Peer power

Once, Ida Crown Jewish Academy alumna Batsheva Stadlan had been full of life and sparkle. Then, nearly seven years ago, as her parents Rabbi Marianne Novak and Dr. Noam Stadlan explained, “her very essence was no match for her anxiety and depression, coupled with an eating disorder, that tragically caused her to take her own life.”

Batsheva was not alone in her struggle. Teens nationwide have experienced major increases in depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. To help these struggling youths, many schools have ensured that dedicated counselors or therapists are on staff.

Yet, a recent BBYO survey found that adults are not the people teens are most likely to turn to for support.

When asked whom they seek support from when stressed, upset, anxious, or experiencing challenges, 79 percent of teens responded that they seek out their friends first, followed by 64 percent who turn to family members. Sadly, 11 percent reported they have no one to turn to. This important finding indicates that teens are overwhelmingly turning to their peers in challenging times, and that their peers, in turn, have a tremendous opportunity to help.

How to best harness the power of peers? The Prizmah Teen Mental Health Club Playbook — dedicated in Batsheva’s memory–addresses that very topic. Available as a free downloadable resource, the book walks readers through the process of starting a student-led mental health club at any Jewish day school.

What makes these clubs effective? Peer-to-peer (P2P) programs affect school culture and climate in many ways: Successful P2P programs empower students to make a meaningful difference, differentiate truth from myth when it comes to mental health, and disavow stigma.

Perhaps most important, a P2P club offers students permission to ask for help. In a school culture where teens are routinely making presentations on these topics, mental health challenges and illness become destigmatized, allowing struggling students to feel comfortable to reach out to club members for help.

Large national organizations fund the clubs. School clubs can choose to become an offshoot of organizations like Bring Change to Mind or the Winnetka-based Erika’s Lighthouse.

Several Chicago-area clubs partner with local Jewish mental health organizations such as No Shame on U or Upward Community. No Shame on U “is dedicated to eliminating the stigma associated with mental health”– so that people who need the help will seek it, and loved ones will know how to provide support– and to saving lives. They offer customized presentations on mental health and enable teens to create mental-health projects.

Upward Community exists “to support students and parents in becoming emotionally healthy individuals” through three avenues: prevention, enrichment, and intervention. Prevention takes the form of a social-emotional curriculum, taught in numerous Chicago-area Jewish high schools. Enrichment programs include teen supervised lounge opportunities and a basketball league. Intervention is conducted through a highly subsidized counseling center

To learn more about the Prizmah Teen Mental Health Club Playbook, visit tinyurl.com/Teen-Mental-Health-Playbook.

Olivia Friedman is a Judaic Studies teacher at Ida Crown Jewish Academy. She is also the creator of the Parsha for Kids podcast, geared toward ages seven and up.