Information on the Mental Health Challenges Facing Military Students
Students of military families often experience mutltiple stressors before and during a parent's deployment and when they return home. Without appropropriate mental health support systems, children of military personnel may be at a significant disadvantage compared to their peers in non-military families. Military students are resilient, but there are resources available to help.
At Heritage, we address all needs of students, including mental health. Ms. Amanda Shelton, our guidance counselor, is available to assist students with any personal, peer, or academic concern such as in deployment and reintegration, family dynamics, and positive coping mechanisms. She facilitates groups and training to build leadership skills, manage anger, build self-esteem and confidence, and strengthen communication. In addition, our school counselor assists with individual student academic planning and goal-setting, provides school counseling classroom lessons based on student success standards, provides short-term counseling to students, provides referrals for long-term support, and collaborates with families/teachers/adminstrators, and community for student success. For additional information email Ms. Shelton at ashelton@heritagepatriots.com
In addition, MSU Behavioral Health, a mental health clinic located on campus at Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS (25 minutes away) is offering the following services:
The Clinic Director is licensed psychologist Dr. Michael Nadorff.
The clinic is grant funded, and they can provide mental health therapy and peer support services at no cost to clients as long as they are between the ages of 16-25 and currently reside in Mississippi (i.e. someone who recently moved here from out of state does qualify!)
If you can think of anyone who would benefit from their services, please have them contact (662) 325-0621.
Just to clarify, even though they are located on campus at MSU, this resource extends beyond the campus--they can serve anyone in the entire state of Mississippi who qualifies! They currently have NO wait list! Once intake forms are completed, they will be able to set an appointment quickly. Clients can expect to be seen every two weeks. They offer in-person and telehealth services. If you have any questions, please feel free to call and please feel free to share our info!
Other resources to help military-connected families are:
Sesame Street for Military Families