Health and Wellness

Inside STISD, we believe in providing health and wellness programs and initiatives to promote and maintain a healthy and happy lifestyle for our community.

STISD provides services to improve students' mental, emotional, and social health. These services include counseling, interventions, and referrals. STISD is prepared to provide STISD students needed mental health supports, as we are staffed with School Counselors, Social Workers, Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), and Licensed Specialists in School Psychology (LSSPs). Should you feel the need to receive these services, please contact your school’s counseling center.

Request Counseling Support

View and Complete Campus-Specific Forms

View and Complete Campus-Specific Forms

STISD has developed an electronic form to be used to submit a request to receive counseling support. Please note that the electronic form should not be used to report urgent concerns - including those related to suicide or an immediate safety threat - after-hours (after 4 p.m. and before 8 a.m. on weekdays, and on weekends). If you have a concern regarding a potential suicidal situation or immediate safety threat outside of school hours, please call 911 or contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Additional information in regards to this organization is available at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

To fill out an electronic form, please click on your designated campus below.

Social Workers by Campus

Meet the Special Programs Team

Social & Emotional Wellness Resources

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Important Resources/Contacts

FOR EMERGENCY, CALL 9-1-1

Report Abuse and Neglect

Suicide Hotline

Runaway Hotline

Mental Health Matters: Monthly Newsletters + Other Important Resources

2024-2025

January

December

November 2024

October 2024

September 2024

August 2024

2023-2024

May 2024

Educational Trainings and Resources

Where to Start mental Health Tool Kit 2024, MHA- https://mhanational.org/sites/default/files/MHM/2024/toolkit/2024-Where-to-Start-Toolkit.zip

Mental Health For Educators | SAMHSA

School & Educator Resources | SAMHSA

Introduction to Classroom WISE - Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) Network (mhttcnetwork.org)- Webinar- MAY 7th

April 2024

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

December 2023

November 2023

October 2023

September 2023

August 2023

2022-2023

May 2023

Mental Health Matters: Self care summer for secondary students

Self care summer tips for secondary students

It’s summer—time to rest, relax, and recharge!

Click for Self-care summer for secondary students information

We encourage our students to take time to care for your mental health. Check out these resources from the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families for tips and activities to support your #selfcaresummer.

Source: www.annafreud.org

These activities are not a substitute for mental health support; sometimes we need to reach out for help. If you or someone you know needs immediate mental health support, call or text 988, or call 911.

April 2023

Mental Health Matters: May is Mental Health Month

Mental Health by the Numbers statistics — May is Mental Health Month! Parents and guardians play a vital role in supporting their children's mental health. We hope that you will find these conversation starters helpful in supporting your child at home. Please remember- you are not alone. We encourage you to reach out to your campus counselors if your child is in need of additional support.

March 2023

Feb. 2023

Mental Health Matters: Sleep Awareness Week

On March 12, we will “Spring Forward” into Daylight Savings Time, and our internal clocks will be forced to adjust to the time change. Spring Break will allow us to take on a different daily pace, and our sleep patterns will likely change over the next week.

Sleep is a crucial part of our health and wellness, and the National Sleep Foundation recognizes March 12-18 as Sleep Awareness Week. This is a time to elevate the importance of our sleep health. We encourage our STISD families to consider the importance of sleep as we move into this season of change. Please take a moment to read the articles and watch the videos linked below for additional information about improving your teens’ sleep to impact their overall health and wellness.

https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/sleep-problems.html

El 12 de marzo, "avanzaremos" al horario de verano y cambiaremos nuestros relojes internos una vez más. Las vacaciones de primavera nos permitirán tomar un ritmo diario diferente y nuestros patrones de sueño probablemente cambiarán durante la próxima semana.

El sueño es una parte crucial de nuestro bienestar, y la Fundación Nacional del Sueño reconoce del 12 al 18 de marzo como la Semana de Concientización sobre el Sueño. Este es un momento para elevar la importancia de nuestra salud del sueño. Queremos alentar a nuestras familias de STISD a considerar la importancia del sueño para la salud y el bienestar de todos a medida que avanzamos en esta temporada de cambio. Tómese un momento para leer los artículos y ver los videos vinculados a continuación para obtener información adicional sobre cómo mejorar el sueño y la salud y el bienestar general de sus hijos adolescentes.

https://kidshealth.org/es/parents/sleep-problems.html

Sleep and Your Teen for Parents-Nemours Kids Health

El sueno y su hijo en edad adolescente para Padres version impresa-Nemours Kids Health

Jan. 2023

Dec. 2022

Oct. 2022

Sept. 2022

September 2022: Mental Health America's Back to School Kit + STISD Supports

By now, most of us have read or seen stories on the youth mental health crisis plaguing our country. From an ongoing pandemic, lack of in-person social interactions, social upheaval, and more, kids and teens are facing once-in-a-lifetime events that even adults aren’t sure how to handle.

