BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — During school hours, 15-year-old Catherine Hughes stops by to check in with her mentor Delaney Sprecker at Lake Shore High School. Delaney, a Buffalo State student, is at the school twice a week. She works as a mentor through Compeer Buffalo's school-based mentoring. The conversations between the two sound like a couple of friends catching up - but they're so much more.
"It's really just supporting mental health through basic friendship," explained Compeer's Director of Youth Services Ashleigh Cieri. "It's talking about their day and what's going on on their life. It's made a tremendous impact on their mental health."
It's a program that's essential - coming at a time when a recent CDC report shows nearly three out of every five teen girls feels sad or hopeless. Erie County itself is seeing similar numbers. Spectrum Health's CARES team provides support to families with kids and teens in crisis. Last year they had 805 referrals for young girls. So far this year they've gotten 183, which is about a 10% increase.
School-based mentoring meets the students where they are. They can come to the Compeer room during study halls or lunch breaks. Catherine says it's a great place to talk - especially for busy students.
"A lot of kids come to school and they're sad or stressed over schoolwork," she explained.
Part of the stress comes from school, but the other comes from outside factors. One thing many students struggle with is social media. Gone are the days of having a break from school when you get home.
"There can be a lot of drama that affects people's lives," explained Catherine. "People post what happens in school, everybody sees it and it causes more problems."
"Just the sense of privacy - the barrier has been broken down," echoed her mentor Delaney. "If something happens in school, it's talked about after school."
Challenges with friends, school and social media are just some of the things the students and mentors talk about. Delaney says she hopes parents understand that students are up against a lot these days, and that sometimes acting out is really a cry for help.
"Shift the perspective," she suggested. "Instead of thinking they're giving you a hard time, they're victimizing you, just think they're having a hard time. They're dealing with a lot right now," she said.
Compeer operates the school-based mentoring program in five school districts. The organization partners with college students to find mentors, and all of them are working on bachelors or masters degrees. The hope is to keep expanding the program to help more kids with their mental health.
"It's easier to talk to people here," said Catherine.
"I've heard some kids say I don't know where I'd be this year if I didn't have this friend to check in with," echoed Ashleigh.
You can learn more about Compeer and the programs/services it offers here.
