Not many people know what she does, or let alone who she is. Yet, when you enter her room you immediately feel welcomed. She’s here to help students and families get the help they need.
Courtney Ma is the Student and Family Health Advocate for the Canyon Schools. She travels between the Canyon Intermediate, Junior High, and High school. Her office is located at the high school in room 1302 (the old ISS room).
“I meet with students and offer, in school, support to them if they need it,” Ma said. “If they’re struggling with something at home, having a lot of anxiety or they have a lot of anger issues, whatever the reasons may be. I am here to help families find resources within the community.”
Doing more then just being there for the students, she helps the family as a whole: helping families find resources within the community. Those resources can include counseling, help give advice for food, clothes, bills, social work, along with a variety of other things.
“It’s good having someone to talk to,” Ma said. “I don’t have a say in what you do or how you do it, but just having someone as a neutral party to come and talk to you about whatever struggles you’re having can be helpful. Especially if it’s in the middle of a school day, and you’re having a hard day. You can come in here and just visit for 10 minutes and then go back to class.”
There are four other Student and Family advocates throughout the CISD district. One at Randall, West Plains, and the elementary schools. Originally they all were stationed at Midway, but this year they decided to change it up and now have an office on campus.
“My primary goal is always to talk to parents and see what they feel like they need for their family first,” Ma said. “If they say we really just want an outside counselor and that’s it. I would send them information for outside counselors that match with their insurance and all that.”
With mental health being a major factor in the world today, it is important to have people you can trust. Somebody that you can talk to that will listen. The CDC states our mental health helps us determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy life choices, causing it to be vital through every stage of our life.
“I know that mental health is such a need in our community. And especially within teenagers as an age group,” Ma said. “It’s very needed, and I’m glad to be able to come in, alongside families and teachers and be able to help support kids whenever they feel like they’re really struggling or they really need help.”
If you ever need somebody to talk to, swing by room 1302 or text “HOME” to 741-741.
National Suicide Hotline: Text or Dial 988
