Pentucket Regional School District Enters Partnerships to Provide Student Mental Health Support, Training
WEST NEWBURY – Superintendent Justin Bartholomew is pleased to announce that the Pentucket Regional School District will partner with two non-profit organizations to increase the District’s focus on supporting students’ mental health.
The KyleCares Foundation and The Jed Foundation will provide programs and resources to help educate students, caregivers, faculty and staff, and engage students as peer mentors.
The JED Foundation will provide Pentucket with expert strategic analysis, planning, and resources to ensure the District has effective evidence-based supports in place for Pentucket Regional High School students through its JED High School program.
Funding will support a three-year program at the High School.
KyleCares works closely with high schools and colleges to help create a school culture where students and their caregivers have the confidence to seek help with mental health issues, without shame or hesitation.
“As a school community we’ve seen an increase in the number of students who need mental health support, which has been exacerbated by the pandemic,” Superintendent Bartholomew said. “In partnering with KyleCares and The Jed Foundation, we will have access to high-quality assistance and programming, and remove stigmas that will allow each student to reach their full potential.”
“We are thrilled to partner with the Pentucket Regional School District and welcome Pentucket Regional High School as our 14th JED High School to join the fall 2023 Massachusetts cohort,” said Dr. Tony Walker, Senior Vice President of Academic Programs. “We salute the District’s commitment to lean into this critical work to normalize the conversation around youth mental health and suicide prevention by building sustainable systems, and to ultimately create a community of care for all students.”
Pentucket is the first school district north of Boston to partner with KyleCares. It is named for Kyle Johnson, a teenager from North Attleborough who struggled with mental health issues and made the unfortunate decision to take his own life.
“Mental illness, suicidal ideation, and completed suicides are rising at alarming rates for teens and young adults. There is no greater issue needing attention for teens in the U.S. today than supporting their mental health,” said KyleCares President/Co-Founder Jim Johnson, Kyle’s father. “It is encouraging to see the Pentucket Regional School District taking proactive measures to address their students’ needs in hopes of preventing a crisis from occurring.”
“Our KyleCares partnership with The Jed Foundation allows us to confidently lead every conversation we have with schools by first recommending JED’s evidence-based approach as a critical, impactful roadmap for high schools to follow. They are one of the most highly respected organizations in the country when it comes to supporting the social and emotional well-being of teens and young adults.”
Superintendent Bartholomew wishes to recognize Assistant Superintendent Brent Conway for his work and leadership on this initiative.
About The JED Foundation
The Jed Foundation (JED) is a leading nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. JED’s signature programs, JED High School and JED Campus, have helped more than 500 high schools, colleges, and universities nationwide create a safety net for students by improving mental health and lowering suicide risk. Twenty-six Massachusetts high schools are currently part of the JED High School program.
JED partners with these high schools to assess community needs, develop a customized strategic plan to build on existing strengths, and implement tools, strategies, and techniques that lead to measurable improvements in student mental health and a more connected community.
About the KyleCares Foundation
The KyleCares Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting open and honest communication about the mental health challenges teens and young adults face in today’s society. Its goal is to financially assist high schools and colleges with the implementation of mental health awareness and suicide prevention programs to better support their students.
