BALTIMORE — Prioritizing your mental health matters at all levels. For high school students, it's especially important as we get ready to go back to school.
Nikole Benders-Hadi, the Chief Medical Officer at Talkspace, says teenagers are enduring a mental health crisis. That is why Talkspace, a leading virtual behavioral healthcare company, is offering free help to any high school student attending Baltimore County Public Schools.
"Teenagers across the country are facing rising rates of stress of anxiety, depression, thoughts of suicide," says Benders-Hadi.
Talkspace provides therapy and access to various mental health services online. Its goal is to help people live happier and healthier lives.
The partnership with BCPS initially began in December 2023.
"So all 32,000 students there in Baltimore County now have access to our high-quality messaging therapy services, as well as other self-guided evidence-based mental health resources," says Benders-Hadi.
She says many students these days show signs of clinical conditions like anxiety and depression, but they are also here to help students before it gets to that point.
"We also are seeing teens come in reporting that they want to improve their communication skills or they want to be their best selves when they just wanna get something off their chest," says Benders-Hadi.
Talkspace wants its services to be accessible.
"Our goal was to meet students where they were, on their phones, as communicating with their with their peers anyway. So we really aim to make it easier and that way," says Benders-Hadi.
One Baltimore County high school may really be in need this year.
Recent Franklin High School graduate Jaja Williams died in early July in a UTV accident, and just last week, 16-year-old Leslie Noble died after a medical emergency on the football field.
Two losses that could have a lasting effect on classmates.
"Our therapist would be able to assist by helping a teens walk through coping mechanisms, relaxation techniques, even how to communicate with their family or theipeers,rs or other folks at school to advocate for themselves and for additional support if that's really something that they're in need of," says Benders-Hadi.
Parents or children interested in services can click here.