Effective School Solutions & the Madison Holleran Foundation Give NJ Youth a Voice to Speak About Mental Health

NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J., March 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Effective School Solutions (ESS), a leading provider of in-school mental health services for K-12 school districts, and the Madison Holleran Foundation, announced the winners of the Madison Holleran Mental Health Action Scholarship. This scholarship was founded to not only drive awareness about suicide prevention but also to hear from high school students about innovative approaches they believe their schools can take to help young adults navigate through the mental health challenges they are facing today. The scholarship honors Madison Holleran, an Allendale, NJ native and all-state athlete who died by suicide as a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania in 2014.

As part of the scholarship process, high school seniors across New Jersey submitted essays about innovative mental health support programs that could be implemented at their high schools. The winners include:

• Sara Deuidicibus, Middletown High School North: Founder of the Mindful Psychology and Wellness Club at her high school, Sara developed an innovative "Ask a Peer" Program.
• David Gonzalez, Manville High School: David's proposed program, (MHAP or Mental Health Awareness Program), focuses on mental health education, developing coping skills and having a support structure at school.
• Janeva Holland, Sayreville War Memorial: For her proposed initiative, Janeva was inspired by Dr. Laurie Santos' podcast series, "The Happiness Lab." Janeva's initiative is a mandatory half-year elective course, "Happiness Acquisition," which would help students cope with the stresses that life brings. 
• Sarah Terracina, Metuchen High School: Sarah's proposed "Junior Workshop" consists of a series of programs for high school juniors meant to prepare them for post-high school life.

"We were greatly inspired by the almost 100 submissions we received. All of the winners showed an incredible innovative spirit and a commitment to improving mental health outcomes for their peers. When it comes to the mental health of young people, it's vital that we hear from the young people themselves," said Duncan Young, CEO of Effective School Solutions.

Carli Bushoven, Executive Director of the Madison Holleran Foundation stated, "Our hope with these scholarships is to bring attention to mental health and wellness to the forefront of high school and college campuses, end the stigma, and ultimately encourage today's students to make strides in their community with regards to mental health."

Since 2009, Effective School Solutions has been a leader in in-school mental health. ESS partners with over 100 schools in over 50 districts in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and California to provide comprehensive, cost-effective whole-school clinical programs to K-12 students.

The primary mission of the Madison Holleran Foundation is to prevent suicides and to assist those in a crisis situation with resources that will assist them during their time in crisis. The Foundation also focuses on preparing high school seniors for their transition to college.

For more information, press only:

Lisa Murphy-Church

[email protected]

Related Images

ess.png
ESS

SOURCE Effective School Solutions