When you Rally for the Red Devils, you support mental health & wellness for DHHS students and teachers. 

 

Tucked away behind the DHHS media center is a cozy nook that many students might not know exists. There are no glaring overhead fluorescents here, just soft lamps, a comfy couch with blankets, and a rug over the linoleum floor. It’s instantly relaxing, and you know right away it’s a safe space.

 

This is the office of Katelyn Sherrard, DHHS’s full-time mental health counselor, funded by the Druid Hills Education Foundation (DHEF). Sherrard is assigned to DHHS through a partnership with CHRIS 180, an organization that provides schools with high-quality behavioral health services and support systems. 

 

Sherrard has a full caseload of students participating in individual weekly therapy sessions. With the full support of Principal Costa, she also started three programs this year that have the potential to transform life at DHHS for many students and teachers.

 

The program Sherrard is most excited about is her new grief support group. She says this has been a devastating fall, with an unusually high number of DHHS students losing a parent or a loved one. Sherrard says. “The holidays can be a difficult time anyway, and for many it’s the first holiday season without their loved one.”

This fall, Sherrard and Principal Costa developed a monthly teachers series. With classes on topics like educator self care, building trauma-informed relationships, and using verbal deescalation, Sherrard hopes that teachers will be able to better address trauma in the classroom setting and help kids (and themselves) feel safer.

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Finally, Sherrard has introduced monthly student forums for students. October’s topic was conflict resolution, and Sherrard has planned forums on suicide awareness and prevention, healthy relationships, “holiday blues,” self esteem and social media in the coming months.

 

Donate to the Druid Hills Education Foundation to support Mental Health & Wellness for students & teachers at DHHS. 

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The Druid Hills Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and your donations are tax-deductible.

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