Supplied from Motueka High School students
We are senior health students at Motueka High School and we are advocating for more funding for mental health services in our school.
The school receives a limited amount of funding from the Ministry of Education to finance the counselling at our school.
In addition, Motueka High is grateful for the current generous private funders who provide additional funding for our mental health service.
The funding from the government and the private funding that our school gets is still not enough to meet the demand for the counselling needs of students.
Motueka High School is calling on the community to help with further funding for mental health services. We have seen a high demand for counselling hours that cannot currently be met.
Last year 211 students were seen by counsellors at our school. This is over one quarter of all our students. The current wait time for a student to see a counsellor may range between two weeks and three months.
Right now, there are 17 students on the wait list. When a counsellor starts working with a student they will prioritise this student, meeting with them regularly and seeing them for as long as they need. A counsellor only has the capacity to work with a limited number of students to ensure each gets what they need.
The mental health service is crucial as it gives young people the guidance they need to cope with stress, anxiety, depression and other emotional challenges - issues that are increasingly common among youth.
Without access to mental health support by counsellors, students suffer silently which could lead to a lack of academic performance, social withdrawal and serious mental health issues.
At schools like ours, counsellors are playing an important role in creating a safe and supportive environment where students feel heard and less alone with their problems.
Our school counsellors provide more than just individual support, they help create a safe, inclusive and understanding school environment.
The state of mental health in New Zealand has declined. According to the 2021/22 New Zealand Health Survey, nearly one in four (23.6 per cent) young people aged 15–24 years experienced high or very high levels of psychological distress, up from 11 per cent in 2020.
The 2022/23 survey reported that 52.5 per cent of young people aged 15-24 experienced struggles with mental health.
We are seeking generous funders who are passionate about supporting youth to increase our supply of counsellors at Motueka High School. Donations between $23k and $112k would provide between five to 25 hours weekly of counselling for our students.
If you have the means and the passion to help, please contact julie.marshall@motuekahigh.school.nz
