COMMUNITY COLLABORATION PROJECT

ARIEL ELLIS
SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST INTERN
HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL
2015-2016

HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL: 2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR DATA

MENTAL HEALTH IN HAMILTON

Mental Health Club

Little interest from students

Stigma Among Hispanic Culture

As a community, Latinos are less likely to seek

mental health treatment.

A 2001 Surgeon Generals report found that only

20% of Latinos with symptoms of a psychological
disorder talk to a doctor about their concerns.

Only 10% contact a mental health specialist.

Misunderstanding

Basic Mental Health Training Was Needed

LATINO MENTAL HEALTH

Barriers to Treatment
Lack Of Information or Misunderstanding
Privacy Concerns
Language Barriers
Lack Of Health Insurance

Legal Status
Natural Medicine And Home Remedies

 FREE
25 minutes
Online course
Interactive
Sophomores

LEARNING OBJECTIVES FRIEND2FRIEND

01

02

Increase awareness of mental

wellness and of signs that a peer
might be suffering from
psychological distress, including
suicidal thoughts
04

Increase awareness of support

and resources available to
students, both locally and
nationally

Friend2Friend: Peer Support for High School Students

- a boy struggling to balance sports, grades, and work pressures
- a girl who has become withdrawn and irritable

2015 KOGNITO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Learn best practices for

approaching friends that
might be suffering from
psychological distress and
referring those students for
support

03

Decrease stigma and correct

misconceptions surrounding
mental health disorders

FRIEND2FRIEND: HOW IT WORKS

1
2

Control the conversation by choosing what to say

3
4

Assume the role of a student and engage in

virtual conversations

Learn to use open-ended questions and motivational

interviewing techniques

Receive feedback throughout that highlights important lessons

and key strategies
2015 KOGNITO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS
Pre-Survey

69 students

(of 80 sophomores)

Post-Survey

48 students

Sex

Grade

FEMALE

MALE

OTHER

22

25

th

10

th

46

Student Athlete?

11

th

12

th

Hispanic?

YES

NO

YES

NO

38

10

38

10

SURVEY RESULTS AND EVALUATION FEEDBACK

HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR PREPAREDNESS TO RECOGNIZE WHEN A

FRIENDS PHYSICAL APPEARANCE IS A SIGN OF BEING STRESSED OUT?

Pre-Survey:

Post-Survey:

3% very low

0% very low

16% low

4% low

42% medium

33.5% medium

30% high

33.5% high

9% very high

29% very high

62.5% of students rated their

preparedness as high or very high
An increase in 23.5%

The number of students that felt prepared to recognize physical signs

of their friend being stressed out increased.

I FEEL CONFIDENT IN MY ABILITY TO RECOMMEND TO A STRESSED OUT

FRIEND THAT THEY TALK WITH AN ADULT WHO CAN HELP.
Pre-Survey

Post-Survey

7% strongly disagreed

0% strongly disagreed

21% disagreed

8% disagreed

59% agreed

67% agreed

13% agreed

25% strongly agreed

92% agreed or strongly

agreed
An increase of 20%

The number of students that disagreed or strongly disagreed with that

statement significantly decreased.

ALL STUDENTS IN MY SCHOOL SHOULD TAKE THIS COURSE.

31% strongly agreed

58% agreed
11% disagreed
0% strongly disagreed

This is a good indicator of the usefulness and

effectiveness of the training.

EVALUATION FEEDBACK FORM (27 STUDENTS)

The majority of the students strongly agreed or mostly agreed that:

The presenter was:

well-prepared, knowledgeable, and engaging

The content was:

credible, organized, and easy to understand

The information was:

relevant, applicable, and enhanced their knowledge

When asked what they liked best some common responses were:

It was realistic, descriptive, helpful

I learned great advice

The presenter was engaging and helpful

The candy was good

OOPS THERES ALWAYS NEXT TIME!

Challenges
Only offered in English with English-only

subtitles

Two students couldnt participate at all

Language barriers

Online training = technical issues

Spent majority of the time helping the students

maneuver the training

Improvements
Allow enough time for discussion and

questions

Conduct follow-up discussions

Administer training to all students

 to ask for help?