This month on the Eleanor Roosevelt campus, Peer Counseling has been spreading awareness of mental health and implementing it into the life of the school. Peer counseling believes that spreading mental health awareness is important for everyone and thus advocates the significance of good mental health.

When asking Chiara Beck, a senior at the Eleanor Roosevelt campus and a member of peer counseling, on what peer counseling is doing to spread mental health awareness around campus she states, “Peer counseling is utilizing our resources in order to spread mental awareness. We counsel students who are referred by teachers/friends or come to us with any issues they are dealing with. We are a support system for them constantly throughout their high school experience. We also host campaigns such as our suicide awareness campaign, that allowed us to really show the students ways to deal with depression, anxiety, etc. Handing out resources and providing students with things they need is crucial to our program. We work hand and hand with counselors and students in order to give them the most help they need.” Moreover, asking Chloe Gonzales, another senior and Peer Counseling member, she states that as of right now for the new school year, they are “training so we can have the right certification to counsel students and help others realize the situation they are in, in order to prevent any type of harm.”

Furthermore, asking Chiara Beck and Chloe Gonzales why it is important to spread awareness about mental health, Chiara Beck stated, “Spreading mental health awareness is extremely crucial in order to allow students to really recognize, deal with, and prevent these health issues. Peer Counseling has many rewarding components to it for both the peer counselor and the counseled. Everyone should be aware of mental illness and know how to recognize and deal with them. Peer counseling promotes awareness to all people of school and hope to, alongside other clubs, continue to do this!” To add on, Chloe Gonzales states, “It is important o spread awareness because you never know who is going through something and it is always good to let people know that they are not alone and that there are people who can help.”

Peer Counseling has provided and encouraged students and staff to utilize the resources and help they provide on the Eleanor Roosevelt Campus. Mental Health awareness is an important and ongoing topic that should be voiced and emphasized within schools, offices, and society.