READING, Mass. — With students back in the classroom and out on the fields at practice after school, they often spend more time with teachers and coaches than with their parents.
Their coaches have received CPR and first aid training, but what about mental health training? A local non-profit is working to educate and spread awareness in the hopes of saving lives.
Before the start of volleyball practice, Michelle Hopkinson checks in with her players to talk about their game plan—physically and mentally.
“It’s the stress of everything and balancing life,” said Reading Memorial High School Volleyball Coach Michelle Hopkinson. “They’re trying to get their schoolwork done. They want to play a sport. They have jobs. Some are getting ready for what they are going to do next year when they graduate.”
Hopkinson has coached thousands of girls over nearly two decades. She’s always been able to notice some of the stressors affecting her players—but for so many years, no one really talked about it.
“The warning signs that I’ve seen in the past that were very difficult to approach the athlete about, because you don’t want step on toes,” said Hopkinson. “It was very complicated.”
But Hopkinson recently received training through the Mental Health Collaborative—a local non-profit that aims to take away the stigma of mental health and open up conversations.
“I started Mental Health Collaborative after seeing a real gap in foundational mental health education that we all need desperately, but we don’t always get. said CEO and Founder of Mental Health Collaborative Abbie Rosenberg.
Mental Health Collaborative CEO Abbie Rosenberg founded the non-profit to provide mental health literacy programs to schools and communities.
“Coaches spend a lot of time with youth,” said Rosenberg. “They’re often that first person to notice things. They’re often the first person a student will open up to. So, states across the country are beginning to mandate this, and we have gained a lotta traction in that way.”
Mental Health Collaborative has worked with over 35 Massachusetts schools and sports organizations. The training includes how to spot the warning signs, approach it, and create customized lists of specific resources of who to call to get the student help—and it’s already having an impact.
“A student who he would never have imagined was struggling opened up to him for the very first time that he was struggling with suicidal ideation,” said Rosenberg in one example. “And this coach was so grateful because not only did he know how to handle it, he knew how to call, and he was able to connect this student with mental health services. And this was lifesaving.”
And for coaches like Hopkinson, she says this training has given her confidence to address mental health issues with her players. She hopes others become mental health literate to not only spread awareness but also keep students safe and healthy.
“If other coaches are doing that as well, it just becomes more beneficial,” said Hopkinson. “The kids know that when they come into our building that there’s a safe space in there that will be there for them if they need it.”
To spread that awareness, the Mental Health Collaborative will be attending the MIAA Sportsmanship Summit this fall.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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