Cy-Woods HS Wildcat Mental Health Alliance Wins TxSSC Award
The Cypress Woods High School Wildcat Mental Health Alliance (WMHA) was recently selected to receive the Student-Led Groups Programs Spotlight Award from the Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC).
Megan McCarty, a licensed counselor and a member of the CFISD Mental Health Intervention Team, nominated the Cypress Woods WMHA for the award after the group hosted the “Walk for a Tomorrow” event on campus in February 2022. The event brought students, staff, parents and community members together in support of mental health and suicide prevention.
“I’m proud that the Wildcat Mental Health Alliance has made active steps in our school to destigmatize mental health by hosting monthly meetings and having a communitywide walk for mental health and suicide prevention awareness,” said Emmie Mosier, Cypress Woods senior and WMHA secretary. “I enjoy the openness and community that the WMHA has built and that we can have a good time together.”
Members of the Cypress Woods High School administration, along with members of the Wildcat Mental Health Alliance, pose for a photo with a check worth $5,300 at the “Walk for a Tomorrow” event held February 2022 at the campus. The money was donated to Cy-Hope to help provide counseling services to students at Cypress Woods, Goodson and Spillane middle schools. (Photo by Lauren Lavers, Cypress Woods HS)“Our Wildcat Mental Health Alliance has made a huge impact at Cypress Woods High School by bringing awareness to issues surrounding mental health, educating and encouraging their peers about the use of self-care, and helping to end the stigma surrounding mental health concerns,” said Doug Harbrueger, Cypress Woods counselor and WMHA sponsor. “As a result of the WMHA’s efforts, our school is a safer place because all of our students, staff and community know that at Cypress Woods it is okay to not be okay, and more importantly that there is always help available.”
As a recipient of the TxSSC Student-Led Groups Programs Spotlight Award, the WMHA is automatically nominated for the Overall Statewide Award for the same category. The winner of the statewide award will be announced in May 2023.
“During my freshman year, six high school students came together with the goal of ending the stigma surrounding mental health in our school,” said Susan Al-Almra, Cypress Woods senior and WMHA co-president. “It was overwhelming and seemed almost impossible, but here we are now—I never thought it would actually make a difference, but the WMHA has made change possible.”
The TxSSC is an official university-level research center at Texas State University and serves schools and communities to create safe, secure and healthy environments.
Visit the TxSSC website for more information.
