Social workers' hours being cut back at local schools
Dan Gray says wait times too long for counselling services in schools and the community
Social workers are being cut from both local school boards and that's having a direct effect on kids and their mental health, say staff and students..
There's now a call for more support as more students seek help for mental health issues, according to guidance counsellor Dan Gray, who is the head of the guidance department at Vincent Massey Secondary School in Windsor.
"It's very challenging and frustrating at times," said Gray. "We want to get these students help and sometimes can't get the help. It's out there, but it's just that [social workers are] so busy and the wait times are tough."
I've attempted suicide eight times since I started in Grade 4.- Katryna Rupert, Grade 12 student, Vincent Massey Secondary School
Social worker visits cut in half at Vincent Massey
Gray told CBC News a social worker visits the school half a day each week, which is down from one day a week last year.
The Greater Essex County District School Board told CBC News each high school is allotted two half days per week, although none of the schedules are "etched in stone."
Social worker visits are flexible, depending on various factors including school size, the board said.
Gray has also referred students to social services in the community, where wait times have also been long.
"I had already been cutting since I was 13 years old," said Grade 12 student Samantha Girardin. "It was getting worse. It got to the point where my life was becoming a danger."
Girardin had to wait to see the school social worker.
"I called for six months trying to get in to some counseling or youth groups," said Girardin. "I never really got a call back. I've tried to call. Gone in. I tried to get my friends to talk to their own counsellors."
She then attempted suicide, and still had to wait for resources in the community.
"Had I gotten support earlier, had it not taken so long, I might not have attempted suicide," said Girardin. "I might have gotten better sooner. I feel like things could have been much different."
Her friend, Katryna Rupert, also faced similar wait times for her depression.
"I was bullied since Grade 1," said Rupert. "I was self harming. I've attempted suicide eight times since I started in Grade 4. It was very frustrating for me. I knew I needed help. I knew I needed to change my ways or else I wouldn't be here right now, graduating high school."
Future implications
More teenagers are seeking mental health support, which is a pressing issue now, but have implications for the future.
"If you don't have enough school social workers, teachers don't have enough tools to support the kids in the classroom and the families of the kids in the classroom," according to Brent Angell, social worker and past director of social work at the University of Windsor. "Therefore, kids aren't going to get the same quality of education they should because the teachers are taken off task."
In the last few years, the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board has cut social workers in schools all together.
The Greater Essex County District School Board decided not to fill a vacant social worker position.
The public board told CBC News it receives funding from the province in the form of a "portion" of a grant to support non-teaching roles, including social workers, which amounts to $200,000 each year.
It emphasized the well-being of students is a priority.