Fayetteville-Manlius School District students, parents/guardians, employees and community members now have access to a new mental health communication tool. A Mental Health Referral button has been added to F-M’s Let’s Talk! online platform, a web-based, two-way communication tool that allows anyone to share concerns or questions with district administration at any time.
The Mental Health Referral button allows individuals to self-report or report concerns about a student’s or faculty/staff member’s wellness or safety. The submission form requests users to provide their contact information and to identify themselves as a student, parent/guardian, employee or community member; however, anonymous submissions will be accepted.
F-M High School students in Suicide Awareness for Everyone (SAFE) Club, a group that works toward ending the stigma surrounding mental health, and broadcast journalism classes, proposed the concept of creating a button within Let’s Talk! for mental health concerns and referrals. As the district continues its efforts to support students’ emotional and mental health, administrators collaborated with students during the development phase leading up to the launch of the new mental health button.
Let’s Talk! also includes a Tip Line button, which can be used to report instances of bullying, cyber-bullying and safety concerns, as well as a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives button, which can be used to submit comments or questions about the district’s DEI work.
Mental Health Referral submissions are monitored during school hours only. If an individual is in need of immediate mental health support, please call 911 or 988, the suicide and crisis lifeline. Additional resources for support are available and should be utilized for emergency assistance.