News Photo by Reagan Voetberg Alpena High School Assistant Principal Mike Buchinger and counselors Sue Riedlinger, Andrea Linton, Shannon Studley, and Robyn Miller converse during their Tuesday counselor collaboration meeting.

ALPENA — The impact of mental health on student success and well-being has been given a lot more attention in recent years, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.

At Alpena High School, the counseling department is one of the first links in the chain that students can access to receive the help they need.

There’s an idea that poor mental health in teenagers is more prevalent today than it has been in the past, but from their personal experiences, counselors at AHS have not noticed any significant changes. Most of them have not been counselors at AHS for a long amount of time and could not compare their past experiences to now. Assistant Principal Mike Buchinger has only been the head of the counseling department for a year.

Counselor Sue Riedlinger worked with high-risk kids in a previous position, so her experiences are not comparable to the student population at the high school.

Counselor Robyn Miller shared her thoughts as a counselor who has worked at the high school for around the past 10 years.

“It kind of feels like things have gotten better, but I think I’ve just gotten better at recognizing, at providing the services they need or giving resources,” Miller said. “I do think COVID shifted the thought of what the community needs and making sure we are reaching out and getting services in our building.”

Counselor Andrea Linton said she thinks students are more open to talking with a counselor about what they’re dealing with than they were 10 to 15 years ago.

The easy accessibility of information about mental health can sometimes cause students to misunderstand whether they are experiencing an anxiety disorder or normal day-to-day anxiety. In the case of depression, a student may have a difficult time telling the difference between that and sadness.

For instance, a student might come down to talk to a counselor about the anxiety they feel over a speech they are presenting late in the day, which is normal, Buchinger said.

“And then you have the kiddo who’s got an experience at home or out in the community that’s causing this, you know, a different type of anxiety,” he said.

Riedlinger talked about helping students become aware of their mental health and giving them skills to help them cope on difficult days. Students may tell a counselor that they can’t do something because of their anxiety.

“And then you have to talk it through with them,” Riedlinger said. “Like, ‘OK, what do you do when you have this issue? What are your steps? How do you cope?’ And it doesn’t have to be a debilitating thing that means you never come to school again.”

While not therapists themselves, school counselors are the first step in identifying whether a student might need regular mental health treatment.

A student’s mental health can be affected by anything from their situation at home to major events like the COVID-19 pandemic or the recent ice storm. Parents play an important role in students’ mental health as well. If parents themselves are struggling, their children may be affected.

School Success workers, a program offered at the high school through the Northeast Michigan Community Service Agency (NEMCSA), are often a bridge between parents and their children and can help students who are dealing with a difficult situation at home.

“The level of need is sometimes eye-opening, and you have no idea until you start talking to School Success and they’ll share with you a little bit about what’s going on in our community,” Buchinger said.

Another resource for students at the high school is the restorative center. It’s a screen-free room designed to give students a short break from class if they need to cool down or reset from whatever they are struggling with that day.

The room is staffed by a behavior technician who works with students on developing coping skills and reminds them of the skills they already have.

Those skills could include journaling, breathing exercises, or drinking water and eating a snack, Riedlinger said.

If a student needs further help, the school has a 31n therapist that they can see. Two therapists also work at the school through the Alcona Health Center. While families do generally get billed for using the health center’s services, the center provides a way for students to access the care they need without losing a lot of class time.

It’s not just counselors and mental health professionals who can help make a student’s day a little better. Teachers, bus drivers, and other support staff also help students out in their day-to-day lives by connecting and forming relationships with them.

Buchinger mentioned School Liaison Officer Jason Collegnon as one example. There are always kids who stop by his office just to say hello.

Some teachers are not as comfortable with helping students with mental health issues as others, and that’s why there’s a support system and resources for them to utilize.

“They aren’t expected to do the heavy lifting if they are in a territory they are not comfortable with,” Riedlinger said. “That’s why we’re here.”

Reagan Voetberg can be reached at 989-358-5683 or rvoetberg@TheAlpenaNews.com.