Rochester leaders urge parents to step up for youth emotional health

Rochester city officials and mental health advocates are calling on parents and caregivers to build deeper connections with their children this school year.

The goal is to expand students’ emotional support networks and intervene before a crisis.

“If you spend time with your children, you get to know them, it’s easy to recognize the signs of things when they're different,” said Christine Richards, director of school based mental health education at BreatheDeep. The non-profit partners with city schools and recreation centers to identify and address youth trauma.

Parents need to be actively engaging with their children, Richards said, adding that the adult in the room doesn’t have to know the answer to a teen or child’s problem, but they do need to be open to listening.

“A lot of our young people are looking for someone to talk to, someone to just listen,” she said. “And as adults, if we take that time and just let them have the floor, don't always answer, but just listen to not to respond, but listen to understand. They will share with you so many more things.”

Family members also have a critical role in advocating for children and picking up on signs that they may be struggling, she said.

“If there's a loss of friends, if there's a loss of self-confidence, if all of a sudden they don't want to go to school,” she said, "if you're noticing any physical bruising or things that may be different physically about your child, I need you to please take heed to that.”

That may be particularly poignant this school year for preteens and teens in Rochester schools. Many are entering newly configured middle and high schools after several buildings closed and various schools relocated.

That disruption, a result of declining enrollment and a decision to establish separate buildings for each school, means that some students are stepping into the unknown on day one.

Rochester Mayor Malik Evans warned that it’s imperative to reach any student who show signs of distress or trauma in ways that are supportive and proactive, not simply punishing them when they do wrong.

“A lot of what looks like misbehavior sometimes is a call for help,” Evans said. “The vast majority (of students) are doing the right thing. But we still have to make sure we zero in on the folks who are having these challenges.”

An official with the city’s violence prevention office, Zequa Tookes, said that some students are showing signs of distress by joining gangs and engaging in risky behaviors. Evans said in cases like that, parents can intervene in ways that law enforcement can’t.

“Parents, you don't need a warrant to go in and check your kids rooms, check their book bags and check what they're wearing," Evans said. “So it's important that we always remind parents to make sure that you are in tune with what your kids are doing.”

Another way to help teens and children cope with emotional distress, trauma and even complex PTSD, is with recreation and recreational therapy . Starting Monday, R-centers will be offering fall programming that includes extracurricular activities.

Evans encouraged adults to call 311 for help finding resources for struggling students. The mental health crisis hotline 988 is also available 24/7.