AREA.
>> Rhonda: THANK YOU, KIM.
THIS MORNING, WE WOULD LIKE TO
SHOW YOU A UNIQUE APPROACH TO
DEALING WITH MENTAL HEALTH
STRUGGLES IN CHILDREN.
>> Jason: A PROGRAM AT CLARKSTON
HIGH SCHOOL CALLED REAL TALK.
AS OUR NICK MONACELLI EXPLAINS,
IT’S MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE IN
A VERY DIFFERENT KIND OF WAY.
>> YOU WIN, YAY!
I HAVEN’T SEEN THE CHAIR.
>> Nick: IF I WERE TO TELL YOU
THIS IS THE FUTURE OF MENTAL
HEALTH TALKS IN OUR SCHOOLS --
>> MOVE IF YOU ARE A SENIOR.
LET’S GO SENIORS, SET THE TONE.
SET THE TONE.
>> Nick: YOU’LL PROBABLY HAVE A
LOT OF QUESTIONS.
>> RUN!
RUN, I SAID RUN!
>> Nick: WHICH IS GOOD.
>> WE’LL TALK.
>> Nick: THIS IS A GROUP OF
SOPHOMORES, JUNIORS AND SENIORS,
WHO SIGNED UP FOR REAL TALK.
>> WE CALL IT REAL TALK BECAUSE
BASICALLY YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT
REAL THINGS, REAL LIFE SCENARIOS
AND REAL RAW THINGS THEY DON’T
GET A CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE OR
TALK ABOUT IN THE CLASSROOM.
>> Nick: AT FIRST, IT DOESN’T
SEEM REAL FOR A REASON.
>> GET SET, GO!
>> Nick: IT’S AN ICE BREAKER,
BRINGING THE MOST INTENSE GAME
OF ROCK PAPER SCISSORS YOU’LL
EVER SEE BECAUSE SOME OF THE
MOST INTENSE CONVERSATIONS ARE
JUST MINUTES AWAY.
>> ONCE WE GO INTO OUR ROOMS, IT
CAN GET SERIOUS, AND YOU’RE WITH
A BUNCH OF KIDS YOU MAY HAVE
NEVER KNOWN.
>> Nick: AND WOULD THEY BE
COMFORTABLE HAVING A MENLTSDZ
HEALTH DISCUSSION WITH A
STRANGER?
OF COURSE NOT.
THAT’S WHY THEY SPEND HOURS
DOING THIS FIRST.
>> IT’S TRYING TO GET EACH OTHER
COMFORTABLE, DOING WEIRD THINGS,
SO THEN WE GET COMFORTABLE
AROUND EACH OTHER.
>> ARE YOU READY?
>> Nick: RACHEL VICKERS IS ONE
OF THE COORDINATORS AND SAID
MENTAL HEALTH STILL HAS A STIGMA
UNTIL YOU PUT KIDS IN A ROOM
TALKING ABOUT EVERYDAY
STRUGGLES.
>> RANGING FROM THINGS THAT
HAPPEN AT HOME TO STRESS AND
ANXIETY AROUND SCHOOL, SPORTS,
DRUGS, ALCOHOL.
>> Nick: AND THEY REALIZE THEIR
STRUGGLES ARE NOT UNIQUE AND
SHOULDN’T FEEL ALONE.
>> STUDENTS FIND THEIR VOICE AND
SUPPORT EACH OTHER.
>> Nick: IT’S LED BY COACHES,
TEACHERS AND MORE, AND IT LASTS
ALL DAY.
>> I’M NOT GOING THROUGH THIS
ALONE.
ALL MY OTHER PEERS ARE GOING
THROUGH THE SAME THING.
>> Nick: THEY’RE BOTH SENIORS
WHO HAVE COME TO SEVERAL REAL
TALKS, AND EVERY TIME THEY GET
SOMETHING ELSE OUT OF IT.
>> IT’S A GOOD CONVERSATION
BECAUSE YOU REALIZE IT’S OKAY TO
BREAK YOUR GUARD DOWN AND TALK
TO PEOPLE.
PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO TALK TO
PEOPLE AND GO OUT OF THEIR WAY
AND NEED HELP AND WANT TO DO IT
THEMSELVES.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST
EVENTS SCHOOLS NEED TO DO
BECAUSE IT’S OKAY TO ASK FOR
HELP.
>> Nick: THEY ADMIT MENTAL
HEALTH IS SOMETHING TEENS RARELY
DISCUSS, BUT MAYBE IT’S NOT
BECAUSE THEY DON’T WANT TO, IT’S
BECAUSE THEY DON’T KNOW HOW OR
WHERE.
THAT’S WHAT REAL TALK IS FOR.
>> IT MAKES GOING TO SCHOOL
EVERY DAY MUCH EASIER FOR MANY
KIDS THAT HAVE COME AND THEY’VE
THANKED US FOR HOSTING THIS
PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY HAVE
SOMEONE IN SCHOOL, AND MORE
SUPPORT AT SCHOOL AND FEEL MORE
COMFORTABLE COMING EVERY DAY AND
KNOW PEOPLE CARE ABOUT ME.
>> WHEN WE STARTED THIS EVENT
YEARS AGO, OUR WORRY IS THAT
WHEN THEY SHOW THESE EMOTIONAL
TOPICS WITH THEIR PEERS THAT
THERE WOULD BE RUMORS BEING
SPREAD OR STUDENTS WOULD BE
LOOKED AT DIFFERENTLY.
AND ACTUALLY THE COMPLETE
OPPOSITE HAS HAPPENED.
IT’S A MIRACULOUS THING, THEY
RESONATE TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AND
ATTRACT ONE ANOTHER IN THE
HALLWAYS, LOTS OF HIGH-FIVES AND
HUGS AND FRIENDSHIPS THAT HAVE
BLOSSOMED.
>> Nick: AND IT’S NOT JUST THE
TEACHERS SAYING THAT.
THE FRIENDSHIPS BLOSSOM AND THE
STUDENTS WERE TELLING ME THE
SAME THING, THAT THEY DO SEE A
DIFFERENCE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY
WHEN THEY GET BACK TO SCHOOL.
AND I CAN TELL YOU, JASON AND
RHONDA, EVEN THE TWO OF US, THE
PHOTOGRAPHER, MIKE AND I, WHEN
WE WENT TO THE SCHOOL, WE WERE
LOOKING AT EACH OTHER LIKE, WHAT
IS GOING ON AROUND HERE?
THIS IS NOT A MENTAL HEALTH
DISCUSSION.
AND THEN YOU REALIZE WHAT’S
HAPPENING AND WHAT’S HAPPENING
IN THOSE ROOMS.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THE KIDS
BREAK OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE
AND START TO CRY WITH EACH OTHER
AND IT SEEMS TO WORK.
>> Rhonda: AND THAT’S SOMETHING
KIDS NEED NOW MORE THAN EVER AND
WHEN YOU TALK TO KIDS AND TALK
TO PARENTS, MENTAL HEALTH IS A
BIG CONCERN.
IS IT JUST AT CLARKSTON OR ARE
THERE OTHER SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, TOO?
>> Nick: THEY MODELED IT AFTER
LAKE ORION HIGH SCHOOL AND
HAVEN’T SEEN MUCH MORE OF IT AND
HOPE OTHER SCHOOLS TAKE NOTE AND
TAKE IT FURTHER.
>> Rhonda: I’M SURE THEY WILL.