AA
ccording to the
Center for Dis-
ease Control
and Prevention,
COVID-19 affects adolescents
both directly and indirectly.
Beyond becoming physically
ill from the virus, their social
well-being and mental health
have been adversely affected by
the pandemic. Furthermore, 29
percent of parents report that
their child is “already experi-
encing harm” to their mental
health because of social dis-
tancing, according to Gallup.
At Pali, a team of seven
mental health practitioners has
been working to support stu-
dents and their families during
this unprecedented time.
Pali’s Mental Health Team
has been “extraordinarily busy,”
according to Ariel Schoolsky,
licensed clinician, as the need
for their services has been com-
pounded by the coronavirus
pandemic. Schoolsky said that
she and the rest of the Mental
Health Team are commit-
ted to providing a safe place
for Pali students to be “seen,
heard, loved and cared for.”
Assistant Principal Mary
Bush presides over the student
support services at Pali. She
oversees mental health, psycho-
logical services and programs
for students with disabilities.
“This is an amazing team,”
Bush said. “I feel so grate-
ful and fortunate that Pali
supports mental health. Our
board, student body, faculty
and administration has allowed
this program to develop, which
is what brought these won-
derful people to our school.”
When Ruth Horwitz be-
gan working at Pali in 2015, she
was the only psychiatric social
worker. She is now joined by
Corrinne Ols, an intern, and
Lynn Lim, a former Pali
graduate who returned towork at the school this year.
“I want to be a cheerleader
for kids,” Lim stated. “You are
not alone. We are all in this
together.” Since its inception
in 2012, the Pali mental health
program has expanded to in-
clude a variety of services, part-
nerships and collaborations.
Currently, the team partners
with the National Alliance of
Mental Health, which visits
classrooms to destigmatize
mental illness; Our House
Grief Group, which provides
grief support services; the Los
Angeles County Department
of Mental Health, which of-
fers therapy to qualified stu-dents; and the University of
California, Los Angeles Rape
Treatment Center, which pro-
vides support for students who
are survivors of sexual assault.
Students can access these
services by asking their aca-
demic counselor or a trusted
adult at school for a refer-
ral. The Pali Mental Health
Team meets biweekly to re-
view the referrals and provide
support to these students.
In addition, weekly social
hours and support groups
provide practical support to
students and their families.
Lupita Gutierrez, a schoolpsychologist, is bilingual
and is beginning a mindful-
ness group this semester,
called “Make it Mindful.”
According to Gutier-
rez, “You will have a safe
space to practice mindful-
ness and leave with strate-
gies to practice at any time.”
Working alongside Guti-
errez is Evelyn Alfaro, a psy-
chiatric social worker who is
particularly motivated to help
serve Pali’s Latinx community.
Alfaro, a Latina herself, said
she is eager to destigmatize
mental issues in her community.
“Back when I was in school,
I felt that I didn’t have support,”she said. “I’m very excited to be
here and be a positive influence
on the students I work with.”
The Pali Mental Health
Team website, which was
developed amid the pandem-
ic, serves not only as a virtu-
al therapy office but also as
a place where students can
find additional resources they
need. The Pali Mental Health
Team is constantly trying to
revamp the website to better
serve the needs of students
and their families, Alfaro said.
The team offered words
of wisdom to Pali students.
“Mental health is not some-thing to be ashamed about,”
Bush said. “We all have peri-
ods in our life where we strug-
gle, and this time has been
one of the hardest. You have
dealt with fires, COVID-19,
riots and social unrest. I can’t
imagine how hard it must
be, especially as a student.”
Schoolsky echoed her col-
leagues. “We all have to be a lit-
tle bit of our own superheroes,
and that includes self-care, self-
love and compassion towards
yourself and others,” she said.
“There’s a lot of care, love and
support. We, the Pali Mental
Health Team, are a unified
voice to say you are not alone.”TidelineTideline