Adolescence is already a confusing time without the added fears concerning safety in schools, staying healthy, family financial security, and loss of loved ones – so we shouldn’t be surprised that the rates of anxiety, depression, suicide, and other mental health conditions are on the rise.

Mental Health America recognizes with their new Back-to-School Toolkit that our youth are having “All the Feels” as they enter the new school year. These resources look at the issues young people face that are having an impact on their mental health and offer tips on how to deal with them and the resulting emotions. The MHA toolkit can also help parents and school personnel better understand the issues, such as the effects of social media on youth mental health and how to be supportive.

Many students will exhibit symptoms of depression and anxiety as they return to the classroom, and it is important to let kids and teens know that support is available. Familiarize yourself with the school’s education and counseling services, local mental health organizations, and community resources that can make a child feel more secure – like food, clothing, and school supply assistance.

Serious signs that someone is in crisis and needs help, such as thoughts or plans of hurting oneself or another person, should be addressed promptly. If you think a child or teen is in immediate danger of taking suicidal action, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. Its trained crisis counselors can help you find local resources or suggest next steps.

At South Texas ISD, we have a team of professionals including Social Workers and Student Wellness Specialists dedicated to supporting our students’ wellbeing and available at every campus. We encourage parents to reach out by contacting the counseling department at your child’s school for additional support: https://www.stisd.net/parents/health-and-wellness

All the Feels: Mental Health America's 2022 Back to School Toolkit - access at mhanational.org/back2school

2021-2022

May 2021

April 2021

March 2021

February 2021

January 2021

December 2020

November 2020

October 2020

August 2020

Below are some resources provided by the district's counseling staff to help students and families cope with anxiety.

Anxiety
Tips for Anxiety
Mental Health and LPCs

YouTube Videos
The Correct Way to Breathe In
Deep Breathing Exercises for Beginners
Calm Breathe Bubble
3 Minutes Body Scan Meditation - Mindfulness for Kids and Adults
3-Minute Mindful Breathing Meditation (Relieve Stress)

* New resources will be added monthly.

Parent Resources

Dyslexia Resources
Mental Health Session Resources

Dyslexia Resources

Fall 2024 Dyslexia Sessions
2022-2023 Dyslexia Resources

Fall 2024 Dyslexia Sessions

Click here for the Session 1 Handout

2022-2023 Dyslexia Resources

Mental Health Session Resources

Autism Awareness Event Photos

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Resources on how to prevent bullying and cyberbullying

Help Guide

Teens against Bullying

NetSmartz

Issue or Concern Reporting

Procedures for reporting allegations of bullying
More information on STISD Board Policy

Procedures for reporting allegations of bullying

The district prohibits bullying on school property, at school-sponsored or school-related activities, or in any vehicle operated by the district. Bullying may be verbal or written expression or expression through electronic means, or physical conduct. Bullying is not tolerated by the district and any student or parent of a student who believes that the student or another student has experienced bullying or that a student has engaged in bullying is encouraged to immediately report the incident. Retaliation against anyone involved in this complaint process is a violation of district policy and is prohibited.

Students or parents may report an alleged incident of bullying, orally or in writing, to a teacher, counselor, principal or other district employee. Students or parents may contact the district to obtain an incident report form that may be used to submit the complaint.

STISD has developed an electronic form to be used to submit issues or concerns regarding bullying or safety. Please note that the electronic form should not be used to report urgent concerns - including those related to suicide or an immediate safety threat - after-hours (after 4 p.m. and before 8 a.m. on weekdays, and on weekends). If you have a concern regarding a potential suicidal situation or immediate safety threat outside of school hours, please call 911 or contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Additional information in regards to this organization is available at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

To fill out an electronic form, please click on your designated campus below.

Please note: after submission of the complaint to the district employee, the district may assign the complaint to a campus administrator to follow up on the submitted complaint and any other important matters pertaining to the complaint. We encourage you to communicate with your designated campus administrator during this time.

To fill out a paper form, please click on the paper incident report form below and submit to your campus secretary.

Complete paper incident report form

Secretaries by campus are as follows:

Health Professions: Veronica Perez | veronica.perez@stisd.net
Medical Professions: Diana Vasquez | diana.vasquez@stisd.net
Preparatory Academy: Cristela Tarbutton | cristela.tarbutton@stisd.net
Rising Scholars: Monique Avila | monique.avila@stisd.net
Science Academy: Elizabeth Betancourt | elizabeth.betancourt@stisd.net
Virtual Academy: Sandra Reyes | sandra.reyes@stisd.net
World Scholars: Anthony Villa | anthony.villa@stisd.net

More information on STISD Board Policy

Introducing Parent ProTech for STISD Parents/Guardians: Empowering Families Online

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Districtwide Health + Wellness Calendar

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	Phone	Text
Texas Youth Helpline	1-800-989-6884	512-872-5777
Tropical Texas Hotline	1-877-289-7199
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline	988 1-800-273-8255	HOME to 741741
Nacional de Prevencion del Suicidio	988 1-888-628-9454