School divisions often must pick their battles, but combating mental health issues at school and in the community is something Fredericksburg City Public Schools (FCPS) is willing to grapple with.
The superintendent’s community roundtable promoting mental health awareness kicked off at 8 a.m. Thursday in the gymnasium at the Walker-Grant Center, with a roundtable discussion and catered breakfast.
FCPS superintendent Dr. Marceline Catlett and deputy superintendent Dr. Matt Eberhardt oversaw the roundtable discussion, which was the 10th such event of the school year hosted by the division.
“I like the fact that the community is shaping the topics talked about. We know how we feel about issues, but it’s important to get the community involved and listen to their concerns,” said FCPS Director of Family and Community Engagement and Special Initiatives Sandy Gillenwater.
Catlett wanted an advisory group to answer questions from the community — not just any kind of advisory group, but one whose members were capable of affecting change in the school system and community. Roundtable discussions focus on giving stakeholders, community members, and school faculty topics, in hopes of receiving feedback across the board.
“We really wanted to focus on bringing in high-ranking school officials and business leaders for the community to converse with, as this model would be most effective,” Eberhardt said.
Catlett’s opening speech jump-started conversations that needed to take place. She conveyed how mental health affects all of us in different ways for many different reasons. It’s important to recognize the symptoms and develop best practices to address our well-being, she said.
“Every day, with faith, I choose to have a positive outlook while having positive expectations and maintaining positive interactions,” Catlett said.
Maris Wyatt, Director of Special Education for FCPS, addressed mental health obstacles that FCPS is faced with routinely. Wyatt indicated that anxiety and depression among students and community members are at alarming rates.
“This goes beyond programs; we are creating a talking culture, which will change the way mental health is addressed,” Wyatt said.
Midway through the event, Eberhardt was able to ask a few questions to the mental health professionals’ panel on behalf of FCPS and the community. The panel consisted of State Sen. Tara Durant (R-Stafford), Fredericksburg Chief of Police Brian Layton, and Deputy Executive Director of Rappahannock Area Community Services Board Brandie Williams.
One question posed to the mental health professionals was: “The pandemic increased mental health issues among school-age children, school faculty members, and community members. How should we counter this?”
“Four out of 10 school-age children feel sad and hopeless; two out of 10 consider suicide; and one out of 10 actually attempts suicide,” said Williams, citing statistics from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“We have to face these challenges together, and partnering with schools is a great place to start new mental health services,” Williams said.
Added Durant: “We need bodies in the field; otherwise, we are just spinning our wheels in the mud.”
Law enforcement often responds to situations in which citizens are experiencing mental health crises. Layton said his vision for the future includes having mental health professionals available for situations that warrant it.
A portion of the event was dedicated to attendees discussing mental health issues at each of the nine tables set up in the gym. Each table was instructed to deliberate on current mental health trends and the support they require. Community members and partners of FCPS also had the opportunity to discuss ways FCPS could support students and staff members.
Students from Walker-Grant Middle and James Monroe High School who are part of the Teen Mental Health Taskforce participated in discussions with community members at the round tables. The students believe that when the right set of circumstances presents itself, some children can help their peers with mental health.
Fredericksburg city council member Jannan Holmes (at-large) shared that spreading awareness of mental health is vital.
“These are life-and-death situations; the community needs mental health prevention and intervention. As a community, we can overcome mental health issues our society faces,” Holmes said.
Durant stressed the need for more community-based crisis centers available locally, rather than people traveling out of the region to receive care.
Since 2022, Durant has been working with “Right Help Right Now,” a statewide initiative organized by Governor Glenn Youngkin to address mental health issues. Durant was able to assist Vision Community Church in Fredericksburg with a micro-grant that supported the church’s licensed therapist and congregation benevolence needs.
“The roundtable was great,” Durant said. “I love spotlighting our work and learning what people are facing. I was very thrilled to meet the kids that are part of the teen task force.”
FCPS Community Reach Liaison Gillenwater noted that the division’s roundtable discussions are growing. Initially starting out with 30 partnerships at the inaugural event two years ago, they have now grown to more 300 partnerships.
