Students and faculty in Nixa Public Schools now have 24/7 access to mental health support through a new district-provided app.
The district partnered with Counslr, a texting-only service that connects users to licensed counselors. The service is available to students in grades seven through 12 and to faculty across NPS.
Dr. Ashley Copley, director of student services and federal programs, said district administration chose Counslr over other mental health apps, because it connects users directly to licensed counselors.
Aside from texting, Counslr offers a wellness toolkit with resources on nutrition, sleep, relaxation and habits in general.
“They track when students access it, so we can see how people are using the tools,” Dr. Jared Webster, executive director of secondary education, said.
The district receives monthly reports that show aggregated data that doesn’t identify individual users.
“We know 46 people have signed up for the app,” Webster said. “We get a report of how many have access.”
Alongside the number of users, the reports also track the topics discussed on the app.
“Some session topics that came up in the months past: academic concerns, relationships, anxiety, sleep issues, online social media usage,” Copley said. “Then just stress in general.”
To sign up for the service, students use their school email address.
“When the student signs up for it, they have to put their parents in there, and that provides that safety net,” Webster said. “If there’s something really concerning going on, they’ll reach out to the parent.”
While parents must approve a student’s use of the app, they cannot directly see the student’s messages.
Webster said Counslr is a good resource. However, it’s not intended to replace in-person counseling.
“The goal is to have this be a tool in your back pocket, not something you wait to use until you’re already in crisis,” Webster said.
Understanding the difference between a crisis and everyday stress helps students determine which resources to use.
“To me, a crisis would be I’m feeling suicidal, or I feel like I want to hurt myself or hurt somebody else,” Nixa High School social worker Jennifer Finke said.
If a student is in the middle of a crisis, Finke said they should call the 988 number.
Students can use the app outside of school hours, when they might not have a trusted adult nearby, Finke said.
“Some people do live in homes where they don’t feel like they count on anybody, but I would definitely take advantage of it then,” Finke said. “Breaks are really hard for some people. So being able to have that resource could be good.”
Regina Hower, a NHS social worker, said students should use the mental health resources available at Nixa, including the district’s new counselor app.
“Try to take advantage of every resource that you have because you have many resources here at school and the school is actively trying to find more resources,” Hower said.
