Rochester students and parents unite to discuss mental health and substance abuse issues

Rochester, N.Y. (WHAM) — In the wake of a tragic loss, students and parents gathered Saturday to address mental health challenges and substance abuse.

Co-hosts Shahmir Ellis, Styhles Mckenzie-Baker, Marcus Freeman, and Dajuan Jackson want their classmates and their families to know: “It’s OK not to be OK.”

Their initiative, in partnership with the City of Rochester and Rochester City School District, follows the death of a School of the Arts student last month.

BACKGROUND:Community unites in prayer after 15-year-old Rochester student’s death | Girl, 15, dies after falling from Rochester’s School of the Arts | Community prayer service aims to highlight support for youth following SOTA student death | Putting pain to purpose: Youth mental health help available in Rochester

Freeman, an RCSD student, emphasized the importance of addressing mental health issues early.

“I mean — that’s where it starts — in high school,” he said. “You got your peer pressure on you. There’s a lot of stuff going on. It’s also good to have a lot of resources so that anybody can branch out. Nobody really holding that in. That’s where it starts. People holding that in.”

Students and family members discussed their perspectives on mental health challenges and substance abuse in a forum setting, with panel discussions and breakout sessions.

Mayor Malik Evans emphasized the importance of collaboration with parents.

“Remember, adults are also dealing with mental health issues or mental health challenges, or have comments about mental health, and a lot of that starts when you’re young, right?” Evans said.

A youth risk behavior survey conducted by Monroe County during the 2023-24 school year revealed that 34 percent of participating students reported difficulties due to mental health challenges.

Evans stressed the importance of collaboration in addressing these issues.

“Cooperation and coordination are absolutely critical in order to deal with this important issue that is facing not just Rochester, not just this country, but the world,” he said. “I submit to you that mental health is the No. 1 issue that we have right now in this country.”

Organizers highlighted resources for people in crisis, such as the free and confidential 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Services including Teen Empowerment, The Center for Youth, Pathways to Peace, Planned Parenthood, and BreatheDeep, Inc., were also available at the event.

“If one person takes that step and talks about how they feel, it’ll make the community want to step up and talk about how they feel,” Mckenzie-Baker said. “So everybody plays a part.”

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