Students develop coping & resiliency skills at Smoky Hill High School

Hospitals, schools and parents are sounding the alarm on the mental health crisis across America. There's a rise in anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts. One Colorado school district is making mental health a priority.

Cherry Creek Schools Superintendent Christopher Smith visited the district's Smoky Hill High School in Aurora where student Dakota Huber shared details about the school's "Zen Den."

It offers students a place to de-stress.

"Mental health has been an issue that we've been dealing with. This pandemic has made it even worse. It's bigger than academics. Our kids need us to be there for them," said Superintendent Smith.

Huber, a twelfth grader, said, "Creating a safe space is needed. So this is just kind of like a therapy session and it gives students opportunities to kind of wind down. Do some vision boards, maybe even some drawing. Some things that can help calm them."

Smoky Hill also offers a class called "Sources of Strength."  Huber describes it as "a class that develops campaigns and activities so that students can participate and apply their streets to a positive light."  The program, which is offered around the country is designed to "prevent adverse outcomes by increasing wellbeing, help-seeking, resiliency, healthy coping, and belonging."

"Sometimes like a 'Good morning' or even just the 'Hey, how are you?' Just makes me like, 'sweet someone cares!"

Superintendent Smith said, "If a student has someone to go talk to a trusted adult that can make the biggest difference in their life, because if they walk into our schools and they feel loved, they feel invested in and they feel valued. They won't hurt themselves, and they won't hurt others. I've been impacted by suicide. And I've been impacted by mental health. We have a saying here, 'hurt people, hurt people.' And so we need to do whatever we can to engage and push in and make sure that our kids feel loved, valued and invested in."

Huber concluded, "I think it's really important for students to be able to have some trust built with the teacher. The sky's the limit."

This fall, Cherry Creek will open Traverse Academy, a mental health day treatment center.