Stafford Schools Join Mental Health Program To Support Students

STAFFORD COUNTY, VA — Stafford County Public Schools will be one of 18 school districts across the country to join a new mental health partnership, the District Comprehensive Approach.

The approach was created by The Jed Foundation and The School Superintendents Association to give school districts evidence-based frameworks to support the mental health of students. The DCA will take place over the next four years, school officials said.

"We are incredibly excited to announce this partnership, and to breathe life into the words we have written in our Elevate Stafford strategic plan," Stafford County Schools Superintendent Thomas Taylor said in a news release. "Stafford Schools is committed to providing an environment where kids feel safe and supported."

Through the program, Stafford school officials will have access to expert support, best practices, and data-driven guidance.

Tony Walker is the senior vice president of Academic Programs at The Jed Foundation.

"We are excited to welcome Stafford Schools into the 2023 inaugural cohort of districts nationwide that will be at the forefront of implementing powerful practices to support their students and staff," Walker said. "Suicide has risen every year over the past decade for students aged 5 to 11 and in 2021, one in five high school students made a suicide plan. Schools play a critical role in reversing these trends, but they cannot do that without adequate resources and training."

Stafford County Public Schools is the only district in the U.S. that is participating in the DCA and the JED High School program, which helps build district-wide plans and strategies.

"Mental health is such a critical concern in our school district. This past year, I have helped put together a campaign to promote mental health awareness in our school district in order to combat rising levels of mental illness," Katherine Buckman, the student representative to the Stafford County School Board, said. "It means more than I can say to see how seriously Stafford County is taking this issue."

Stafford County Public Schools is participating in the programs through an $88,000 scholarship from the Jed Foundation.

Superintendent Thomas Taylor noted that the ongoing support and partnership will help students in need.

"This is a powerful partnership that will allow us to create systems and structures that connect all levels of the school system with concrete expectations and resources to support every student," Taylor said.