TAMPA, Fla. — Mort Elementary School and Aetna are teaming up to help kids deal with mental health issues.
They made the big announcement Tuesday morning, along with a check presentation.
“Today is a wonderful day,” said Dr. Dustin Krein with the Children’s Home Society of Florida.
Both Mort and Aetna are making history by becoming the first school to provide this kind of mental health resource in the state.
“This is tremendously needed,” Krein said. “Our students are dealing with an array of issues going on.’
One in six children ages 2 to 8 has a diagnosed mental behavioral developmental disorder, according to the Children’s Home Society of Florida.
In the state, about 400,000 children are dealing with mental health issues. According to experts, less than half of those students have access to the services they need. Sadly, without the help, some turn to self-harm or suicide.
“I know what it’s like to be there,” said Tiffany Mills.
Mills works in the medical field, and she’s a suicide prevention advocate. She also deals with severe depression, PTSD, and anxiety.
“I attempted suicide five times,” she said. “ A few times, I fully attempted. I did not succeed. I would wake up in the hospital and would be very sick. Other times, I would start and then stop because of music or my children.”
She said her life would be much different if she had access to the mental health resources students at Mort will now have access to.
Mills hopes to see other schools across the Bay Area, state, and country do the same.
"I think it's really important to bring awareness to kids,” she said. “They need to understand how important it is to have a safe space to talk.”
The program is a year-long commitment between Aetna and Mort. If it goes well, there’s a possibility that other schools might get involved.
