Twin Falls District working to provide mental health resources for educators

Hoy explains dealing with the emotion of suddenly switching to remote learning this spring had a huge effect on everyone's mental wellbeing.

AS SCHOOLSDISTRICTS...PREPARE FOR FALLCLASSES... STUDENTHEALTH IS TOP OFMIND.AND NOT JUSTCOVID-19.OUR NATASHAWILLIAMS SHARESWHY THE TWIN FALLSDISTRICT... ISPUSHING ITS STARTDATE BACK... INTONIGHT'S FINDINGHOPE."OVER THOSE TWODAYS THE DISTRICTIS OFFERING ANOPPORTUNITY FOREDUCATORS TO TAKEA HALF DAY MENTALHEALTH TRAINING.THE DISTRICT SAYSTHEY PLAN TO MAKEMENTAL HEALTH APRIORITY.""WE'VE RECOGNIZEDTHIS FOR A LONGTIME.

WE'VE HADLOTS OFDISCUSSIONS WITHTEACHERS AROUNDMENTAL HEALTH BUTTHE COVID CRISISAND PACKINGUP--ENDING THEYEAR IN MARCH ANDNOT KNOWING THATWOULD BE THE LASTTIME YOU'D SEEYOUR STUDENTS--ITKIND OFCOMPOUNDEDEVERYTHING."THE DISTRICT SAYSDEALING WITH THEEMOTION OFSUDDENLYSWITCHING TOONLINE THIS SPRINGHAD A HUGE EFFECTON EVERYONE'SMENTAL WELLBEING."IT WAS TRAUMA.THERE WAS TRAUMANOT ONLY FOR THESTUDENTS BUT FORTHE TEACHERS."THE GOAL OF THESETRAININGS IS TOEQUIP EDUCATORSWITH THE TOOLSTHEY NEED TOMANAGE THEIRMENTAL HEALTH."WE WANT TOPROVIDE TEACHERSWITH STRATEGIES INDEALING WITH THIS.WE KNOW WHEN OURTEACHERS AREHEALTHY THEY CANTAKE BETTER CAREOF OUR STUDENTSWHO NEED US."THE TRAININGS WILLALSO HELPEDUCATORS TORECOGNIZE ANDADDRESS WARNINGSIGNS IN STUDENTS."WATCHING WHAT'SHAPPENED THISSPRING, WITHSOCIAL-EMOTIONALHEALTH OFSTUDENTS WE'VESEEN STUDENTSSTRUGGLE WITHEMOTIONAL NEEDSWHILE WE'VE BEENOUT OF SCHOOL."THIS WILL ALSO GIVEEDUCATORS ANOPPORTUNITY TOCHECK IN WITH THEIROWN MENTAL HEALTHBEFORE THE FIRSTDAY OF SCHOOL."IT'S REALLY HARDTO BE EFFECTIVE INANY JOB YOU DO IFYOU'RE STRUGGLINGWITH YOUR MENTALHEALTH ORSTRUGGLING WITHSOCIAL-EMOTIONALNEEDS.

IT REALLY ISA SITUATION WHEREWE WANT TO TAKECARE OF OURTEACHERS ANDMAKE SURE THEY'RETAKING CARE OFTHEIR HEALTH."THE DISTRICT SAYSTHEY PLAN TOCONTINUE OFFERINGMENTAL HEALTH ANDWELLNESSTRAININGSTHROUGHOUT THESCHOOL YEAR.

INTWIN FALLS...NATASHA WILLIAMS...IDAHO NEWS 6."COVID-19...CHANGED THESPRING... AND IT'SCHANGING HOWSCHOOL WILLHAPPEN THIS FALL.CASES CONTINUE TOCLIMB... WITH THESTATEWIDE TOTALNOW SURPASSING25-THOUSAND.IN IDAHO... EACHSCHOOL DISTRICTWILL MAKE IT'S OWNBACK-TO-SCHOOLDECISIONS... WITHGUIDANCE FROMHEALTH ANDEDUCATIONOFFICIALS.HERE IN THETREASURE VALLEY...THE BOISE ANDNAMPA SCHOOLDISTRICTS... WILLSTART THE YEARENTIRELY ONLINE.WHILE SOMESTUDENTS IN WESTADA... COULD BEHEADED BACK TOCLASSROOMS.FOR THOSE KIDS...DAILY HEALTHCHECKS BYPARENTS... CAN HELPPREVENT THESPREAD OF THEVIRUS."DO DAILY HEALTHSCREENINGS WITHTHEIR STUDENTS.ASK THEM HOWTHEY'RE FEELING, DOTHEY HAVE A COUGH,A RUNNY NOSE, ASORE THROAT?"SAINT LUKE'S SAYS IFYOU OR YOUR KIDSFEEL SICK AT ALL...STAY HOME."FOR THE TIMEBEING, WE SHOULDALL ASSUME THATIT'S COVID AND STAYHOME.

THAT'S A LOTOF DISRUPTION, IRECOGNIZE, BUT THEONLY WAY WE'REGOING TO SLOW THESPREAD OF THISEFFECTIVELY--MAYBENOT THE ONLYWAY--BUT ONE OFTHE BEST WAYS ISONCE YOU STARTHAVING SYMPTOMSSTAY HOME."SAINT LUKE'S HAS ACOVID-19 SELFASSESSMENT TOOLON THEIR WEBSITE ...JUST HEAD TO ST.LUKE'S ONLINE DOTOR