Resources:
Concentrate Ann Arbor
Sarah Rigg’s Feature Article: Corner Health Center, Ypsi schools partner to expand student mental health services
The Corner Health Center
Washtenaw International High School (WIHI) and Washtenaw International Middle Academy (WIMA)
Child & Adolescent Health Center Program (CAHC)
Expanding, Enhancing Emotional Health (E3) Program
Washtenaw Alliance for Virtual Education
Transcription:
Rylee Barnsdale: You are listening to 89 one WEMU. I’m Rylee Barnsdale, and this is On the Ground Ypsi. Ypsilanti’s own Corner Health Clinic has partnered with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services on their Child and Adolescent Health Center program for the past 30 years to provide physical and mental health care to Ypsi’s youth. But a new opportunity from MDHHS is now allowing the Corner to take its services beyond their home at North Huron Street. Here with me today to talk about Corner’s new school wellness program and the Expanding, Enhancing Emotional Health program finding a new home at Washtenaw International High School and Middle Academy is Corner Health youth advisor Hasini Anand. So, what can you tell us about what these programs are and what kinds of services they’re bringing into the school at WIHI?
Hasini Anand: Yeah, of course! It’s bringing in a registered nurse and a therapist, and they’re going to have, like, a special office inside of Y-High. And I think the biggest thing that it’s bringing is just more people and more support to the student body. Even though we have therapists and social workers, I think a lot of students are kind of scared to reach out or use those services because they feel like, “Oh, if I go, they’re going to tell my parents.”
Rylee Barnsdale: Sure.
Hasini Anand: Even when there is like there’s confidentiality, I feel like people just immediately think, “Oh, it’s school. They’re going to tell my parents.” So, having kind of these Corner Health people there, I’m hoping that will get the separation that people need to want to seek help.
Rylee Barnsdale: And, as a youth advisor, both for Corner Health and for WIHI’s Wellness Center, is that right?
Hasini Anand: Mm-hmm.
Rylee Barnsdale: What does your input kind of look like, as far as getting these programs implemented and also getting that kind of student feedback about what students want to see from a program like this?
Hasini Anand: Yeah, of course! So, at the Corner Health Center, we have a youth leadership council, and I’m currently the president there. And I’ve been there for like four years. So, I guess like being there, you get to meet a lot of youth from Ypsi. And so, you get to kind of see what mental health looks like for a lot of people. They’re all coming from different schools in the area, and they’re all kind of saying what their schools need. And we’ve all discussed before, like there’s not enough social workers in schools. And we don’t have enough support. And then, going to WIHI, it’s a pretty small school. And I think we have like one therapist for like two grades. So, yeah, it’s a lot of people. So, seeing it there and then having this program kind of bridging those two things was super, super impactful. I know when we had our first kickoff meeting, our principal kind of like invited me in, and she was like, “I want you to be there and kind of listen in on what’s happening.” And she was like, “Where do you think we should put it?” And she was like, “What do you think we should say to the student body? What did you think they need to hear for them to want to use the service?” So, it felt like they’re really listening to youth when they’re putting this whole program together. And I mean, WIHI has always done that. The Corner has always done that. So, it’s just so awesome to see both of them come together.
Rylee Barnsdale: Were there any specific concerns or things that students wanted to address as part of these services now coming to the school and being maybe more visible and more accessible?
Hasini Anand: A lot of people–they wanted to know what the school and this program could do. So, a lot of people are like, “Oh, they can’t give out like normal medication and stuff. They can’t give out insulin if you have diabetes. But knowing that, if you’re sick, you can go to the nurse, and they can prescribe you something to take. And then, if you needed to see a therapist, you can go there. And just kind of knowing what services are there and also knowing that if there are services that you can’t get right there, they can always refer you to The Corner Health Center or they can refer you to other services. It’s not just what they can give you in the building.
Rylee Barnsdale: This is WEMU’s On the Ground Ypsi. I’m Rylee Barnsdale, talking with Corner Health Youth Leadership Council president Hasini Anand about some expanding initiatives over at the Corner. Hasini, I’m curious about what interested you in taking on this kind of role and position. I mean, you mentioned the WIHI principal kind of bringing you along into this initiative in this program as well. But what is in it for you? Where does this passion come from for student health and wellness and advocacy?
Hasini Anand: So, I got involved with the Corner in September 2020. So, that was in the middle of the pandemic.
Rylee Barnsdale: Oh, yeah!
