Wiskow said having empathy and sometimes simply listening without offering a solution is all a child wants.

“Help validate their feelings,” Wiskow said. “Just listen without trying to solve. Sometimes they just want their feelings to be heard and validated. A lot of kids can solve problems on their own.”

Nehls is hoping this speaker opens the door to community conversations and more educational opportunities around teen mental health. He also wants parents to know they can reach out if they need help. He’d like to see family engagement nights based on the topic.
“Sometimes they don’t know where to turn or where to go,” Nehls said. “Maybe this will be a springboard to more opportunities for discussion and learning opportunities. We’re trying. There’s no absolute to any of this, but you have to try.”

“What works for one kid might not work for another, so we try lots of different things,” Wiskow said.

If you have concerns about your child’s mental health, reach out to school counseling staff or administration. You are not alone.  

To learn more about Cory Greenwood, visit corygreenwood.com