Please tell us a little bit about your role.
My official title is Student Support Coordinator, which is a new, grant-funded position within our district. I connect with students and families experiencing social, emotional, mental health, or financial needs to help improve the educational outcomes for students. My role is dedicated to helping families reduce their student's stress and tension so that they can arrive at school ready to learn.
There are many families in our district facing substantial adversity, and connecting them to resources in our community can help alleviate some of those stressors. This includes basic necessities, like food, water and shelter, which resources like Project Safe can assist with. Others are psychological needs that a mental health practitioner can address, or unmet medical needs that the Chieftain Health Clinic can assist them with.
When a student's adversity is preventing them from feeling joy or hope, something as simple as facilitating a haircut, hygiene assistance, household furnishing, food and clothing, or even coordinating their canine companion spay operation through a spay and neuter program can help them come to school with more confidence, less stress, and more capacity to learn.
Which age groups or grades do you work with?
I work with students from preschool through seniors in high school. At the elementary school level, I am collaborating with Marni Tucker, School Outreach Caseworker at Central Elementary, to develop a parenting class and support group called Parenting with Partners Workshop. This group will address many of the stressors that young parents or guardians face when facilitating discussion and positive solutions to their child's challenges.
I also work with students involved with juvenile court and residential treatment centers. I collaborate with mental health providers, probation officers, judges, health providers, school counselors, interventions specialists, school administration and others to develop plans best suited to a student's needs.
What steps lead to a student working with you?
Most of the students I work with are referred by their teacher, principal or school counselor. If any student or family within our district needs assistance, please contact me at gerhardt@lhsd.k12.oh.us or (740) 385-8517 x 30502.
What information do you feel is important for students and families to know about your position and/or the district’s mental health resources?
LHSD is always looking for ways to better serve the community and has excelled in identifying grants to fund those objectives. It has been a blessing to work for individuals who genuinely care about the wellbeing of their students and allow teams the opportunities to think outside the box to meet those needs. In addition, the district has always worked well with the various agencies that serve the community. Adding more positions to help positively partner and collaborate with these social service agencies and mental health practitioners gives our community access to the most comprehensive services.
Do you have any favorite resources (books, podcasts, websites, etc) that you like to recommend to students or families?
I am also a yoga instructor and while the stretches are amazing for the body, the mindfulness aspect of the practice has been the most transformative for me. I love mindful.org, which makes mindfulness easier to implement. Post-pandemic, we are seeing increased rates of diagnosed anxiety and depression. Mindfulness can help reduce some of the effects of these conditions and help students self regulate during stressful situations.
I have also recently discovered a podcast called Raising Good Humans with Dr. Aliza. She has a wide range of topics and uses evidence-based practices to help with everyday parenting.
Is there any additional information you would like to share?
This position has allowed me to see the caring nature of our community. I know from experience how difficult it is to raise a family under the best of situations, but many of our local families are facing unimaginable adversity. It takes community efforts to make a difference.
If you would like to help the district in this effort please contact me, Gail Wyskiver Erhardt gerhardt@lhsd.k12.oh.us 740-385-8517 x 30502. Or, if you would like to donate or volunteer in our Project Safe Programs, please contact Jody Braden jbraden@lhsd.k12.oh.us 740-385-8517 x 38005.