Student Well-Being

WHY OUR WORK IS EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT

STATISTICS 

• Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among persons aged 15 to 24 years, the 3rd among persons aged 10 to 14.
• About 1,400 Ohioans die from suicide in a typical year, and 1 in 7 is a child.
• Among young adults ages 15 to 24 years old, there are approximately 100 to 200 attempts for every completed suicide.
• 50% of all lifetime mental illnesses start by age 14.
• 26% of children in the United States will witness or experience a traumatic event before they turn 4.
• One in five children is faced with a mental disorder before the age of 12.
• In a recent annual survey, 253,000 people ages 12 to 20 in Ohio (17.5% of all people in this age group) reported binge alcohol use within the month prior to being surveyed.
• In an annual survey, approximately 89,000 of Ohio adolescents (9.5% of all adolescents) reported using illicit drugs within the month prior to being surveyed.
• On average, 1 Ohioan dies from an unintentional drug overdose every 4 hours.

HOPEFUL STATISTICS 

• Most children (70% to 80%) receiving mental health services do so within the school.
• School-based interventions in combination with family-based interventions provide more benefit than a single program.
• Teens whose parents talk to them about drugs are half as likely to use drugs.
• Students from homes characterized by mutual involvement, shared interests, and emotional support are 3.5 to 5.5 times less likely to report suicidal thoughts or intentions.

Q: I want to be involved. How do I do that?
A: Contact Jon Hood at hood.6@napls.us, telephone 614-413-7109.

Q: I would like to support this effort financially. How do I do that?
A: Contact Craig Mohre at craigmohre@newalbanyfoundation.org, 614-939-8150.

Q: What are the specific desired outcomes of this initiative and how will you measure success?
A: We are currently finalizing the scope of our initiative. We then will start with the end in mind and identify the outcomes we want to see five and 10 years out and then create key performance indicator (KPI) measurements.

Q: Are the schools the appropriate venue for this kind of effort?
A: Yes, most children, 70% to 80%, who receive mental health services, starts within a school.

Q: Who are the organizational partners that will enable you to carry out your mission?
A: Our community partners include Healthy New Albany, OSU, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, ADAMH, Concord Counseling and Maryhaven.

Q: Who is funding this work?
A: Currently, funding has come from private donations, ADAMH, and a New Albany Community Foundation well-being fund recently established.

Q: Are there examples of other communities that provide a road map for New Albany’s efforts?
A: We are currently creating a national network to explore the best-in-class programs starting with Mariel Hemingway and Patrick Kennedy.

1. To identify and implement evidence-based education and prevention tools for students, parents, faculty, and staff that will ensure the well-being of each student (well-being is defined as being healthy both mentally and physically).
    
2. To ensure our crisis management process is as efficient and effective as possible for the students, parents, faculty, and staff.
    
3. To create and implement an on-going communication plan that ensures all interested parties are well-informed and empowered to participate in and support the New Albany School Well-Being Program.
    
4. To maximize the benefits of our well-being program for each student by making it accountable, measurable and process driven.
   
   Please note: All Well-being Initiative programming and goals are evaluated annually through a structured program review process.  This process includes stakeholders impacted, program objectives, enhancements or needs, and projected plan for continuation. District level administrators and committee members are included in the review process.