September is Suicide Prevention Month and Mr. Ky Dietz’s psychology classes again hung posters around the school to spread awareness.

The goal was to let students know that they have someone to talk to, and encourage students to check in with their friends, and be someone to talk to. “The whole idea was to let all the new faces in the school know about the resources that the school provides, like counselors or Safe 2 Tell. Making sure students who are struggling with mental issues themselves, are aware of the options they have to seek help,” Dietz explained.

Mental health is an ever-growing issue especially among high school students. Something as simple as a poster could be the factor that means a student who needs help gets that help from a counselor, or a friend checking in on them. 

The posters have also made Dietz’s psychology students passionate about making sure people know that mental health is a real issue in schools today. Sophomore Mayrin Rascon said, “It’s a big deal that should be talked about because not many students know how to deal with mental health issues, and they should get help. They should feel safe in school and instead of being scared to get help. They should feel motivated because as a school we are encouraging them to get help.”

Junior, Deduin Duarte, said that he noticed the posters and that he personally would feel comfortable talking to someone from the school, but that not everyone can be expected to want to share with professionals just because of the posters. “Some people don’t want to get help because they feel trapped by their own thoughts. They just don’t wanna talk to anyone,” Duarte said.