Students services at East prioritize students’ wellbeing first, but a lot of students are unaware of what is available to them.

 According to the department of education, Keeping our kids, safe and healthy, Student support services are important as they help develop the emotional and social type of character. Interestingly Student support services help start positive relationships with educators, therapists, and social workers with students, which causes an increasing number of students’ attachment to school and serves as an essential link between students and, their families and school resources and community-based health and social services. In a random survey of 50 Morton East Students, 20 have reported that they do know about the student support services the school provides.

“I see them on social media or sometimes on skyward messages. I think these are beneficial because it can be a guide to those who may need extra help in classes and it can help guide students with their future choices whether it be school-related or life-related in general,” Junior Zuleyma Duran said.

In the past students would have to deal with these problems on their own but now these programs reassure students that their health is a top priority.

“Yes, I have heard of the support services. I think they are beneficial to students to reassure us that there will always be people to help our physical, mental, and daily needs. They are there to help guide us on a healthy path. They are also there to show us acceptance, in the sense of, people use these daily and we shouldn’t be nervous to use them,” Senior Student Angie Davila said.

Recently with the current pandemic that is going on, student’s mental health may deteriorate but there is a program that aims to help with student’s mental health.

“I am a School Social Worker. School social workers are trained in mental health professions who help students when social-emotional issues affect their ability to learn at school. We help students learn coping skills so they can manage their emotions and focus. We also help students when they are experiencing a crisis and connect students to resources outside of school to support their needs. When students are experiencing emotional distress, it affects their ability to focus on school and learn to the best of their ability. Also, mental health issues like depression and anxiety have been increasing among teens, so it is important for students to have mental health professionals available at school where they can easily access the supports they need,” School Social Worker Erica Hades said.

Moreover, another step in a student’s life is college and job opportunities but the hassle of dealing with it by yourself is long gone.

”As the College and Career Center counselor, my job is to help all students at East, sophomores through seniors, on planning for life after high school graduation. This includes anything under the college and career umbrella such as exploring career options, creating resumes, applying for jobs, exploring and applying to colleges, and looking at other post-high school training options besides college. Students can receive help from the College and Career Center during normal school hours. We send our appointment links to students weekly through the skyward message system and our appointment links are on our school website. I have also attached a flyer that shows our hours of operation and how to contact the College and Career Center staff,” College and Career Center Counselor Ryan Smith said.