Hasini Anand: Yeah! So, we were all at home, and I was just looking to meet people and kind of have this shared community because we were all at home. So, I started going to these Zoom meetings once a week and I was like, “Wait! This is actually really, really cool. We get to meet all these people who all have the same interests in a field that I didn’t even know existed at the time.” So, I guess just like going there and honestly, they’re the coolest people ever. It’s just so fun to be there. And so, we’ve just done so many different initiatives, like we’ve done workshops and created infographics and notecards and presented at conferences. And it’s just so, so cool to kind of be able to spread that word. I know the last project that we did were making academic advocacy booklets and goodie bags to give to high school freshmen, since they’re going to a new school that’s probably bigger. And I remember we were like assembling them, and we were all just kind of like in an assembly line. And we were doing this and really, this is kind of taking so long. And I remember one of us stopped and we were just like, “If this helps just one person, and if one person reaches out to a therapist or if one person advocates for themselves to their teacher, this could change someone’s like high school experience!” Even that was super motivating for us. A lot of the stuff that we do is pretty like project-based, so you can kind of see the impact that you’re making. And I know that that’s just so motivating for us.
Rylee Barnsdale: Are there these pieces of knowledge or education that you’ve received through your work with the Corner that you see immediately being implemented now at WIHI through this wellness center in this additional program that you’re a part of? I mean, it sounds like you’re a really busy student! But I’m curious about how those how those worlds are kind of overlapping for you and what expertise you’re bringing to the table in that way.
Hasini Anand: I’ve always felt WIHI has very similar inclusivity and openness to student input that the Corner has too. I know, in every single process that WIHI does, there’s always students involved. So, I already knew that this partnership would be amazing, and I knew that they would bring students on. I didn’t know it would be me. But, yeah, I know they’ve included students in every single step of the way. I think the main thing that they’re looking to students for is to know what are topics that you want us to do? Are there any educational? Do you want us to hold an event in the gym or for people to know or information that we should send out to families? What are the most pressing topics to youth? And that’s kind of what they wanted to know from us and then also just how to get that word out to people. So, I think that that’s the main thing that they’re reaching out to youth for.
Rylee Barnsdale: This is WEMU’s On the Ground Ypsi. I’m talking with Hasini Anand, Corner Health Youth Leadership Council President and board member at WIHI’s Wellness Center. So, Hasini, over the past four years, as I’m sure you’re well aware, mental health and mental wellness have become a much more widely discussed issue. But there is still that kind of stigma that comes along with asking for help when it comes to a mental health struggle. Is that stigma something that you have discussed with other WIHI students and with your partners at the Corner?
Hasini Anand: Yeah! We talk about the stigma all the time because all we want to do is break it, right? So, I think that we’ve definitely made pretty good progress, I think, towards kind of breaking that stigma. Honestly, I kind of say sometimes that we’ve kind of almost went a 180 with the stigma where it kind of becomes we talk about it so much, it’s almost like we romanticize mental illness in a way. And I feel like that that kind of comes up sometimes. We’ve done presentations about that with the Corner. But I think what that ends up doing. And I feel like it makes it harder for people to want to reach out because then it feels like, “Oh! Now everyone’s talking about it and everyone’s glamorizing it and making it sound like it’s so cool to be depressed. And now it feels like, “I don’t want to reach out for help because it feels like, oh, it’s not something that I need to reach out for help.” I should be happy because it’s a cool thing. So, I think that that makes it really hard for people. And so, kind of breaking that a little bit and kind of striking that balance in the middle. So, I think it’s also like a generational thing.
Rylee Barnsdale: Sure.
Hasini Anand: So, I think finding that balance in the middle of how can we approach this topic appropriately, so everyone can get the help that they need without judgment.
Rylee Barnsdale: And that’s something, I’m assuming, is a part of this new program at WIHI, as well as having those mental health services immediately available to students.
Hasini Anand: Yeah! The process that we’re trying to do is we’re trying to make it a little bit more discreet for people to be able to use those services, like they’re coming in through the office, instead of going in through a specific door to go to the therapist’s office. So, we’re trying to make it feel a bit more approachable to people and feel like they don’t have to be embarrassed about that.
Rylee Barnsdale: And the hope with this program–is it’s something just to make students more well-aware of these resources and reduce that stigma? Or is there maybe something even beyond that kind of goal?
Hasini Anand: Yeah! Honestly, I think our primary goal is just to get more support and get more therapists and social workers in the building. But beyond that, I think that we are trying to do a bit more education for students. I know vaping and substance use is a really big issue with students. It’s just getting bigger and bigger. And I think having educational talks about that could be really helpful or just having more of those resources out there for students and more supports, because I think that I feel like students, the only time that they ever get some substance use education is in a health class. And people don’t want to pay attention in a health class. So, I think it’s more helpful to kind of have more people kind of helping you and kind of telling you.
Rylee Barnsdale: Well, thank you so much for being here, Hasini! We really appreciate the insight, and I know that I’m looking forward to seeing how this program really plays out and hopefully really help some students out!
Hasini Anand: Yeah, I do, too!
Rylee Barnsdale: For more information on today’s topic and links to the full article, visit our website at wemu.org. On the Ground Ypsi is brought to you in partnership with Concentrate Media. I’m Rylee Barnsdale, and this is your community NPR station, 89 one WEMU FM Ypsilanti.
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