Improving Mental Health Resources

UT Tyler Launches Project to Provide Mental Health Support for Teachers

A Special Segment by UT Tyler University Advancement

Being a teacher has its own unique set of stressors and challenges. However, during these unprecedented times, the burden on educators can become overwhelming both personally and professionally. 

Realizing the critical role these individuals play in the lives of East Texas students, The University of Texas at Tyler’s School of Nursing, Center for School Based Research and Instruction, Office of Community Engagement and Colleges of Nursing and Health Sciences (CNHS) and Education and Psychology (CEP) are forming a team of faculty, administrators and students to help address a critical issue facing East Texas teachers – their mental health. 

“UT Tyler strives to be the educational and economic driver of East Texas, which means that we must invest in our community by connecting our academic resources to needs in the area,” said Brittany Childs, senior director of community engagement.

Through the Mental Health Resources for Educators project, the team is joining forces to provide free telemedicine mental health services to area educators. These virtual screenings, which include individual and group sessions, will be facilitated by students under the supervision of UT Tyler faculty. 

“Our plan is to offer these resources to a small pilot group this spring with the goal of increasing the reach of the program in the 2021-22 academic year and beyond,” said project-lead Dr. Sandra Petersen, School of Nursing faculty member and director of UT Tyler’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program. 

East Texas teachers have been navigating uncertainty since last spring. 

“The past year has been difficult for many, and our East Texas educators have been on the ‘front lines’ in terms of helping children and their families continue their education,” said Childs. “These teachers are also juggling their own personal responsibilities in addition to their work in education, and this project aims to assist them in an area where they may not have help available: their mental health.” 

For essential workers like teachers, the day in, day out, unpredictable nature of the pandemic can take a mental toll and be incredibly fatiguing. 

“Like others, teachers have been anxious, stressed and exhausted by the pandemic,” Petersen said. “They're being asked to return to the classroom during the ongoing pandemic. As a result, we are seeing some of the same psychological effects in teachers as we have seen from frontline healthcare workers.”

To help support the pilot and first year of the project, the team has launched a crowdfunding campaign.

“We are extremely enthusiastic about how this project will benefit East Texas educators,” said Matt Brinton, director of development for CNHS and CEP. “We are blessed to live in an extremely philanthropic community that supports UT Tyler’s efforts across the board. I have no doubt that our friends and neighbors will rise to the occasion and help us meet our fundraising goal.”

Make a gift to support East Texas educators at https://elevate.uttyler.edu/mental-health-resources. For questions about the project, please contact Dr. Sandra Petersen at spetersen@uttyler.edu.

#CEP

#CNHS